Is Mental Well-Being in the Oldest Old Different from That in Younger Age Groups? Exploring the Mental Well-Being of the Oldest-Old Population in Europe

Abstract Loneliness is significantly associated with health and well-being among oldest-old adults. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, physical and social distancing policies might elevate loneliness among the oldest-old population. This study examined the trends and changes in the prevalence of feeling lonely using the 2020 HRS COVID-19 module merged to the 15 waves of the HRS RAND longitudinal datasets from 1992 to 2018. A total of 14,371 respondents, including 614 respondents aged 80 years and older were included. Generalized linear models compared age group differences within the 2020 module. Generalized estimating equations assessed the longitudinal change at the individual level and the trend of feeling loneliness among oldest-old adults from 1992 to 2020. Loneliness was assessed with one item of the CES-D scale (i.e., during the past week, felt lonely). After adjusting for demographic characteristics and health, the results showed that oldest-old adults were more likely to feel lonely compared to younger age groups (18% for 80’s vs. 14% for 50’s) during the early months of the pandemic. A longitudinal trajectory also showed that they feel lonelier than in prior years (19% in 2020 vs. 14% in 2018). However, compared to same-age groups from earlier years, a significantly lower prevalence of feeling lonely was observed (18% in 2020 vs. 27% in 1994). The results show that the outbreak of the COVID-19 may elevate feeling lonely, but the recent cohorts be less lonely than earlier cohorts. Future research should continue to explore protective factors for loneliness among oldest-old adults.

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How Czecho-Slovakia Bounces Back: Population-Based Validation of the Brief Resilience Scale in Two Central European Countries

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/00332941211029619 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003329412110296

Author(s):

Jana Furstova ◽

Natalia Kascakova ◽

Iva Polackova Solcova ◽

Jozef Hasto ◽

Peter Tavel

Keyword(s):

Convergent Validity ◽

Factor Model ◽

Age Groups ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Resilience Scale ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Best Fit

Objective In recent years, resilience has become a focus of research in the medical and behavioral sciences. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) was developed to assess the individual ability to recover from stress (“to bounce back”) after experiencing adversities. The aim of the study was to validate the Czech and Slovak versions of the BRS. Methods A representative sample of the Czech and Slovak populations (NCZ = 1800, mean age MCZ = 46.6, SDCZ = 17.4, 48.7% of men; NSK = 1018, mean age MSK = 46.2, SDSK = 16.6, 48.7% men) completed a survey assessing their health and well-being. Several confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models of the BRS were compared to find the best fit. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients of reliability were evaluated. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating resilience (BRS), physical and mental well-being (SF-8) and psychopathology symptoms (BSI-53). Differences in gender and age groups were appraised. Results A single-factor model with method effects on the reverse items was evaluated to best fit the data in both the Czech and Slovak samples (χ2CZ(6) = 39.0, p < 0.001, CFICZ = 0.998, TLICZ = 0.995, RMSEACZ = 0.055, SRMRCZ = 0.024; χ2SK(6) = 23.9, p < 0.001, CFISK = 0.998, TLISK = 0.995, RMSEASK = 0.054, SRMRSK = 0.009). The reliability was high in both samples (αCZ = 0.80, ωCZ = 0.85; αSK = 0.86, ωSK = 0.91). The BRS was positively associated with physical and mental well-being and negatively associated with somatization, depression and anxiety. In both countries, a lower BRS score was associated with higher age. Czech men reported significantly higher BRS scores than women. No significant difference was found in the mean BRS scores between the two countries. Conclusion This study provides evidence of good psychometric properties, reliability and validity of the Czech and Slovak adaptations of the BRS.

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Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Mental Well-Being in Late Life: Evidence from the Perspective of the Oldest Old Population

Journal of Happiness Studies ◽

10.1007/s10902-019-00090-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 465-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Elvira Lara ◽

Natalia Martín-María ◽

Anna K. Forsman ◽

Johanna Cresswell-Smith ◽

Valeria Donisi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oldest Old ◽

Late Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Well Being

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Pervasive refusal syndrome

Advances in Psychiatric Treatment ◽

10.1192/apt.10.2.153 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 153-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Bryan Lask

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Self Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Treatment Needs ◽

Resistance To Treatment ◽

Younger Age ◽

Pervasive Refusal Syndrome ◽

Life Threatening

Pervasive refusal syndrome is a severe, pervasive and life-threatening disorder. Most commonly seen in girls between the ages of 8 and 15, although also affecting boys and younger age groups, it is characterised by a profound and pervasive refusal to eat, drink, talk, walk and engage in any form of self-care. A determined resistance to treatment is a striking component of the condition. The causes are unclear, but likely to be complex, multiple and associated with a sense of hopelessness. Treatment needs to be comprehensive and is based on supporting the child in recovering at her own pace, while ensuring physical safety and well-being. The prognosis is good, provided treatment is appropriate, but recovery tends to take a year or more.

