Explore the extended impacts on psychological well-being in older adults through application of virtual reality technology: An integrative review.

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the longitudinal relationship between physical activity (PA) and the psychological domains of well-being in older adults and to identify possible moderators and mediators of this relationship. Twelve longitudinal investigations were included in this review. The results indicate that there seems to be a positive association between PA and psychological well-being over time. Thus PA may be one possible individual lifestyle factor for the long-term promotion of psychological well-being in older adults. Especially leisure time PA at light intensities conducted in group settings was identified to be beneficial for promoting psychological well-being. Furthermore, longitudinal results indicated that self-efficacy, self-esteem, affect, optimism, and pre-interventional motivation moderated/mediated the relationship between PA and psychological well-being in older adults.

The present research work is grounded in the question: "Is there a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being in older adults?" In response to this, the hypothesis posits the existence of a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being in older adults. Consequently, the general objective of this study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being in older adults residing in a nursing home. This was accomplished through a Quantitative Correlational research design, using a sample of 85 older adults, encompassing both men and women, aged 60 years and older, residing in a nursing home. The assessment tools employed included Emily Sterret's Self-Assessment Test of Emotional Intelligence, which was adapted for use in Peru by Lorena Valdez in 2018, and Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale, originally created in the United States in 1995 and subsequently adapted for use in Peru by Madelinne Pérez-Basilio in 2017. The results revealed that in the realm of emotional intelligence, the predominant level was "optimal," accounting for 51%, followed by "outstanding," at 49%. Concerning psychological well-being, there was a predominance of the "high" level, comprising 61%, with 39% falling into the "medium" category. In conclusion, there was a strong correlation coefficient between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being, with r = 0.831** and significance at p < 0.01. This implies that higher emotional intelligence corresponds to greater psychological well-being among older adults residing in a nursing home. Received: 7 September 2023 / Accepted: 9 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly affected psychological wellbeing in older adults, with cases of depression, anxiety and loneliness rising in the general population. Cognitive health has also potentially been affected, as social isolation can lead to cognitive decline. Worrying about cognitive health can be damaging to psychological wellbeing and is especially relevant to explore in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. The objective of the present study was to explore the associations between cognitive health worries and wellbeing, and to investigate whether physical activity and social contact can mitigate negative effects of the pandemic on psychological wellbeing. Older adults (N = 191) completed an online survey which included measures of cognitive health worries, depression, anxiety, loneliness, social isolation, fatigue, impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, quality of life, subjective vitality, and physical activity. Analyses indicated that cognitive health worries, lower levels of physical activity and smaller amounts of social interaction were associated with poorer psychological and physical wellbeing. Results showed that worrying about cognitive health is associated with poorer wellbeing, and so interventions are needed to encourage positive cognitive functioning in times of social isolation. Promoting physical activity and social interaction is also beneficial, as results show that exercise and social contact are linked with improved wellbeing.

Purpose. It is important for professionals working with individuals with acquired neurogenic communication disorders to consider their clients' psychological well-being. Much is known about the significant emotional, social and psychological consequences of aphasia after stroke; however, little is known about the individuals' psychological well-being. This article reports the psychological well-being of community-dwelling older adults with chronic aphasia in the context of their unaffected peers.Method. Thirty participants who were affected by aphasia and 75 unaffected participants completed the 24-item measure ‘How I feel about myself’ (drawn originally from Ryff C. Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 1989;57:1069–1081) and the ‘Geriatric Depression Scale’ (GDS) (Sheik J, Yesavage J. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): recent evidence and development of a shorter version. Clin Gerontol 1986;5:165–172).Results. Individuals with aphasia after stroke had a statistically similar range and average psychological well-being as the unaffected population, with the exception of lower environmental mastery (independence) and lower mood. There was a range of well-being, suggesting that a number of individuals (affected and unaffected) had low positive psychological well-being. Many individuals with aphasia also reported restricted physical functioning.Conclusions. Many persons with chronic aphasia need support to manage the demands and responsibilities of their everyday lives and raise their mood. Clinicians need to be aware of this possibility and formally assess all persons with aphasia, as well as explore the potential impact of physical limitations. Identifying low well-being in older adults is important for all professionals working with the ageing population. The implications for speech and language therapy and for multi-disciplinary research and cross-sector joint working (health, social and community services) are discussed.

