scholarly journals The Bright Sides of Sadness in Late Life

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 627-627
Author(s):  
Claudia Haase ◽  
Deborah Wu ◽  
Sandy Lwi ◽  
Alice Verstaen ◽  
Robert Levenson
Keyword(s):  
Marital Conflict ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Compensatory Control ◽  
Film Clips ◽  
Autonomic Physiology

Abstract Sadness is often thought of as unpleasant and dysfunctional. Yet, evolutionary-functionalist approaches and discrete emotional aging frameworks suggest that sadness is an emotion that helps us deal with loss and thus may become particularly salient and adaptive in late life. This talk presents findings from a multi-study, multi-method research program using age-diverse samples and experimental and longitudinal study designs. Findings show (1) intact or elevated levels of sadness responding in late life (i.e., higher sadness expressions in response to distressing film clips; higher coherence between sad facial expressions and autonomic physiology in response to film clips depicting loss; stability in sadness behaviors in marital conflict interactions). Moreover, (2) higher levels of sadness responding are linked to adaptive outcomes in late life (i.e., higher social connectedness, higher compensatory control strategies) with some effects generalizing across age groups (i.e., links between sadness coherence and well-being). Implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Mental Health and Social Connectedness Across the Adult Lifespan in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Madeline A. Gregory ◽  
Nicole K. Legg ◽  
Zachary Senay ◽  
Jamie-Lee Barden ◽  
Peter Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Adult Age

Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound consequences on collective mental health and well-being, and yet, older adults appear better off than younger adults. The current study examined mental health impacts of the pandemic across adult age groups in a large sample (n = 5,320) of Canadians using multiple hierarchical regression analyses. Results suggest older adults are experiencing better mental health and more social connectedness relative to younger adults. Loneliness predicted negative mental health outcomes across all age groups, while the negative association between social support and mental health was only significant at average and high levels of loneliness in the 65–69 age group. Results point towards differential mental health impacts of the pandemic across adult age groups and indicate that loneliness and social support may be key intervention targets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should further examine mechanisms of resiliency among older Canadian adults during the pandemic.

Older Adults and Their Internet Behaviors

2012 ◽  
pp. 608-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Mazur ◽  
Margaret L. Signorella ◽  
Michelle Hough
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
Cognitive Limitations ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Use Of The Internet

Early research on older adult computer users focused on the possibility for technology to increase social interaction and alleviate loneliness. Subsequent research has been equivocal on the possible benefits of the Internet for well-being. Nonetheless, in spite of an initial “gray gap,” older adults are increasingly joining younger cohorts in using the Internet. Barriers to older adults’ use of the Internet remain, such as physical and cognitive limitations. Attitudinal barriers may exist, but it is unclear whether these result from lack of experience or differences in income or health status. Business researchers have found that older persons differ from other age groups in their Internet engagement patterns, including online buying. Future research directions include whether computers can improve cognitive functioning and quality of life, how to increase engagement levels, and if there will always be a lag in technology use among older adults.

scholarly journals The Co-Development of Generativity and Well-Being into Early Late Life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Baranski ◽  
Jennifer Lodi-Smith ◽  
Elyse Ponterio ◽  
Nicky Newton ◽  
Michael Poulin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rank Order ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Demographic Covariates ◽  
Early Late

The current manuscript replicates and extends the few existing studies of generativity in later adulthood with regard to two aims: (1) to model individual differences in the development of generativity into early late life and (2) to quantify the relationship between development in generativity and development in well-being into late midlife and early older adulthood. Data from the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study (RALS) are used to address these aims in a preregistered secondary analysis of existing RALS data (see https://osf.io/syp2u). Analyses quantify individual development of generativity in a sample of 284 RALS participants who completed the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS; McAdams & de St. Aubin, 1992) and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB; Ryff, 1989a) during the most recent two waves of the RALS (2000 – 2012). Both generativity and well-being demonstrated substantial rank-order stability and mean-level change as well as individual variability on both. Dual score change models showed a robust concurrent relationship between both constructs at the first assessment and meaningful correlated change between generativity and well-being over time. While demographic covariates were not associated with study findings, one of the most important limitations of the RALS is the racial and ethnic homogeneity of the sample that constrains generalizability to other racial and ethnic groups. Results are discussed in the context of our current understanding of the development and impact of generativity in later adulthood anddirections for future research in this area are identified.

