Nostalgia and Health: A Longitudinal Network Analysis of Different Nostalgic Experiences

Abstract

The study examines the long-term dynamics of the relationship between nostalgia and health using a population-based longitudinal sample in the Netherlands (N = 958). We identified five types of nostalgia—Home, Peers and shared experiences, Emotional security, Innocence, and Leisure and media—and explored their relationships with health using network analyses. We found bidirectional relationships between nostalgia and health over a 1-year interval. Self-rated health and mental health negatively predicted nostalgia centered on Peers and shared experiences, Emotional security, and Innocence. Nostalgia, especially Emotional security and Innocence, negatively predicted self-rated health and mental health. The effects were further moderated by age. Cross-lagged relationships from nostalgia to health were found in younger but not older adults, while relationships from health to nostalgia were found primarily among older adults. In sum, we demonstrate the importance of considering age and type of nostalgia when exploring long-term relationships between nostalgia and health.