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Optimizing Urban Forest Landscape for Better Perceptions of Positive Emotions

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12121691 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1691

Author(s):

Jie Zhang ◽

Zhi Yang ◽

Zhuo Chen ◽

Mengyuan Guo ◽

Peng Guo

Keyword(s):

Positive Emotions ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Urban Spaces ◽

Forest Landscape ◽

Positive Contribution ◽

Negative Contribution ◽

Male Adolescents ◽

Mental Well Being

Interacting with urban spaces that are green and blue is believed to promote mental well-being and positive emotions. Therefore, there is an incentive to strategically design urban forest landscapes in a given space to evoke more positive emotion. In this study, we conducted a pilot study in Northeast China with 24 parks from 11 cities across 3 provinces. The subjects of the study are the visitors and a total of 1145 photos and selfies were collected from open micro-twitters in Sino Weibo (~50 individuals per park). Facial expressions of happy and sad emotions were recognized and rated as percent scores by FireFACE v1.0. Demographically, male adolescents smiled more than male visitors in other age groups and female teens. Females expressed more positive emotions than males according to their positive response index (PRI; happy-sad). Multivariate linear regression indicated positive contribution of green space to happy scores (estimate of 0.0040) and a stronger negative contribution of blue area to sad scores (estimate of −0.1392). Therefore, an urban forest landscape can be optimized by mapping green- and blue-spaces to predict spatial distributions of positive emotions. Male teens are recommended more as frequent visitors than people in other age ranges.

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Life satisfaction of Korean older adults: The roles of chronological and subjective age and appearance management

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.8258 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (10) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Myung-Sun Chung

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Practical Implication ◽

Economic Status ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Age ◽

Appearance Management ◽

Younger Age ◽

And Behavior

I addressed previous contradictory findings that people aged 65 and over (vs. younger age groups) have lower life satisfaction, in contrast to the well-being paradox in older age, whereby there is an increase in life satisfaction among people in this age group. Thus, I investigated the effects of age and appearance management on the life satisfaction of 364 Koreans aged 65 years and over, who completed a survey in which they gave their age (chronological and subjective), and responded to items on appearance management, life satisfaction, and demographic characteristics. Results of my preliminary analysis showed that economic status, age, and appearance management were related to life satisfaction. However, multiple regression analysis results showed that only subjective age and appearance management significantly explained overall satisfaction with life. A practical implication of the results is that perceptions of people aged 65 and over, including their subjective rather than chronological age, and behavior, such as appearance management, should be managed together by mental health services.

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Mixed-methods quantitative–qualitative study of 29 nonagenarians and centenarians in rural Southern Italy: focus on positive psychological traits

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610217002721 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 31-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Anna Scelzo ◽

Salvatore Di Somma ◽

Paola Antonini ◽

Lori P. Montross ◽

Nicholas Schork ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Rating Scales ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Oldest Old ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Personal Narratives ◽

Family Members ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Traits ◽

Mental Well Being

ABSTRACTObjective:This was a study of positive psychological traits in a group of rural Italians aged 90 to 101 years, and their children or other family members.Design:Mixed-methods quantitative (standardized rating scales) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) study.Setting:Study participants’ homes in nine villages in the Cilento region of southern Italy.Participants:Twenty-nine nonagenarians and centenarians and 51 family members aged 51–75 years, selected by their general practitioners as a part of a larger study called CIAO (Cilento Initiative on Aging Outcomes).Methods:We used published rating scales of mental and physical well-being, resilience, optimism, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. Qualitative interviews gathered personal narratives of the oldest-old individuals, including migrations, traumatic events, and beliefs. Family members described their impressions about the personality traits of their older relative.Results:Participants age ≥90 years had worse physical health but better mental well-being than their younger family members. Mental well-being correlated negatively with levels of depression and anxiety in both the groups. The main themes that emerged from qualitative interviews included positivity (resilience and optimism), working hard, and bond with family and religion, as described in previously published studies of the oldest old, but also a need for control and love of the land, which appeared to be unique features of this rural population.Conclusions:Exceptional longevity was characterized by a balance between acceptance of and grit to overcome adversities along with a positive attitude and close ties to family, religion, and land, providing purpose in life.

