Instrumental Support Research Articles

Understanding the potential of sustainability turn in farming: review of sociotechnical adoption factors of agri-environmental cropping practices

Abstract While farming practices such as intercropping, cover cropping, and green manuring are promoted as contributors to environment-friendly agriculture by balancing agricultural production with environmental sustainability, their uptake by farmers has still been limited. This paper provides a holistic global view of the adoption factors of such agri-environmental cropping practices based on a systematic literature review of 53 international peer-reviewed articles. Qualitative analysis of the reviewed studies shows that adoption factors explored by researchers can be categorized along nine thematic groups (sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic/financial conditions, environmental conditions, tangible assets and inventory, pre-existing farm practices, agrotechnical aspects of the practice, public support instruments, information and knowledge resources, community dynamics) and two transversal dimensions (generic and practice-specific attitudes), with an additional differentiation of micro- and macro-levels within the former. While many individual factors across the various groups and dimensions are highly context sensitive in terms of their impact on practice adoption, the analysis also identifies a set of factors that demonstrate common trends across the studies. The offered holistic conceptualization and analysis of the adoption factors of the reviewed set of practices contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the broader potential impact pathways in the farmer reorientation toward sustainable crop production.

Social Support Patterns of Parents In The Education Process of Children In Pondok Pesantren (A Phenomenological Study at Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng, Jombang)

This research aims to analyze parental social support for children who reside at Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng in Jombang, focusing on parental support motives, forms of social support, and efforts to enhance this support. The research methodology employed a qualitative interpretative phenomenology approach with data collection techniques including interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis. The study’s findings reveal two main factors in parental support motives: the development of Islamic education and the significance of historical figures. The development of Islamic education encompasses comprehensive religious education, character development, and the facilitation of talent development. The role of historical figures involves reverence for figures such as KH. Hasyim Asy’ari and Abdurrahman Wahid, as well as the connection to Nahdlatul Ulama and the Ahlussunah Wal-Jamaah tradition. Parental social support includes four main aspects: academic support, motivational support, emotional-psychological support, and instrumental support. This encompasses monitoring academic progress, providing motivation, fostering emotional bonds, and offering financial assistance. Efforts to enhance parental support involve intensive communication, collaboration with teachers, creating a supportive learning environment, providing positive reinforcement, and offering specialized support during puberty transitions. Parents play a crucial role in supporting the adaptation and academic achievement of their children in the pesantren.

Cognitive coping strategies that supported teacher resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Limited research focusing on the cognitive strategies that support the resilience of teachers in a world pandemic has been conducted. By employing a sequential explanatory mixed method research design, this study was undertaken to investigate how cognitive coping strategies supported teacher resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. For data collection/generation and capturing/documentation, an online questionnaire (Phase 1, quantitative) was completed by 240 urban school teachers, and online participatory focus groups (Phase 2, qualitative) with 24 of these respondents were facilitated. In support, observation, audio-recordings, field notes and a reflective journal augmented data generation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis of the quantitative data, and a hybrid thematic analysis approach was followed to analyse the qualitative data. Thereafter, the quantitative and qualitative results were integrated to achieve the purpose of the study. The results from analyses included the Spearman correlation coefficient which tested a value of 0.327 (p-value = < 0.001), indicating a significant and positive correlation between problem-focused coping and resilience. Cognitive strategies indicated to support resilience included active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, seeking of instrumental social support and nurturing a growth mindset. The cognitive strategies identified in this study informs good practice principles and can direct the professional training of both psychologists and educators. Future research and interventions aimed at promoting teacher resilience by employing cognitive coping strategies may be conducted based on the findings of the study.

'We see they are abandoned': Social support between people discharged from long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors in Argentina.

Neighbors are an important component of personal social network (PSN) and despite their peripheral role and being considered as familiar strangers, they typically provide instrumental support. For people who is discharged after long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, neighbors would offer other types of social support and play a different role fostering the process of becoming full member of a given community. To analyze the effects of neighboring on both, those who have had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors. Data was collected between 2020 and 2021, including interviews with formal care staff of three housing support experiences in Argentina, and short testimonies from formerly discharged mental health service users living in the community and their neighbors. We analyzed the data using the Framework Method with a focus on the different aspects of social support and equity and reciprocity theories. Results suggest that emotional support was a frequent function displayed by neighbors toward people with a history of long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, which differs from typical neighboring relationships. Despite reciprocity was observed, users and neighbors displayed an unbalanced helping relationship.

