Declarative and Differential Aspects of Subjective Well-Being and Its Implications for Mental Health in Later Life

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

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BEYOND BREAST CANCER IN LATER LIFE: SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING IN OLDER WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER IN REMISSION

REVISTA ARGENTINA DE CLINICA PSICOLOGICA ◽

10.24205/03276716.2017.1018 ◽

2017 ◽

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Older Women ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being

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Dual impacts of coronavirus anxiety on mental health in 35 societies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-87771-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sylvia Xiaohua Chen ◽

Jacky C. K. Ng ◽

Bryant P. H. Hui ◽

Algae K. Y. Au ◽

Wesley C. H. Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Severe Depression ◽

Psychological Adaptation ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Health ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Emotional Symptoms ◽

Perceived Vulnerability

AbstractThe spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected both physical health and mental well-being around the world. Stress-related reactions, if prolonged, may result in mental health problems. We examined the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in a multinational study and explored the effects of government responses to the outbreak. We sampled 18,171 community adults from 35 countries/societies, stratified by age, gender, and region of residence. Across the 35 societies, 26.6% of participants reported moderate to extremely severe depression symptoms, 28.2% moderate to extremely severe anxiety symptoms, and 18.3% moderate to extremely severe stress symptoms. Coronavirus anxiety comprises two factors, namely Perceived Vulnerability and Threat Response. After controlling for age, gender, and education level, perceived vulnerability predicted higher levels of negative emotional symptoms and psychological distress, whereas threat response predicted higher levels of self-rated health and subjective well-being. People in societies with more stringent control policies had more threat response and reported better subjective health. Coronavirus anxiety exerts detrimental effects on subjective health and well-being, but also has the adaptive function in mobilizing safety behaviors, providing support for an evolutionary perspective on psychological adaptation.

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Older Adults’ Subjective Well-being Following an Exergame Intervention “Bandit the Dolphin”: Focus Group Findings

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.549 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 169-170

Author(s):

Brittany Drazich ◽

Breanna Crane ◽

Kyle Moored ◽

Karl Shieh ◽

Janiece Taylor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Future Health ◽

Adult Participants

Abstract Due to generational mental illness stigma and under diagnosis of mental illness, older adults do not always receive the mental health help that they need. One unique technology that has the potential to improve mood in older adults is exergames, or exercise video games. The objective of this sub-study (main study: Stimulation With Intricate Movements “SWIM” Study) was to explore older adults’ mood following an exergame intervention called “Bandit the Dolphin,” created by the Johns Hopkins KATA Studio. Researchers conducted three focus groups with 14 community-dwelling older adult participants who took part in the SWIM Study exergame intervention. The semi-structured focus groups were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using deductive and inductive techniques described by Ray Maietta’s “sort and sift, think and shift” method. Three themes related to playing “Bandit the Dolphin” and mood emerged. First, participants described their perceived association between activity and mood. Participants felt that both active and passive activities, “Bandit the Dolphin” and otherwise, improved their mood through the “fun” factor, and through feelings of achievement. Second, the participants described that the competition and frustration of playing “Bandit the Dolphin” increased eventual feelings of achievement. Third, participants described how feelings of immersion, or being absorbed in the game, helped them forget their other life concerns. These findings provide a better understanding of older adults’ perceived relationship between an exergame intervention, “Bandit the Dolphin,” and short-term improved mood. Future health and engineering researchers should explore exergames as a potential tool to improve the mental health of older adults.

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Participation in community gardening: Sowing the seeds of well-being

Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/0008417421994385 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000841742199438

Author(s):

Melinda J. Suto ◽

Shelagh Smith ◽

Natasha Damiano ◽

Shurli Channe

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Community Gardens ◽

Well Being ◽

Supported Housing ◽

Research Approach ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Health Issues ◽

Community Gardening ◽

Mental Health Issues

Background. Sustaining well-being challenges people with serious mental health issues. Community gardening is an occupation used to promote clients’ well-being, yet there is limited evidence to support this intervention. Purpose. This paper examines how facilitated community gardening programs changed the subjective well-being and social connectedness of people living with mental health issues. Method. A community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods were used with 23 adults living in supported housing and participating in supported community gardening programs. A constructivist approach guided inductive data analysis. Findings. Participation in community gardening programs enhanced well-being through welcoming places, a sense of belonging, and developing positive feelings through doing. The connection to living things and responsibility for plants grounded participants in the present and offered a unique venue for learning about gardening and themselves. Implications. Practitioners and service-users should collaborate to develop leadership, programs, places, and processes within community gardens to enhance well-being.

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Gender-related differences in the relationship between social and activity participation and health and subjective well-being in later life

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113668 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 113668

Author(s):

Sarah Dury ◽

Lara Stas ◽

Lise Switsers ◽

Daan Duppen ◽

Joan Domenech Abella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Activity Participation ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

The Relationship

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Marital Strain and Support and Subjective Well-Being in Later Life: Ascribing a Role to Childhood Adversity

Journal of Aging and Health ◽

10.1177/08982643211048664 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089826432110486

Author(s):

Laura Upenieks ◽

Yingling Liu

Keyword(s):

Social Life ◽

Process Model ◽

Childhood Adversity ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Life Course Perspective ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Marital Support ◽

Lagged Dependent Variable ◽

Marital Strain

Objectives: We integrate the life course perspective with the stress-process model to offer a framework for how childhood conditions moderate the relationship between marital support/strain and subjective well-being in older adulthood for men and women. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), we use a series of lagged dependent-variable models and stratify the sample by gender. Results: Our results suggest that the benefits associated with greater marital support are stronger for those that did not live with both parents in childhood for men. Women raised in families that experienced financial hardship reported lower subjective well-being in the context of marital strain. Conclusion: Adverse experiences in childhood can be scarring or foster resilience related to well-being in the context of strained or supportive marriages.

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