Existential scars: unraveling the role of trauma and meaning in life in the experience of tiredness of life in older adults

This doctoral project explores tiredness of life in community-dwelling, relatively healthy older adults - an existential experience in which life is perceived as meaningless, burdensome, or complete. Despite the absence of acute psychiatric disorders, some older individuals express a passive or active wish to end their lives. The research focuses on the role of life-course trauma and attachment in the development of tiredness of life, and investigates to what extent the experience of meaning in life may act as a protective or explanatory process. By gaining a deeper understanding of these underlying dynamics, the project aims to contribute to more appropriate and person-centered support for older adults struggling with a loss of meaning in life.