Strategic Tasks of State Support for the Post-War Development of the National Economy

The article highlights the main issues of government support for the post-war development of priority sectors of the national economy that are of strategic importance for sustainable economic development and national defense capabilities; and substantiates the corresponding instruments of fiscal support using the example of titanium industry. In the study, the strategic tasks of government support for the post-war development of national economy are considered from the standpoint of a comprehensive solution to the problems of forming an innovative foundation for economic renewal, ensuring the technological change, creation of a complete cycle of deep titanium processing and titanium production in Ukraine which will meet the needs of domestic demand and the entry of domestic producers into world markets. Ensuring changes in educational sphere in accordance with the real economy’s demand for technical specialists and professionals is seen as a part of a comprehensive industrial policy approach, and fiscal instruments for this purpose are proposed.
 The need to expand the list of instruments of government support for the development of strategic industries is substantiated. The list should include both measures of tax support for investment projects with significant investments provided for by current legislation, as well as grants, innovative transfers from the government budget, measures to support the export of innovative titanium products, and innovative corporate income tax benefit to stimulate innovations, training tax allowance to support business investment in human capital. Proposals to extend the instruments for financing priority sectors of Ukraine’s economic revival do not contradict the norms of EU legislation in the field of government aid.
 Possible measures for ordering the regulatory framework of the proposed in the article direct budgetary and indirect government support instruments for the innovative development of strategic sectors of the economy are outlined. In particular, changes to the Tax Code of Ukraine on the introduction of innovation and training allowances for corporate income tax, changes in the minimum useful life of innovative equipment, and tax credit recognition of VAT amounts in the acquisition prices of technology property rights and in the import of technology under a technology transfer agreement, as well as to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of January 24, 2020 No. 28 “On the provision of financial government support” in terms of increasing the volume of loans and reducing the cost of their servicing for business entities in the titanium industry.

Enhancing Teacher Leadership in Malaysian Secondary Schools: Do Collaborative School Culture and Principal Support Matter?

Despite the impact of school culture on teacher leadership was well-theorised in literature, the extent to which the principal support strengthening the relationship between school culture on teacher leadership remains unknown. This study aims to examine the influence of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership with the four dimensions of principal support (professional support, emotional support, instrumental support and assessment support) as moderators. This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Three hundreds and sixty teachers were the samples from 45 secondary schools in the states of Kedah, Perlis and Penang. Meanwhile, 18 secondary teachers participated in the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative findings revealed a significant influence of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership. The relationship between collaborative school culture and teacher leadership was stronger when the principal’s instrumental support was higher compared to its counterpart. However, there was no moderating effect of professional support, emotional support, and assessment support on the relationship between collaborative school culture and teacher leadership. The qualitative findings informed the impact of collaborative school culture on teacher leadership could be enhanced with support from the local social community, effective communication between leaders and teachers, and teacher engagement in academic and non-academic activities. Implications of the study and future studies are presented.

What kind of support can promote academic entrepreneurial intention: An analysis of the Qualitative Comparative Analysis configuration effect of multiple support

AbstractThrough one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA), it is found that monthly salary and academic entrepreneurial intention have a “U‐shaped” relationship. In qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), single‐factor necessity analysis found that self‐emotional support and family emotional support constitute the necessary conditions. Through multifactor configuration analysis, four paths are summarized as follows: “internal drive type,” “resource utilization type,” “relationship infection type,” and “opportunity capture type.” Through cross‐configuration comparative analysis, it is found that different support subjects have a substitution effect, the strong linkage relationship between self and family becomes a necessary condition, and emotional support is better than instrumental support.

Развитие рыбохозяйственного комплекса России в рамках концепции «экономики потребления»

Modern aspects of the development of the country's fisheries complex are largely related to the processes of managing domestic demand. Based on the concept of “consumption economy” it is evidently formulated that the economic policy of stimulating fish consumption and fish products should be based on expanding the supply of their quantity, quality, assortment, taking into account the emerging solvent demand. It is shown that the global trend of consumption of fish and fish products directly depends on the level of income of the population. Russia is characterized by consumption at the level of middle-income countries. At the same time, it was found that the consumption of fish and seafood in Russia, unlike other types of food products, in the context of decile groups of the population remains unchanged, but with equal consumption volumes, its quality changes. In these conditions, the main limiting factor for the development of domestic consumption is effective demand, which has been declining in recent years. In turn, fish production and other fishing products made by Russian enterprises in recent years is analyzed, forming the supply of domestic fish products on the consumer market, showed a decrease in the profitability of assets of industry enterprises, the tax burden, which is directly related to the increase in cost (mainly of an inflationary nature) and a certain decrease in sales volumes. As measures to stimulate domestic consumption, it is proposed to use instruments of state support for the population with low incomes, subsidies, the establishment of preferential tariffs for transportation, as well as wider use of the system of state (municipal) ordering.

