Sep 02, 2015 12:46 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Researchers in the University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences  found older women who forgave others were less likely to report depressive symptoms regardless of whether they felt unforgiven by others. Older men, however, reported the highest levels of depression when they both forgave others and felt unforgiven by others.

"It doesn't feel good when we perceive that others haven't forgiven us for something," Christine Proulx, study co-author and an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, said in a statement. "When we think about forgiveness and characteristics of people who are forgiving - altruistic, compassionate, empathetic - these people forgive others and seem to compensate for the fact that others aren't forgiving them. It sounds like moral superiority, but it's not about being a better person. It's 'I know that this hurts because it's hurting me,' and those people are more likely to forgive others, which appears to help decrease levels of depression, particularly for women."

For the study, researchers analyzed data from the Religion, Aging, and Health Survey, a national survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 67 years and older. Survey participants answered questions about their religion, health and psychological well-being.

They chose to study forgiveness among an older population because of the tendency among older individuals to reflect on their lives, especially their relationships and transgressions, both as wrongdoers and as those who had experienced wrongdoing.

"As people get older, they become more forgiving," Ashley Ermer, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "Our population also predominately was Christian, which may influence individuals' willingness to forgive and could function differently among individuals with different beliefs."

The researchers found men and women who feel unforgiven by others are somewhat protected against depression when they are able to forgive themselves. Yet, the researchers said they were surprised to find that forgiving oneself did not more significantly reduce levels of depression.

"Self-forgiveness didn't act as the protector against depression," Proulx said. "It's really about whether individuals can forgive other people and their willingness to forgive others."

Researchers said the findings may help counselors of older adults develop gender-appropriate interventions since men and women process forgiveness differently. 

The findings are detailed in the journal Aging and Mental Health.

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