This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence on psychological well-being across different target groups and treatment modalities. Fifteen controlled outcome studies were included. An overall effect size of 0.54 was found, indicating a moderate influence of reminiscence on life-satisfaction and emotional well-being in older adults. Life-review was found to have significantly greater effect on psychological well-being than simple reminiscence. In addition, reminiscence had significantly greater effect on community-dwelling adults than adults living in nursing homes or residential care. Other characteristics of participants or interventions were not found to moderate effects. It is concluded that reminiscence in general, but especially life review, are potentially effective methods for the enhancement of psychological well-being in older adults. However, a replication of effectiveness studies of the well-defined protocols is now warranted.

Objectives: Aging is often characterized by declines in physical and mental health and increased risk for depression and social isolation. A protective factor that has been found to effectively moderate these phenomena is psychological well-being. The aim of his study was to pilot test a novel group intervention (Lighten UP! program) for the promotion of psychological well-being in older adults living in the community.Methods: Lighten UP! is an eight-week program consisting of 90-minute group session designed to teach participants to identify and savor positive experiences across multiple domains of eudaimonic well-being. It was delivered to a sample of 103 men and women aged 60 or over, that were assessed pre- and post-intervention with Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale (PWB), Life Satisfaction scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Symptom Questionnaire, and items measuring sleep complaints and social well-being.Results: At the end of the eight weeks, participants reported significantly increased PWB, life satisfaction, and social well-being along with lower levels of depression and fewer physical symptoms and sleep complaints. These gains were particularly robust for individuals with lower pre-program levels of PWB.Conclusions: This pilot investigation suggests the feasibility of a short group program for enhancing well-being in older adults. Future controlled investigations with long-term follow-up assessment are needed to confirm the effectiveness and sustained benefits of the Lighten UP! program.

As the world population is ageing, it is vital to understand how older adults can maintain and deepen their psychological well-being as they are confronted with the unique challenges of ageing in a complex world. Theoretical work has highlighted the promising role of intentional mental training such as meditation practice for enhancing human flourishing. However, meditation-based randomised controlled trials in older adults are lacking. We aimed to investigate the effects of meditation training on psychological well-being in older adults. This study presents a secondary analysis of the Age-Well trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02977819), which randomised 137 healthy older adults (age range: 65 to 84 years) to an 18-month meditation training, an active comparator (English language training), or a passive control. Well-being was measured at baseline, mid-intervention, and 18-month post-randomisation using the Psychological Well-being Scale (PWBS), the World Health Organisation's Quality of Life (QoL) Assessment psychological subscale, and composite scores reflecting the meditation-based well-being dimensions of awareness, connection, insight, and a global score comprising the average of these meditation-based dimensions. The 18-month meditation training was superior to English training on changes in the global score (0.54 [95% CI: 0.26, 0.82], p = 0.0002) and the subscales of awareness, connection, insight, and superior to no-intervention only on changes in the global score (0.54 [95% CI: 0.26, 0.82], p = 0.0002) and awareness. Between-group differences in psychological QoL in favour of meditation did not remain significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. There were no between-group differences in PWBS total score. Within the meditation group, psychological QoL, awareness, insight, and the global score increased significantly from baseline to 18-month post-randomisation. The longest randomised meditation training conducted to date enhanced a global composite score reflecting the meditation-based well-being dimensions of awareness, connection, and insight in older adults. Future research is needed to delineate the cognitive, affective, and behavioural factors that predict responsiveness to meditation and thus help refine the development of tailored meditation training.

ObjectiveThe introduction of the “Broadband China” strategy significantly boosted internet access for older adults in China. This study examines the association between improved internet usage on the psychological well-being of older adults in China and explores the mediating role of intergenerational interactions, focusing on economic and emotional exchanges between older adults and their children.MethodA difference-in-differences analysis was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the “Broadband China” strategy in enhancing internet access. Additionally, fixed-effect regressions were used to examine the relationship between internet use and psychological well-being for older adults (aged 60 and above, male and female, all of Chinese ethnicity).ResultsInternet use is positively associated with psychological well-being. Mobile use and concurrent use of mobile and computers devices show particularly strong benefits. An inverted U-shaped relationship is observed between usage duration and well-being. Moderate use enhances well-being while excessive use diminishes the effect and may even lead to negative outcomes. Internet-based learning, social, and entertainment activities are beneficial, whereas the associations of internet-based work remain inconclusive. Economic interactions such as online shopping and digital transfers are positively associated with well-being, while increased reliance on virtual communication may reduce face-to-face interactions, weakening emotional connections.ConclusionThe “Broadband China” strategy played a significant role in promoting internet use among the country's older adults. While our results suggest many positive associations between internet use and mental well-being, increased internet usage is also associated with decreased face-to-face contact frequency and lower contact quality between older adults and their children.Policy ImplicationDigital inclusion policies should not only expand access but also promote balanced internet use while encouraging meaningful offline interactions between older adults and their families.