The Impact of Parental Stress among the Quality of Life of mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome

For most parents, the birth of their child is a reason for joy because the child is the center of their Universe. He is light, hope, smile, change, and future. Raising a child with a disability can have a profound impact on the family. This causes great stress for parents, especially for the mother. Prolonged stress negatively influences their quality of life, causing health problems and having a high level of fatigue, anxiety, and depression. This research aimed to investigate the level of parental stress among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder respectively, among mothers of children with Down syndrome. The results of this study demonstrated significant differences regarding the measured variables among mothers of children with ASD and Down syndrome. Regarding coping mechanisms, mothers of children with ASD use religious coping more frequently compared to mothers of children with Down syndrome, who use the following coping mechanisms: active coping, planning, seeking instrumental support, seeking emotional support, acceptance, mental disengagement, and venting. Additionally, the level of parental stress is higher among mothers of children with ASD, and their quality of life is lower; the tendency of social isolation is at a fairly high level.

О ПОДХОДАХ К ПОСТРОЕНИЮ АРХИТЕКТУРЫ ЛОГИСТИЧЕСКОЙ СИСТЕМЫ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ КАЧЕСТВОМ В СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВЕ

One of the problems of the country's investment and construction sector is the problem of creating a transparent system for quality control of a construction project. The existing quality control system in construction, based on documenting the quality of material and technical resources and the production of work at each stage of the technological process of creating a construction project (construction control), does not provide holistic, transparent, information protected from unauthorized changes , available to all construction participants and end consumers. The article presents one of the possible approaches to designing the architecture of a logistics quality management system in construction with the integration of all necessary information in an information document called a quality passport of the finished construction project. The structure of the passport is proposed, built on the principle of forming a supply chain of material and technical resources (primarily construction materials), starting from a quarry for the extraction of non-metallic building materials and ending with the implementation of a set of technologically interrelated works for the construction of an object on a construction site. The author's definition of the quality certificate of a construction project is formulated. The instrumental support for the proposed architecture of the logistics system can be the Blockchain technology platform, which most fully meets the requirements for the preparation, integration and presentation of information about the quality of a construction project, the elements of which (quality) are formed along the technological supply chain of material and technical resources for construction throughout their movement from the primary source of their occurrence (for example, pre-production) to their installation at the construction site. Blockchain technology will ensure the receipt of reliable and undistorted information about the quality of materials used in construction for any reason, the safety of data on the quality of resources, and the use of quality information for all interested participants in the investment and construction process.

Towards more goal-oriented care through care coordination and care planning.

The increasing aging of our society is putting increasing pressure on the current organization of care and support. This moved the Flemish government to a thorough reform of primary care in Flanders. This was started in 2017. The reform involves changes in terms of content, structural support and instrumental support. All these changes should lead to care and support that can be organized using the principles of integrated care and goal-oriented care. The major challenges are: 
 - bring about a change in mentality among care providers toward these principles of integrated care and goal-oriented care;
 - make a connection between health care and welfare care, as well as between primary care and more specialized care, and align the processes of care and support. 
 In addition, it is necessary to translate the principles of goal-oriented care into practical tools and accelerate methodology development. We are working together with several partners in Flanders for this purpose. 
 In goal-oriented care, an important role is reserved for the care coordinator. The care coordinator is the focal point of the care team who, as a member of the care team, takes on the task of: 
 - maintain an overview of the care process; 
 - ensure that all care and support, determined on the basis of the person's care or support needs and translated into life goals and care and support goals, is coordinated, monitored and evaluated. 
 Care coordination in a care process maintains a focus on goals, both the person's own life goals and the care and support goals of the care team. 
 For implementing qualitative care coordination, the care and support plan is an indispensable tool within the Flemish reform. This care and support plan must: 
 - allow an overview of the sometimes multitude of care and support goals; 
 - be a means of communication between the members of the care team (including the person himself and his informal care); 
 - reflect the extent to which care agreements are met; 
 - allow the care process to be monitored, evaluated and adjusted if necessary. 
 