scholarly journals Retirement Confidence: Development of an Index

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110357
Author(s):  
Eraj Ghafoori ◽  
Fernanda Mata ◽  
Kim Borg ◽  
Liam Smith ◽  
Debora Ralston
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Relative Weight ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Linear Aggregation ◽  
Confidence Index ◽  
Financial Awareness

Older workers who are confident about the changes accompanying retirement report higher well-being. We have developed an index to measure retirement confidence – the Retirement Confidence Index (RCI). A six-stage approach was used to develop the index items, including (i) a literature review to catalogue retirement confidence components; (ii) a consultation with a panel of experts to review the proposed indicators and combine components according to their meaning; (iii) normalisation of the selected components to make them comparable; (iv) weighting of the top-level dimensions using experts’ judgement; (v) linear aggregation of the dimension scores according to their corresponding relative weight; and (vi) correlation of the composite score with a self-report measure of retirement confidence. Based on the review of the literature, a list of nine sub-components (financial literacy, financial attitude and behaviour, financial control, financial anxiety, physical health, mental health, social connectedness, goal setting for retirement and future uncertainties) was compiled. Subsequently, these components were grouped into four broad dimensions. Correlations between these dimensions (social, financial awareness and skills, health and well-being, and retirement awareness and planning dimensions) and the corresponding self-reported measures were as high as r = 0.555, r = 0.603, r = 0.591 and r = 0.569, reflecting 30.8%, 36.3%, 34.9% and 32.3% shared variance with the corresponding self-reported indices, respectively. The Retirement Confidence Index provides the foundation for future research to measure retirement confidence, with the aim of identifying deficient RCI dimensions and directing efforts to targeted policies to ensure older workers are confident about retirement.

scholarly journals The experience of distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-country examination on the fear of COVID-19 and the sense of loneliness

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Lo Coco ◽  
Ambra Gentile ◽  
Ksenija Bosnar ◽  
Ivana Milovanovic ◽  
Antonino Bianco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Groups ◽  
Spread Of Infection

AbstractObjectivesTo examine gender, age and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (i.e. Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (i.e. Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).MethodsA total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness.ResultsMales and females of all age groups in countries suffering from a strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries females and elder stated more symptoms than males and younger; in Spanish and Italian sample the pattern of differences is considerably more complex.ConclusionFuture research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues can help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

scholarly journals Diversity of Activities, Emotions, and Pleasant Events and Their Associations With Mental and Cognitive Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 18-18
Author(s):  
Soomi Lee ◽  
Emily Urban-Wojcik ◽  
David Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Resources ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
Limited Opportunity ◽  
Pleasant Events

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the structure of our daily lives. One of the most significant changes is a limited opportunity to engage in face-to-face social interactions and enjoy diverse daily activities. This raises a public health concern, because diverse experiences are critical sources of health by increasing social integration, cognitive reserve, and psychological resources. Recently, two lines of research have consistently shown that activity diversity or emodiversity is associated with multiple health outcomes. However, still more integrated efforts are needed to better understand diversity of daily experiences in various aspects and their contributions to health. This symposium brings together different endeavors towards understanding how diversity of daily experiences – activity diversity, emodiversity, and variety in positive experiences – are associated with health and well-being across adulthood. The topic of this symposium is timely to discuss potential prevention approaches to protect population well-being as the pandemic evolves. Paper 1 examines activity diversity (breadth and evenness of daily activity participation) and how it is related to positive and negative emodiversity (rich and balanced emotional experiences) differently by age groups. Paper 2 investigates the longitudinal relationship between activity variety across cognitive, physical, and social domains and cognitive functioning. Paper 3 examines variety in pleasant events and its associations with mental health outcomes. Paper 4 examines whether and how negative emodiversity is associated with mental illness during COVID-19. The discussant, Dr. David Almeida will integrate key findings from these studies, discuss their theoretical and methodological contributions, and consider opportunities for future research.

scholarly journals Ageism on the Therapeutic Couch: Aging Attitudes and Late-Life Psychotherapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 431-431
Author(s):  
Gregory Hinrichsen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Aging Attitudes

