Published online Jun 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i6.106227
Revised: March 24, 2025
Accepted: April 23, 2025
Published online: June 19, 2025
Processing time: 99 Days and 3.5 Hours
Human beings, by nature, have many expectations that create a feeling of anxiety about the future, but they are endured and long-ranged. They expect to have rela
To investigate the future anxiety and belongingness of young and older adults and determine their relationships.
The study was conducted with 404 volunteer participants. Data were collected using the demographic characteristics from the “Dark Future Scale” and “General Belongingness Scale”.
The mean age of older adults was 66.76 ± 3.74, while that of younger adults was 36.72 ± 10.12. The average score for “future anxiety” was 18.81 ± 7.59, and for “general belongingness", it was 63.31 ± 1.40. Findings indicated a reverse correlation between future anxiety and belongingness. A significant difference in belonging scores was observed between young and older adults (P = 0.016, which is < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was found regarding future anxiety scores (P > 0.05).
Participants had a moderate level of “future anxiety” and higher “belongingness”. Lower belongingness scores correlated with increased future anxiety. Older adults reported a lower sense of belonging than younger individuals.
Core Tip: While the feeling of being loved, respected, noticed, and belonging that comes with belonging to a group constitutes an important basis for the psychological health of the individual, the absence of a sense of belonging can increase feelings of rejection, isolation, and alienation, causing anxiety about both the individual's current and future life and thus negatively affecting their mental health. Study findings highlight the ongoing necessity for individuals to foster the development of coping strategies related to future anxiety and cultivate interactive relationships that promote a sense of belonging.