 
 In the near future we want to design this care and support plan in a digital way. 
 The care coordinator must have a wide range of competencies in order to coordinate the care process in a quality manner, including: 
 - mastering to perfection the methodology of goal-oriented care, interview techniques, conflict management, process guidance, process analysis, coordination and organization skills; 
 - being the point of contact for the person with a care and support need; 
 - be able to play the bridge between the person, informal care and professional care providers. 
 In this presentation, we focus on the role of the care coordinator throughout the care process and the planning aspect. We propose how the Flemish government want to develop this role in the future. We also reflect on the preconditions that are necessary to achieve a solid implementation of this role, and indicate what opportunities we see to promote and accelerate the change in mentality in this regard.

Update on long-term mental health outcomes in eight face transplant recipients from a single center.

Face transplantation is a groundbreaking and complex surgical intervention offering profound physical and psychological benefits to patients with severe facial disfigurements. This report provides an update on the long-term psychosocial outcome of eight face transplant recipients. All transplant recipients were initially transplanted at Brigham and Women´s Hospital (Boston, USA) between 2011 and 2020 and seen as outpatient patients at Yale New Haven Hospital (New Haven, USA). A mixed-methods approach was used to assess the psychological and social well-being of these patients. The Short-Form 12, Brief-COPE, EQ-VAS and CES-D were administered between October 2022 and October 2023. Older age of face transplant recipients was significantly and positively associated with better mental health and increased use of both emotional and instrumental support (Brief-COPE). The initial enhancement in patients' self-reported quality of life, as assessed by the EQVAS, declined on the EQ-VAS score at the last follow-up. Similarly, an increase in depression score was observed (CES-D score) up through the last follow-up assessment. Both of the latter results, however, did not reach statistical significance. These results underscore the importance of ongoing psychological support throughout the long-term journey of recovery for face transplant recipients. These findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive, patient-centered approach that also addresses the complex psychological dimensions and contributes to our understanding of the mental health dynamics involved in face transplantation, stressing the need for guidelines and continued research in this evolving field.

The effect of haze pollution on rural-to-urban migrants' long-term residence intentions.

Severe haze pollution in China threatens human health, and its negative effect hampers rural-to-urban migrants' settlement intentions in destination cities. Using the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey Data (CMDS), the satellite data of PM2.5, and city-level data, this study investigates the impact of haze pollution on rural migrants, long-term residence intentions in Chinese context with IV-probit model, and mediating effect model. Overall, we find an inverted U-shaped relationship between the level of haze pollutants and rural migrants' long-term settlement intentions. Robustness check using multi-measures and thermal inversion as the instrumental variable supports this conclusion. The mediating effect model shows haze pollution plays its role through two opposite mechanisms: signal effect and health effect. When the size of signal effect is larger than health effect, rural migrants are inclined to settle down in their host cities; otherwise, they show lower settlement willingness. The turning point appears when PM2.5 concentration reaches 38.5 μg/m3; migrants have the highest long-term residence intentions. Currently, the national average PM2.5 concentration is 40.98 μg/m3, indicating that China is at the stage where the health effect of haze pollution holds a dominant position. Haze pollution has heterogeneous impacts on migrants' residence intentions. From the individual level, the younger generation, female, and higher-educated migrants have a higher tolerance for polluted air. From the city level, migrants who work in the city with 5 to 10 million dwellers have the highest long-term residence intention and are less sensitive to haze pollution. Thus, we propose stringent environmental regulations and more inclined public service policies to migrants.

LOCAL FAMILY AND FRIEND TIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO SOCIAL SUPPORT AND STRAIN AMONG OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Family members and friends who live nearby are likely valuable sources of support for older adults. At the same time, local family and friend ties may also be a source of strain as spatial proximity to close ties can generate more intense interactions. Using data from Round 3 (2015-2016) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) (N=3,615), this study examines how local family and friend ties reported in older adults’ social network roster are associated with instrumental and emotional support and social strain among community-dwelling older adults aged 50 and older. Results from ordered logistic regression models show that having a local friend tie is associated with higher levels of instrumental and emotional support from friends and lower levels of instrumental and emotional support from family. Having a local family tie, on the other hand, is associated with higher levels of instrumental support from family and lower levels of emotional support from friends. Having a local family tie is not related to emotional support from family or instrumental support from friends. Results also indicate that having a local friend tie increases the odds of reporting that friends make too many demands (i.e., higher friend strain) whereas having a local family tie is not a predictor of family strain. Together, results suggest that spatial proximity to friends and, to a lesser degree, family members are linked to how older adults experience social support and strain.