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Self-Reported Health, Well-Being, and COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness Across the Generations

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 81-82

Author(s):

Taylor Patskanick

Keyword(s):

Emotional Health ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Wellbeing ◽

Baby Boomer Generation ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

The Third ◽

Younger Age ◽

Socioemotional Health ◽

Reported Health

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the generations’ health and wellbeing across a range of dimensions. In the first survey, the 50+ adopted the smallest number of health behaviors (e.g., handwashing, mask-wearing, etc.) in response to the pandemic compared to younger age groups. In the first and second surveys, the Baby Boomer generation reported less intense worry than other generations, especially regarding their socioemotional health and family members’ health. For younger generations, worries tended to increase from March to June—especially those related to socio-emotional health and COVID-19 in general. In the third survey wave, older generations self-reported better psychological wellbeing, less personal burnout, and better cognitive health compared to younger generations. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine did not vary by generation in this sample; however, implications of this (including additional factors that may be influential such as psychological wellbeing) will be discussed.

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Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathological Comorbidities are Common in the Younger-Old

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201213 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 389-400

Author(s):

Thomas G. Beach ◽

Michael Malek-Ahmadi

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Oldest Old ◽

Age Groups ◽

Lewy Body Disease ◽

Molecular Therapeutics ◽

Younger Age ◽

Neuropathological Diagnosis ◽

The Us ◽

Using Data

Background: Clinicopathological studies have demonstrated that Alzheimer’s disease dementia (ADD) is often accompanied by clinically undetectable comorbid neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disease that alter the rate of cognitive decline. Aside from causing increased variability in clinical response, it is possible that the major ADD comorbidities may not respond to ADD-specific molecular therapeutics. Objective: As most reports have focused on comorbidity in the oldest-old, its extent in younger age groups that are more likely to be involved in clinical trials is largely unknown; our objective is to provide this information. Methods: We conducted a survey of neuropathological comorbidities in sporadic ADD using data from the US National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center. Subject data was restricted to those with dementia and meeting National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association intermediate or high AD Neuropathological Change levels, excluding those with known autosomal dominant AD-related mutations. Results: Highly prevalent ADD comorbidities are not restricted to the oldest-old but are common even in early-onset ADD. The percentage of cases with ADD as the sole major neuropathological diagnosis is highest in the under-60 group, where “pure” ADD cases are still in the minority at 44%. After this AD as a sole major pathology in ADD declines to roughly 20%in the 70s and beyond. Lewy body disease is the most common comorbidity at younger ages but actually is less common at later ages, while for most others, their prevalence increases with age. Conclusion: Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological comorbidities are highly prevalent even in the younger-old.

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Morale in Old Age and Its Association with Sociodemographic, Social, and Health-Related Factors in Different Age Groups

Journal of Aging Research ◽

10.1155/2020/3939718 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Marina Näsman ◽

Johan Niklasson ◽

Jan Saarela ◽

Mikael Nygård ◽

Birgitta Olofsson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Oldest Old ◽

Age Groups ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Old People ◽

Related Factors ◽

Aging Well ◽

Health Related ◽

Geriatric Center

Morale can be viewed as a future-oriented optimism or pessimism regarding challenges associated with aging and is closely related to subjective well-being. Promoting morale in old age could be considered to have important implications for aging well, and increased knowledge about morale in different stages of old age is needed. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with morale in different age groups among old people. Data were derived from a survey conducted in 2016, as a part of the Gerontological Regional Database (GERDA). The sample consisted of 9,047 individuals aged between 65 and 86 years from Ostrobothnia and Southern Ostrobothnia in Finland, and Västerbotten in Sweden. Morale was measured with the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) and regressed upon a number of sociodemographic, social, and health-related factors using linear regression analyses. The results showed that older age was an independent factor explaining lower level of morale. Additionally, the sociodemographic, social, and health-related variables could explain a large proportion of the variance in morale. Perceived loneliness, having gone through a crisis in life, poor self-rated health, and depression were associated with lower morale, and sleeping well with higher morale, in all age groups. Furthermore, the oldest age groups seem to be more exposed to several risk factors of lower morale identified in this study. Multidimensional interventions targeting especially social and mental health and the oldest-old could therefore be recommended.

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