Objectives: Guided by Fredrickson's broaden and build theory of positive emotions and Zautra's dynamic model of affect, the current study examines the relation between savoring positive experiences (i.e., the ability to notice and regulate positive feelings) and psychological well-being for older adults with higher and lower levels of resilience.Method: A sample of 164 (74% female) older adults living in a large metropolitan area participated in this study. Participants were recruited from a continuing care retirement community and community centers in the surrounding area. Participants completed a survey measuring savoring, resilience, happiness, depression, and satisfaction with life.Results: In older adults, greater ability to savor positive experiences and higher resilience both predicted greater happiness, lower depression, and greater satisfaction with life (i.e., greater psychological well-being). Savoring is associated with positive outcomes for people with higher and lower levels of resilience. However, the relationship between savoring and psychological well-being is stronger for people with lower resilience.Conclusion: These findings have implications for the development of positive psychological interventions to enhance resilience and well-being in older adults. From a practical standpoint, adaptable interventions to enhance savoring and boost positive emotions in older adults may improve well-being and resilience to life's stressors.

Psychological well-being in older adults is an important issue in Geropsychology and there is increasing interest about the older adults living in the community and at home. Understanding markers of well-being associated with either living in an institution or at home would help to explore certain unique variables that make the older adults’ life difficult. Among older adults, depression decreases the quality of life and affect the individual’s lifespan significantly. However, there have been few studies investigating institution-specific or home-specific markers of depression which are the aims of the current study. The present study aims to make a comparison between 924 the older adults residing in institutions to 846 the older adults residing at home in terms of socio-demographic and health-related variables. Women living at home had higher depression scores than women in the institution. Conversely, men living in institutions were more depressed than living at home while married older adults at home have lower depression scores. Education and income are inversely associated with depression scores. As the number of illnesses increases so does the level of depression. Finally, there is a negative relationship with perceptions of prognosis and perceptions of threat regarding their medical conditions and depression. The interaction of gender, income and residence type is discussed in detail within a cultural context. Possible implications are suggested to improve the psychological well-being of older adults and the specific needs of different populations of older adults based on their residence type are addressed. Key Practitioners Message Investigating the influence of residence type (institution versus home) on the older adults’ psychological well-being helps practitioners to understand the psychological effect of the environment. Examining the association between socio-demographic variables (gender, education, income, marital status) or health-related variables (perceptions of prognosis and threat regarding their medical conditions) and late-life depression reveals individual markers in relation to depression. Older adults residing at home are more vulnerable to suffer from depression due to their difficulty in accessing health services and a tendency to disregard their health care needs. Older adults having physical illnesses had higher scores than their counterparts. Perceptions regarding physical illness might be one of the important topics for health care professionals. Perceptions about physical illness might be a focal point to explore a relationship with mental health.

Osteoarticular diseases are one of the effects of aging, and they are related to physical, psychological, and social functions. Physical activity seems to slow the start and progression of these kinds of illnesses and presents benefits for psychosocial health. The main aim of the study was to investigate the possible effect of physical activity level (Yale Physical Activity Survey) on quality of life (SF-36 Health Questionnaire), subjective psychological well-being (Psychological Well-being Scale), and depression levels (Geriatric Depression Scale), depending on osteoarticular illness. The sample consisted of 263 Spanish adults aged 65 to 98 years who had high or low physical activity (assessed by YPAS Questionnaire) and osteoarticular disease. Results show that physical activity influences the perceived quality of life, depression levels, and subjective well-being in older adults regardless of osteoarticular disease. The present study suggests the need for promoting physical exercise due to its proven positive impact on older adults’ mental health, entailing a significant reduction in the risks of suffering from a variety of frequent diseases and disorders.

Background: As the global population ages, there is an increasing focus on enhancing the psychological well-being of older adults. A key strategy is person-centred care, which emphasises recognising each individual as unique, with their values, needs, and preferences. This study explored older adults’ perceptions of person-centred care and its relationship with their general health and psychological well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 632 participants aged 65 to 96 years (mean age = 73.4 ± 6.7) was conducted, comprising 435 (69%) female and 197 (31%) male participants. Of these, 57% lived in home environments, while 43% resided in retirement homes. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire that included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and the Person-Centred Practice Inventory for Service Users (PCPI-SU). Data analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics 28.0, and non-parametric tests such as the Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman’s correlation were used. Results: Older adults who reported more frequent contact with relatives or loved ones (daily or several times per week) and those residing in home environments perceived significantly higher levels of person-centred care compared to those with less frequent contact and those living in retirement homes (p < 0.001 for both variables). General health varied significantly according to gender (p = 0.009), level of education (p < 0.001), and living environment (p = 0.004), while psychological well-being among older adults showed significant differences based solely on their level of education (p < 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that person-centred care (p = 0.017) and monthly income (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the psychological well-being of older adults, independent of their living environment. Conclusions: The findings suggest that person-centred care and monthly income significantly predict psychological well-being among older adults. Differences in perceived care and health outcomes were also observed based on gender, education level, and living environment. These results underscore the importance of promoting person-centred care practices, particularly in retirement home settings, to enhance psychological well-being in older adult populations.