THE EFFECT OF ENACTED AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT ON THE WELL-BEING OF KOREAN OLDER ADULTS BY GENDER

Abstract Social support is important for the well-being of older adults. However, different kinds of social support have different effects on well-being. This study investigated enacted social support which is “the actual use of social support,” and perceived social support, in which people think they can get help when they need it. In short, enacted social support is action-oriented. Perceived social support is experience-oriented. For the effects, we looked at whether there were gender differences in the well-being of older adults. This study used the seventh additional wave (2018) and eighth wave (2019) of the Korean Retirement and Income Study. The subjects of this study were 60 and older. The sample size of this study is 4,338. Multiple regressions were used for data analysis. Demographic variables were controlled. This study used enacted social support and perceived social support as independent variables. Health and life satisfaction were used as well-being variables. Research shows that enacted emotional support is important for health. However, perceived emotional support is only significant for men, and perceived instrumental support is only important for women. All kinds of social support affected older women’s life satisfaction. For men, however, instrumental support did not affect life satisfaction. These findings imply that emotional support, whether enacted or perceived, is important for the health of older adults. Except enacted instrumental support, every support was significant for older adults regarding life satisfaction. Therefore, when providing social support, it is important to consider what type of support is effective for each gender.

INFORMAL SUPPORT NETWORKS AND LONELINESS IN OLDER WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV

Abstract Older adults with HIV are at increased risk for social isolation and poor well-being. Although older women living with HIV (WLWH) are more likely to be embedded in supportive networks than men, they often report inadequate support in meeting their needs. The function of older WLWH’s informal networks, their effectiveness in meeting care needs, and links to well-being are major gaps in the literature. Using a subsample of heterosexual WLWH from The Research on Older Adults with HIV 2.0 Study aged 50 to 77 (Mage = 59; n = 210), we assessed sources of social support, interpersonal strain, and support adequacy, in relation to loneliness. About half the sample reported having ever (i.e., currently or in the past) needed regular assistance due to HIV or other illness, disability, or frailty whereas the rest reported never needed regular assistance. Preliminary regression analyses controlled for age, race, ADLs, partnership, and formal care status. Findings revealed that neither support from family or from friends was associated with loneliness. However, strain from both sources was significantly associated with greater loneliness. In terms of support adequacy, having someone to count on for emotional support was associated with lower loneliness, and needing more emotional support was associated with greater loneliness. Instrumental support (i.e., help with tasks was not significantly associated with loneliness. These findings highlight the importance of considering positive and negative social relations, as well as different dimensions and sources of support. Interventions to improve emotional support resources could help mitigate loneliness among older WLWH.

GRANDMOTHER CAREGIVERS’ RESILIENCE, MINDFULNESS, AND RESOURCEFULNESS AND MCCUBBIN’S MODEL OF FAMILY STRESS

Abstract Grandmothers raising grandchildren face numerous challenges that are reflected in their levels of depressive symptoms and perceived family functioning. Using McCubbin’s Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, we examine how demographics, family demands (intra-family strains), mediators of problem-solving/coping (resilience, mindfulness and resourcefulness), resources (support) and situational appraisals (stress and reward) affect a) depressive symptoms and b) family functioning. Our participants were a nationwide sample of 300 American grandmothers raising grandchildren who participated in an online research study. Our regression model for general family functioning had an adjusted R2 of .44. Better self-appraisal of family functioning was significantly associated with younger participant age, identifying as white, higher levels of resourcefulness, fewer reported intra-family strains, more subjective social support and instrumental support. Situational appraisals, the problem solving/coping factors of resilience and mindfulness, employment status, and marital status did not significantly predict family functioning. Depressive symptoms, as measured by the CES-D scale, had an adjusted R2 of .46. Participants who were married, had fewer intra-family strains, higher levels of mindfulness and resilience, higher subjective support, and who appraised greater reward from caregiving to grandchildren had lower levels of depressive symptoms. There was no effect from caregiving stress, resourcefulness, employment status, or race. These analyses show the continued utility of McCubbin’s model, despite different patterns of predictors of family functioning and depressive symptoms. This further develops our prior work showing that resilience, mindfulness, and resourcefulness are correlated but independent theoretical constructs as they interact very differently with our two outcomes.