Abstract Ageist stereotypes characterize older adults as depressed, demented, and dependent. A large body of research has documented the adverse physical and emotional impact of ageism on older adults. Mental health professionals, however, often see the minority of older adults who, in fact, are depressed, have cognitive impairments, and/or are increasingly dependent on others. To what degree do pre-existing attitudes about aging come into play in psychotherapy with older people? With all age groups, psychotherapists often help clients better understand and challenge longstanding negative assumptions about self and world (sometimes called “the unconscious” or “underlying schemas”). These assumptions often impede the individual’s ability to successfully contend with life problems. This presentation will discuss ways in which psychotherapists can assist older clients in clarifying their underlying (and often self-limiting) negative assumptions about aging, moving beyond them to better contend with late life stressors, and improving emotional well-being.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being and Autonomy in Young People According to Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel De-Juanas ◽  
Teresita Bernal Romero ◽  
Rosa Goig
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Transition To Adulthood ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship

Psychological well-being manifests itself in all aspects of human activity and is essential to understanding whether young people experience life satisfaction and whether, as they mature, well-being can be associated with different levels of personal autonomy. This quantitative study was developed within the framework of international research on young people’s autonomy in the transition to adulthood. Its main objectives were to analyze the relationship between psychological well-being and autonomy and examine potential variations between the two variables according to age. To this end, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale and the Transition to Adulthood Autonomy Scale (EDATVA) designed by Bernal et al., were used with a sample of 1,148 young people aged 16–21 from Madrid, Spain, and Bogotá, Colombia. The results show that almost all the dimensions on the Psychological Well-Being Scale correlate significantly and positively with the dimensions on the EDATVA scale. Specifically, moderate correlations were obtained between self-organization on the EDATVA scale and purpose in life (r = 0.568; p = 0.01) and environmental mastery (r = 0.447; p = 0.01) on the Psychological Well-Being Scale. In turn, autonomy on Ryff’s scale obtained the highest correlation (r = 0.382; p = 0.01) with understanding context on the EDATVA scale. It was also found that the older 18–21 age group obtained higher scores than the younger 16–17 age group in all dimensions on both the EDATVA and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Earlier studies endorse the results found in this research, especially the differences in the scores for both scales according to age groups. This opens avenues for future research to analyze the relationship between psychological well-being and autonomy as independent variables in other sectors of the population.

scholarly journals COHORT DIFFERENCES IN CHANGES IN LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG OLDER JAPANESE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S697-S697
Author(s):  
Takeshi Nakagawa ◽  
Erika Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Young Old

Abstract Life span research has been interested in how sociocultural contexts shape individual development and aging processes. Empirical studies have reported that later cohorts show higher levels of well-being. However, more recent studies indicate that cohort differences are not sustained in very late life. The present study examined whether cohort differences in well-being, as measured by life satisfaction, are observed in the young-old and old-old, and further explored potential determinants of cohort differences. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative study of older Japanese, conducted from 1987—2002, we compared earlier- and later-born cohorts in the young-old (N = 874; age 60—65; year of birth: 1922—1927 and 1931—1936) and old-old (N = 1,022; age 70—80; year of birth: 1907—1917 and 1919—1929), respectively. To control for covariates, we used case-matched groups based on age and gender. Results revealed that later cohorts exhibited higher levels of life satisfaction in both age groups. In the young-old, life satisfaction declined across cohorts. In the old-old, life satisfaction remained stable among earlier cohorts but declined among later cohorts. Socioeconomic, social, and health factors at the individual level and methodological factors (i.e., number of observations) did not fully explain the cohort differences in both age groups. Our results suggest that historical increases in levels of well-being are observed in late life, but that these improvements do not hold in very late life. Future studies should consider potential societal factors behind observed cohort differences in well-being.

scholarly journals A Cross-Country Examination on the Fear of COVID-19 and the Sense of Loneliness during the First Wave of COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2586
Author(s):  
Gianluca Lo Coco ◽  
Ambra Gentile ◽  
Ksenija Bosnar ◽  
Ivana Milovanović ◽  
Antonino Bianco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Groups ◽  
Spread Of Infection

The aim of the current study is to examine gender, age. and cross-country differences in fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness during the lockdown, by comparing people from those countries with a high rate of infections and deaths (e.g., Spain and Italy) and from countries with a mild spread of infection (e.g., Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). A total of 3876 participants (63% female) completed an online survey on “Everyday life practices in COVID-19 time” in April 2020, including measures of fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Males and females of all age groups in countries suffering from the powerful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reported greater fear of COVID-19 and sense of loneliness. In less endangered countries, females and the elderly reported more symptoms than males and the young; in Spanish and Italian samples, the pattern of differences is considerably more complex. Future research should thoroughly examine different age and gender groups. The analysis of emotional well-being in groups at risk of mental health issues may help to lessen the long term social and economic costs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document