Mental Health In Old Age Research Articles

Effects of family affective involvement on aging self-stereotypes: An analysis based on latent growth model

<p id="C2">With the aging situation in China accelerating continuously, learning how to maintain physical and mental health in old age and promote successful aging has become the focus of researchers. As the study on this topic progresses, more and more researchers are realizing that aging is not only a biological decline but also the result of an altered psycho-social structure in the form of aging self-stereotypes. As a prerequisite central process by which aging stereotypes influence individual psychological behaviors and physiological constructions, aging self-stereotypes increase the likelihood that individuals will activate stereotypes of the group to which they belong or identify and engage in stereotype-related behaviors, thereby directly influencing their expectations, goals, and behaviors regarding self-development. Previous research has shown that the “possible future selves” facilitate processes related to the stereotypical self-conceptualization of old age. The “possible future selves” often derive from various areas of the older person’s experiences. As the family gradually becomes the most important place for older adults to socialize, the experiences of emotional support and interaction from family members are likely to influence the expectations of older adults on their “possible future selves” and the internalization of stereotypes as they grow older. However, few studies have focused systematically on the effects of older adults’ affective involvement from family members on aging self-stereotypes. There is also a lack of exploration regarding the dynamic trajectory of the relationship between family affective involvement and aging self-stereotypes in a longitudinal framework. Thus, the present study sought to examine the developmental trajectories of family affective involvement and aging self-stereotypes in older adults and the causal relationship between the two.<break/>In this study, a sample of 257 older adults aged over 55 was followed up for one year. The participants were asked to anonymously complete questionnaires. They were assured by the researchers that the study would be conducted purely for research purposes and that participation was voluntary. Latent growth modeling and cross-lagged analysis were used to examine older adults’ initial level of and growth in family affective involvement and aging self-stereotypes, respectively, as well as predict family affective involvement on aging self-stereotypes.<break/>Latent growth modeling showed that older adults’ perceptions of affective involvement from family members decreased linearly during the follow-up period while aging self-stereotypes increased linearly. In addition, the initial level of family affective involvement significantly predicted the initial level of and growth in aging self-stereotypes among older adults. Specifically, the lower the initial level of perceived affective involvement of family members, the higher the initial level of aging self-stereotypes in old age. Older adults’ lower initial levels of affective involvement from family members also predicted more rapid growth in aging self-stereotyping. Finally, the rate of decrease in family affective involvement predicted the increases of aging self-stereotypes over time, that is, a steeper decline in the family affective involvement of older adults predicted a steeper increase of aging self-stereotypes. Similarly, cross-lagged analysis showed that family affective involvement negatively predicted aging self-stereotypes after six months.<break/>Our findings suggest that developmental trajectories of aging self-stereotypes in older adults are influenced by changes in family affective involvement. This study expands the existing research on family affective involvement and aging self-stereotypes. A better understanding of the causal effects of older adults’ affective involvement from family members on aging self-stereotypes can also help ameliorate intervention programs designed to reduce the internalization of aging stereotypes and improve negative aging self-stereotypes.

Wisdom: a potential ecological domain of mental health in old age.

Wisdom: a potential ecological domain of mental health in old age.

Childhood Circumstances and Mental Health in Old Age: A Life Course Survey in China.

Current evidence and research of the life course approach on the association between life experiences and health in old age are fragmentary. This paper empirically examines the “long arm” effect of the childhood circumstances on mental health in later life using a large longitudinal dataset (CHARLS) conducted in 2014 and 2015. We operationalize the childhood circumstances as family economic conditions, community environment, and peer network to include the meaningful content and understand their interaction. The SEM results indicate that effects of those factors contributing to older people’s mental health are unequal and vary among age groups and genders. Of those, peer network in childhood determines to a large extent the mental health through the whole life course, while economic conditions and community environment are weakly associated with mental health. Furthermore, we find a distinct interaction mechanism linking those variables. The peer network completely mediates the effect of the community environment on the mental health of older adults and has a partial mediating effect on the economic conditions. Those findings suggest that social policies aimed at promoting older people’s mental health in the context of the active ageing and health ageing strategy should go beyond the old age stage and target social conditions early in childhood.