THE IMPACT OF HOME-BASED CARE SERVICES ON ADULT CHILDREN AS CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS IN CHINA

Abstract The family has always been the primary resource for elder care support in China, and adult children are the main caregivers of older parents. In the background of rapid development of home-based care services for older adults, this study aims to explore the impacts of the home-based care services on the adult children as caregivers for their older parents. Based on a national representative sample of aged 60 years or older (N=8674) from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) in 2018 and 2020, this study used propensity score matching difference-in-differences method to analyze the data. Firstly, we found that home-based care services for older adults could reduce the care burden of family caregivers by sharing part of the instrumental support effectively for the elderly. Secondly, this substitution effect is more significant among the families with more dependable and vulnerable older adults. Finally, the use of home-based care services appeared not to affect the intergenerational relationships between older parents and their adult children caregivers. Home-based care services may relieve the burden of family caregivers by providing instrumental care support for older adults. Therefore, it is very necessary to accelerate the implementation of an elder care programs in community to benefit the older and younger generations in Chinese family.

IN-HOSPITAL INSTRUMENTAL CARE PROVIDED BY FAMILY AND STAFF AND HOSPITALIZATION OUTCOMES OF OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Most of hospitalized older adults receive instrumental care (such as help with dressing, bathing, eating) from hospital staff and family members. Current study explored effect of family and staff involvement in this kind of care on hospitalization outcomes. Study sample included 615 acute hospitalized older adults (Age 77.6± 6.7, females 44.3%). Data about patients’ independence in Basic Activity of Daily Living (BADL), level of depression and anxiety was collected twice: at admission to hospital and at discharge. Sociodemographic (age, sex, family status and number of children) and health (severity of illness, comorbidity, length of stay and cognitive status) characteristics, were collected at admission and from medical records. Involvement of family and staff in instrumental care during hospitalization was reported by patients at discharge. The multivariate regressions, which included all the covariates mentioned above, revealed that instrumental care provided by family and by hospital staff significantly predicted hospitalization outcomes, yet in opposite directions. Specifically, family involvement in instrumental support was associated with lower BADL recovery (β=-.36, p<.001), as well as increased depression levels (β=.13, p=.002) and anxiety (β=.17, p<.001). In contrast, instrumental care provided by staff was associated with better BADL recovery (β=.24, p<.001), as well as decreased depression (β=-.21, p<.001) and anxiety (β=-.11, p=.013). These findings highlight the importance of effectively balancing family and staff involvement in instrumental care to optimize patient recovery, improve patients’ outcomes and ensure that they receive the best possible care during their hospital stay.

KINDNESS INTERVENTION AND SELF-PERCEPTION OF AGING: AN INTERGENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract Performing acts of kindness can enhance benefactors’ well-being. However, few studies have examined its impact on older benefactors. This study aimed at evaluating this intervention among older adults and exploring “side benefits” beyond well-being. Specifically, given the negative stereotype on older adults as unproductive and incompetent, we hypothesized that acts of kindness could combat against older adults’ internalized negative self-perceptions and enhance their self-concept. We conducted a randomized controlled experiment with 45 participants in the United Kingdom aged 61-80 (73% female). In the experimental condition, for 14 consecutive days, participants recalled up to three acts of kindness they did for others on that day and planned up to three acts of kindness on the next day, as opposed to listing up to three places they were at in the control condition. Surprisingly, our pre-test post-test comparison revealed no significant difference in well-being improvement between the two conditions. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed an improvement in attitudes toward own aging, especially for their age-related cognitions in the gain (vs. loss) domain. Beneficiaries were mostly family members (34%), followed by community members (25%) and friends/colleagues (21%). For intergenerational acts of kindness, participants reported similar frequencies of younger and older beneficiaries (compared to their age) and provided predominantly emotional (vs. instrumental) support. Taken together, performing acts of kindness may help older adults counteract negative aging stereotypes and see themselves in a more positive lens as productive and competent members of society.