Objectives This study designed a group reminiscence intervention for older adults and evaluated its preliminary effects on loneliness and psychological well-being. Methods A randomized control trial with convergent parallel design. The intervention comprised 10 sessions based on simple-reminiscence techniques in a senior centre. Inclusion criteria: being lonely, non-institutionalized, ≥60 years and without cognitive impairment. Participants from two senior centres were randomly allocated to experimental or active-control groups. Loneliness and psychological well-being were measured at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up; qualitative data at follow-up. Results Seventeen women aged 60-72 (66.71 ± 3.077) participated. The experimental group showed significant reductions in emotional loneliness post-intervention (p < 0.05) and at three months (p < 0.05), and increased well-being post-intervention (p < 0.05). No immediate effects on social loneliness were found, but lower emotional (p < 0.05) and social loneliness (p < 0.01) emerged at follow-up. Qualitative findings highlighted the intervention as a meaningful space for social exchange. Conclusions Group reminiscence appears to reduce emotional loneliness and enhance well-being in older adults. Given the small, homogeneous sample and pilot nature, results are preliminary. Larger studies are needed to confirm and extend these findings. Results may inform future research and clinical practice.

Savoring is the use of positive emotion regulation strategies to increase awareness, enjoyment, and appreciation of positive experiences. Savoring can encompass past (positive reminiscence), present (savoring the moment), or future (positive anticipation) positive experiences. According to socioemotional selectivity theory, older adults tend to prioritize emotional goals in the present moment. The current study examined whether the ability to savor the moment may be more strongly associated with measures of well-being in older adults compared to the ability to savor past or future experiences. Participants (n = 266, mean age = 73.4 years, 81% female, 74% White) completed a survey that measured past-, present-, and future-oriented savoring ability, happiness, depression, and resilience. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with past, present, and future savoring ability predicting psychological well-being (i.e., happiness, depression, or resilience). Higher levels of present-oriented savoring were significantly related to greater happiness, lower depression, and higher resilience, = .65, β = .57, < .001, = -.23, β = -.45, < .001, and = .51, β = .43, < .001, respectively. Past- and future-oriented savoring were not significant predictors after accounting for present-oriented savoring. These findings suggest that the ability to savor the moment contributes to greater psychological well-being in older adults. Interventions designed to enhance older adults’ savoring the moment may be more beneficial for enhancing psychological well-being than interventions focused on positive reminiscence or positive anticipation.

Aims: The happiness during old age years is closely linked to psychosocial factors such as richness of experience. Richness of experience refers to the level of meaning and fulfillment in individuals' lives through various activities and experiences. This research focused on exploring how the richness of experience is related to the happiness in older adults. In addition, the role of various demographic and psychosocial variables in shaping this relationship were examined. Methods: The study sample consisted of 179 older adults. 64.2% of the participants were female and 35.8% were male. The participants were administered the psychologically rich life questionnaire, and the psychological well-being in the elderly scale as well as a sociodemographic form. Simple Linear Regression was used to analyze the predictive power of richness of experiences, and pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the strength of the relationships between richness of experiences and psychological well-being. Independent Groups t-test and ANOVA were applied to explore if there is a difference on the score based on the sociodemographic differences. Results: The results of this study indicated a significant positive correlation between a psychologically rich life and psychological well-being in older adults. According to regression analysis, psychologically rich life was found to be a strong predictor of psychological well-being and explained 57% of the variance. Education level and income level were found to significantly affect psychologically rich life and psychological well-being levels such that university graduates and high-income group received the highest scores. Participants without a chronic disease were found to have significantly higher scores on psychological well-being and psychological rich life. No significant differences were found in terms of other sociodemographic variables such as gender, marital status and having children. Conclusion: These findings suggest that richness of experiences can be an important factor that improves the quality of life of older adults and the value of diversity of experiences for psychological well-being.