Relationship between financial well-being, life satisfaction, and cognitive function among low-income community-dwelling older adults: the moderating role of sex.

Low financial well-being is a common predicament among older adults living in poverty. The existing literature suggests a correlation between financial well-being and mental health in old age. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationships among financial well-being, life satisfaction, and cognitive function among low-income older adults and to examine the moderating effect of sex on these relationships. This study involved 2004 nationally representative community-dwelling older Malaysians from the bottom 40% household income group. Financial well-being was assessed by the four-item financial satisfaction scale, while life satisfaction was measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Cognitive function was measured by using the Malay version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Hierarchical multiple regression was used as the prime method for statistical analysis. Financial well-being was positively associated with life satisfaction and cognitive function. Sex moderated the relationship between financial well-being and life satisfaction but not between financial well-being and cognitive function. Financial well-being and life satisfaction were strongly correlated among older women, although no gender difference was found for the relationship between financial well-being and cognitive function. It appears financial well-being strongly predicts mental health. As such, poverty eradication initiatives targeting low-income older adults should be implemented to sustain life satisfaction and cognitive function.

Associations between water, sanitation, and depression among older people in Ghana: empirical evidence from WHO-SAGE Wave 2 survey

Background While depression is the most frequent psychiatric disorder among the older adults, the use of water and sanitation has been associated with both physical and psychological adverse outcomes. We investigated the associations of water and sanitation with depressive symptoms among older adults in Ghana. Methods The study used data from 4,735 participants in the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 2 of adults aged ≥50 years. Major depressive episode (MDE) was assessed using the World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and we classified water and sanitation sources based on the Joint Monitoring Program. Multivariate logistic regressions evaluated the associations. Results Approximately 7.3% of respondents reported a MDE, 90% and 78% used improved water sources and sanitation facilities respectively, and 77% shared sanitation facilities. Individuals who used unimproved water sources and unimproved sanitation were 1.6 and 1.3 times more likely to report MDE respectively. Also, sex-based analysis showed that the effect of the use of unimproved water and sanitation on depression was much appreciable and more substantial among women compared to men. Conclusions The findings suggest the importance of water and sanitation to the well-being of older people, particularly among women. Policies targeted at improving the mental health in old age should include water and sanitation.

Physical Activity Frequency and Mental Health in Old Age: A Bidirectional Association

The association between physical activity and mental health have been found bidirectional in the literature. However, evidence of this bidirectional association is lacking from developing countries. This study was aimed at investigating the bidirectional relationship between physical activity frequency and mental health in old age using data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey with a sample of 8,323 old individuals aged between 45 and 90 years. The results revealed that the bidirectional association holds true in old age. Specifically, an increase of one unit in frequency of physical activity is associated with a decrease of 14% in depression after controlling for a set of confounding variables. Similarly, an increase of one unit in depression is associated with a decrease of 3.4% in frequency of physical activity. The results of this study suggest that health policies should take into account the importance of the frequency of physical activity. Keywords: frequency of physical activity, mental health, depression, old age, Indonesia

Impact of Socioeconomic status on depression of Elderly in Punjab, Pakistan

Background/ Objectives: The present study explores the impact of socioeconomic status on the depression of the elderly. The study has been conducted on 800 respondents in Punjab, Pakistan. The main objective of the research was to examine the impact of socioeconomic status on geriatric depression of the elderly. Methods/ Statistical analysis: Questionnaires were used to collect data. Survey research design was used. Simple random sampling technique was used for the particular research. Findings: The results showed that socioeconomic has a significant negative correlation with the level of depression. This shows that those who have higher level of socioeconomic status tended to have lower level of depression. The ability to do routine activities in daily life is based on socioeconomic status was the most prevailing factor of having good mental health in old age. Novelty/Applications : The scholarship recommended that socioeconomic status is related to mental health and has a negative effect on people overall mental health in old age. Based on the findings, it is recommended that government may develop programs such as social security for the elderly people that will help them in maintaining their socioeconomic status. Mental health practitioners must focus on the interventions that will recognize the importance of mental health in later ages. Keywords: Socioeconomic status; Geriatric depression; elderly; Pakistan

Physical Health Constraints and Psychological Distress in Older Asian Americans: The Role of Perceived Health

