Christmas in Ushuaia

When you get rid of the worst moments of your life, do you also get rid of yourself? Are horrible life experiences simply required? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Laz has gone to the ends of the earth, the southern tip of Argentina, to throw a diary containing all his life’s disappointments and misery into the ocean, so as to rid himself of these experiences. While dining he sits with an intriguing couple who hear the story of his life and put forth an alternative theory, that our negative experiences are necessary to form our personality. That without our negative experiences, we are left the shell of a person. Laz takes these words to heart, and decides to retain his negative life experiences.

Nadir experiences and ego-integrity: types of narrative enactment

Coming to terms with negative life experiences is a way of reaching ego-integrity in mature age, a development task belonging to the last phase of Erikson's theory of psycho-social development. This study explores fundamental tensions between negative life experiences and ego-integrity through the lens of narrative enactment, i.e. by looking at how nadir experiences are constructed in the narratives of study participants. From 166 potential participants, we selected life-story narratives of 42 highly ego-integrated older adults based on a self-rated ego-integrity scale. Data were analysed using the narrative approach, where ageing is perceived as autobiographical work and narrativity is viewed as enactment of the constitutive event of ‘trouble’. Our results suggest a subtle classification of five distinct types of narrative enactment: ‘it turned out well’, ‘I managed to cope with it’, ‘validation with respect to future development’, ‘acquisition of a new attitude’ and, finally, ‘justification of a hard decision’. Each of these enactment types is defined by a particular configuration of narrative categories: agency in a negative event, agency in a positive resolution, reflexivity and construction of moral identity. Our results highlight the meaning of processing and reconstruction of negative life experiences and the various narrative pathways this process can follow in highly ego-integrated older adults.

Risk Factors for Depression in Empty Nesters: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Coastal City of Zhejiang Province and China

The elderly are susceptible to depression, especially empty nesters. This study investigated the risk factors associated with depression in empty nesters. The participants were selected via multi-stage random cluster sampling. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale. The questionnaire surveyed demographic characteristics, underlying diseases, behaviors and lifestyles, negative life experiences, social support, self-care ability, etc. Chronic health conditions, such as being overweight/obese, smoking cessation, cancer, and chronic pain, as well as negative life experiences, such as the death of a loved one and financial loss, increased the risk of depression in empty nesters. In addition, the incapability of performing self-care also increased the risk of depression in empty nesters. The prevalence of depression in empty nesters was high. Being overweight/obese, cancer, chronic pain, smoking cessation, the death of a loved one, financial loss, and the incapability to deliver self-care were risk factors for depression in empty nesters. It is recommended that comprehensive measures be taken to enhance health interventions for this population, including encouraging a proper diet and physical activity for weight control, providing psychological counseling after negative life experiences, and teaching correct methods of smoking cessation.

Associations between negative life experiences and the mental health of trans and gender diverse young people in Australia: findings from Trans Pathways

BackgroundTrans and gender diverse (TGD) young people worldwide experience high rates of poor mental health; however, these rates were unknown in Australia. In addition, how negative life events affect the mental health of TGD young people has been largely unexplored.MethodsThis paper reports on novel mental health findings of Trans Pathways, the largest study ever conducted in Australia with trans (transgender) and gender diverse young people (N = 859; aged 14–25 years). The study was an anonymous online cross-sectional survey undertaken in 2016. Logistic and linear regression models were used to test associations between mental health outcomes and negative life experiences.ResultsTGD young people in Australia experience high levels of mental distress, including self-harming (79.7%), suicidal thoughts (82.4%), and attempting suicide (48.1%). Three in four participants had been diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety (74.6% and 72.2%, respectively). Many TGD young people had been exposed to negative experiences such as peer rejection (89.0%), precarious accommodation (22.0%), bullying (74.0%), and discrimination (68.9%). Most poor mental health outcomes were associated with negative experiences. The strongest associations were found for precarious accommodation and issues within educational settings. For example, participants with a prior suicide attempt were almost six times more likely to have experienced issues with accommodation, including homelessness.ConclusionsThe current results highlight the urgent need for better mental health care and provide insight into areas for targeted mental health interventions. These findings are pertinent for clinicians working with trans young people and wider society.

Food insecurity, childhood hunger and caregiver life experiences among households with children in South Carolina, USA

Objective:We explored how positive and negative life experiences of caregivers are associated with household food insecurity.Design:The Midlands Family Study (MFS) was a cross-sectional study with three levels of household food security: food secure, food insecure without child hunger and food insecure with child hunger. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used for analyses of negative and positive life experiences (number, impact, type) associated with food insecurity.Setting:An eight-county region in South Carolina, USA, in 2012–2013.Participants:Caregivers (n 511) in households with children.Results:Caregivers who reported greater numbers of negative life experiences and greater perceived impact had increased odds of household food insecurity and reporting their children experienced hunger. Each additional negative life experience count of the caregiver was associated with a 16 % greater odds of food insecurity without child hunger and a 28 % greater odds of child hunger. Each one-unit increase in the negative impact score (e.g. a worsening) was associated with 8 % higher odds of food insecurity without child hunger and 12 % higher odds of child hunger. Negative work experiences or financial instability had the strongest association (OR = 1·8; 95 % CI 1·5, 2·2) with child hunger. Positive life experiences were generally not associated with food security status, with one exception: for each unit increase in the number of positive experiences involving family and other relationships, the odds of child hunger decreased by 22 %.Conclusions:More research is needed to understand approaches to build resilience against negative life experiences and strengthen positive familial, community and social relationships.

IS THERE A RELATION BETWEEN SIBLING ABUSE AND GUILT AND SHAME?

The current study aims to investigate the relationship between the feelings of shame and guilt and sibling abuse role (victim or perpetrator). Two hundred and three university students from Gazi University participated in the study. A survey including Sibling Abuse Scale, Guilt and Shame Scale and the Life Events Checklist were given to the participants. Regression analysis done to reveal if any relationship exists between general feelings of shame and guilt and sibling abuse role while controlling for the negative life events. Going through negative experiences in life was associated with level of victimization and perpetration in the case of sibling abuse. Perpetrator role in sibling abuse significantly predicted the feeling of guilt even after controlling for the negative life experiences. When predicting the feeling of shame, after controlling for the negative life experiences, neither the level of perpetration nor the level of victimization was found to be significant. The results of the study demonstrated that the more the individuals abuse their siblings in the early years, the less they feel guilt in the early adult years. Also, individuals who were exposed to higher levels of earlier abusive behaviors from their siblings were less likely to feel guilt when compared to not abused siblings. The findings of the study are important for preventive interventions. Therefore, educationists and health providers have responsibility about public education about sibling abuse.