Given the importance of understanding the underlying dynamics of physical and mental health in old age, the present study explored the roles of physical health constraints in predicting subjective health perception and psychological distress among older Asian Americans. Guided by the Health Belief Model, we also examined whether subjective health perception would function as a mediator in the link between physical health constraints and psychological distress. Using data from 533 Asian Americans aged 60 and over (mean age=69.4, SD=6.88) in the 2016 Asian American Quality of Life Study, the direct and indirect effect models were tested with multivariate linear regressions and the PROCESS macro. Advanced age, unmarried status, lower levels of acculturation, and more chronic physical conditions were significant predictors of psychological distress. When subjective health perception was added to the model, an additional 5% of the variance was accounted for, resulting in 25% of the total variance explained by the estimated model. Negative health perception was a significant predictor of increased level of psychological distress. Supporting the mediation hypothesis, all direct paths among physical health constraints, subjective health perception, and psychological distress were significant. The indirect effect of physical health constraints on psychological distress through subjective health perception status was significant, as evidenced by the 95% bootstrap confidence interval for the indirect effect not containing zero (.07, .28). The findings not only help better understand the psychological mechanisms that underlie physical health constraints and psychological distress but also suggest avenues for interventions.

Linking physical and social environments with mental health in old age: a multisensor approach for continuous real-life ecological and emotional assessment

BackgroundUrban stress is mentioned as a plausible mechanism leading to chronic stress, which is a risk factor of depression. Yet, an accurate assessment of urban stressors in environmental epidemiology requires...

Fisetin prevents the aging-associated decline in relative spectral power of α, β and linked MUA in the cortex and behavioral alterations.

Mental health in old age is of great concern due to the increased incidence of neurological and psychiatric diseases. With age, probability of cognitive and behavioral deficits increase and the prognosis deteriorates. Although a few in vitro studies have reported that flavonoid fisetin is beneficial for healthy aging, its effect on deteriorating mental health with aging in vivo is very limited and poorly understood. The brain aging is physiologically characterized by electroencephalograph (EEG) wave frequency, power, and distribution. Brain oscillatory waves from neural tissue get altered by various sensory-cognitive inputs. Besides, the fast-wave α(8-12Hz)- and β(12-28Hz)-oscillations are associated with coordination and indeed deal with complex behavioral performances. Therefore, the effect of fisetin supplementation on age-associated EEG mean cortical spectral power in α- and β-oscillations, multi-unit activity (MUA) count were studied in vivo which was not addressed so far. Besides, age-associated cognitive and behavioral alterations were also studied. The relative spectral power of α and β declined along with the MUA count in aged rats compared to young. However, supplementing fisetin for four weeks has improved relative α-power, β-power, and MUA count in aged rats. Also, fisetin supplemented aged rats showed significantly improved cognitive and behavioral performances than aged controls. These findings demonstrated the relative cortical spectral power in α-, β-oscillations, and MUA count change in aged rats and that some of these changes and behavioral alterations may be partly as a result of oxidative stress, which was prevented significantly in fisetin supplemented aged rats. Thus, fisetin boosted mental health in the aged animals.

Research of mental health of elderly people in post-labor period of life

Preservation of mental health in old age is an important area of research in modern psychology and psychiatry. The article discusses possible reasons for the decline in mental health of elderly people and the search for factors that would contribute to the preservation of mental health in the post-labor period. It is noted that a significant role herein is given to environmental factors. The study showed that self-acceptance, acceptance of others, internality, optimal level of self-esteem (adequacy), moderate external activity, self-realization, emotional comfort, optimistic attitude to the future, interest in social problems are the main factors of mental health preservation in old age. Women are more socialized in society than men, so men are more likely to be at risk.

PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMATOLOGY AMONG MEXICAN OLDER ADULTS

The incidence of mental health problems, specifically depression, are increasing among older adults. Previous research identified psychosocial characteristics related to mental resiliency, such as increased conscientiousness and internal locus of control, as contributing to improved health behaviors and better physical and mental health outcomes. This study identifies the association between these psychosocial traits and depressive symptomatology among Mexican adults aged 50 and older using Wave 4 of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (2015). We hypothesize that psychosocially ‘strong’ older Mexican adults, those with higher levels of conscientiousness and an internal locus of control, will report fewer depressive symptoms; we theorize that gender moderates this relationship. Older Mexican adults’ mental health status was measured through depressive symptomatology using a 9-item version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Conscientiousness was measured using a 6-item sub-dimension of the “Big 5” personality scale. Locus of control was measured using an 8-item scale adapted from Rotter (1966). Multivariable linear regression was performed and adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and comorbid chronic health conditions. Depressive symptoms were lower with higher age and formal education; however, older adults in rural environments who are divorced/separated or widowed exhibit higher depressive symptoms. The association between conscientiousness and depressive symptoms differed by gender. Locus of control and conscientiousness influenced depressive symptomatology in men, however, only conscientiousness impacted women’s depressive symptoms. Continued research is needed to assess psychosocial changes over the life-course as they contribute to resilience from adverse life-events that influence mental health in old age.

MULTIMORBIDITY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND TERMINAL DECLINE IN LATER LIFE

The close interlink between physical and mental health outcomes has long been recognised in gerontological research. Mental-physical comorbidities – the presence of at least one physical health long term condition, and at least one mental health-related long term condition are common in older age individuals. Numerous studies have shown a positive association between the prevalence of multimorbidity and age so, as the population of older individuals in developed nations continues to grow, multimorbidity is likely to become increasingly higher in ageing populations. A major goal in current gerontological neuropsychology and neuroepidemiological research is to better understand how interindividual differences in cognitive and mental health in old age emerge. Cognitive reserve (a marker of brain resilience) may come into play when facing stressors that affect cognitive decline and mental health, such as suffering from chronic diseases. We present data from three different longitudinal studies of ageing i) the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1921, ii) PREVENT and iii) the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing from the United Kingdom. These studies are ideally placed to address key research questions related to mental ageing, psychological health, terminal decline and their determinants. We explored the following objectives: 1) to investigate the association between an increasing number of chronic physical conditions, medication and mental disorders 2) to assess the role of childhood intelligence and education on the terminal decline in later life 3) to investigate the associations between different markers of cognitive reserve and dementia

Is Bullying Victimization in Childhood Associated With Mental Health in Old Age.

This study investigates the relationship between bullying victimization in childhood and mental health in old age. The study uses data from a nationally representative sample of 9,208 older people aged 60 and older collected through the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted in 2014 and 2015. Older people who were bullied in childhood have more severe depressive symptoms and are more likely to be dissatisfied with life than those without the experience of bullying victimization. The negative impacts remain significant after childhood confounders (15 types of familial adversities), four groups of contemporary confounders (demographic, health, social support, and socioeconomic factors), and community-level unobserved heterogeneity are all controlled for. The negative impacts of bullying victimization on mental health are attenuated among people in very old age, which confirms the socioemotional selectivity theory. The consequences of bullying victimization for mental health are comparable to, or even greater than those of familial adversities and contemporary risk factors. The factors threatening mental health vary considerably for older people in different age groups. Effective anti-bullying schemes in childhood and personalized support in later life can make a substantial contribution to healthy aging.

Marriage, parenthood and social network: Subjective well-being and mental health in old age

Parenthood, marital status and social networks have been shown to relate to the well-being and mental health of older people. Using a large sample of respondents aged 50 and older from 16 European countries, we identify the associations of well-being and mental health with family status. Making use of detailed social network data of the respondents, we also identify how different social support networks correlate with the well-being and health indicators. We observe positive associations for all network types, over and beyond any direct associations of family status with well-being. Results suggest that non-residential children are important providers of social support for their parents at older age.

Psychosocial Correlates of Resilience Among Older Adults in Mexico

There is a tremendous global increase in the older adults’ population. Mental health in older age is as important in as it is for other age categories. Majority of older adults show healthy states, vitality, good humor and enthusiasm in performing various activities, interest in continuing to contribute to their family and society despite the difficulties of this stage of life due to large part to resilience they have. The aim of the study was to establish social and psychosocial factors associated with resilience. A cross-sectional and correlation study was conducted on older adults who were hospitalized in a public General Hospital of Mexico in 2013. Resilience, gender, occupation, family environment, self-esteem, presence of critical life events, and the presence of significant persons were assessed. 186 older adults participated. Higher levels of resilience were found in males and employed people. Participants with a functional family and high self-esteem had the highest levels of resilience. Besides, 15% of the variance of the total resilience score was explained by family environment, and 27% was explained by self-esteem (p&lt;0.05). Although all participants were older adults, individual characteristics such as gender, occupation and self-esteem; besides family environment, were found to be associated to the levels of resilience in this population. Specific programs- -enhancing these factors are needed to improve resilience.

Parents' son preference, childhood adverse experience and mental health in old age: Evidence from China.

Son preference is an enduring phenomenon in China and may often be related to childhood adverse experiences. According to a life-course perspective, adverse experiences during a childhood period may have a long-term effect on mental health in later age. However, little is known about this relationship between parents' son preference, childhood adverse experiences and adulthood mental health in China. The study aims to evaluate the association of parents' son preference and individual mental health in old age in China. The mediating role of childhood adverse experiences was also estimated. The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2015 combined with CHARLS life history survey was analyzed (N = 11,666). Mental health was measured by a shortened modification of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale including seven items, and higher scores indicated worse mental health status. A four-step mediating model was applied. Respondents growing in families with son preference had on average 0.75 (P < 0.001) points higher on the mental health scale than their counterparts, and the effects were consistent for both males and females. Childhood adverse experiences measured by physical maltreatment, emotional adverse experiences and witnesses of inter-parent violence mediated the relationship between parents' son preference and individual adulthood mental health by 47.87%. For females, physical maltreatment and emotional adverse experiences explained the most parts of health effects of parents' son preference, whereas witnesses of inter-parent violence was the most influential mediator for males. Parents' son preference led to adverse childhood experiences, which influenced mental health in adulthood.

The Mediating Role of Positive Social Interaction in the Association between Disability and Depression among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The relationship between disability and depression is complex, and previous studies showed that the relationship may be mediated by positive social interaction. The main objective of this study was to examine whether positive social interaction mediates the association between disability and depression in older adults. The data of this analysis were drawn from 2322 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 to 92 years in Peninsular Malaysia who participating in the baseline Neuroprotective Model for Health Longevity (TUA) study. Depression was measured by Geriatric Depression Scale, disability was assessed by World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, and positive social interaction was measured by 4 items under the positive social interaction domain of The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression was performed by using SPSS version 23.0 to examine the mediation effect of positive social interaction. Next, Sobel Test was used to validate the mediation effect. Results showed that both disability (β = 0.086, p < 0.001) and positive social interaction (β = -0.107, p < 0.001) significantly predicted depression in the final model, after controlling for possible confounders (gender, marital status, year of education). Of most interest, positive social interaction was found partially mediated the association between disability and depression (from β = 0.094, p < 0.001 to β = 0.086, p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant Sobel Test (z = 2.519, p = 0.012) confirmed the mediation effect of positive social interaction. These findings reinforce the role of disability and positive social interaction in predicting mental health in old age. To prevent depression in old age, specific intervention to maximize the positive social interaction among disabled older adults is warranted. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-43

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Social Connectedness and Mental Health Among Older European Adults: A SHARE-Based Analysis.

The current study aimed to understand the reciprocal relationship between social networks and mental health in old age. It explored the dynamic aspects of that relationship and assessed the influence of social networks on mental health, as well as a concurrent influence of mental health on change in social connectedness. The data came from two measurement points in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analytic sample was composed of adults aged 65 years and above (N = 14,706). Analyses were conducted via latent change score models. Analyses showed a reciprocal association between social networks and mental health; baseline social connectedness led to mental health improvements and a better initial mental state led to richer social networks. The results further indicated that the relative effect of mental health on change in social network connectedness was greater than the corresponding effect of social network connectedness on change in mental health. No gender differences were found regarding the reciprocal associations. The results of this study demonstrate the dynamic inter-relationship of social networks and mental health. It highlights the need to take into account both directions of influence when studying the impact of social relationships on mental health.

Good Mental Health in Old Age is A Real Possibility

Good Mental Health in Old Age is A Real Possibility