Does a reciprocal relationship exist between social engagement and depression in later life?

Abstract Little is known about the heterogeneity and dynamics in older adults’ social networks and their bidirectional relationship with health in Asian societies. We investigate (1) social network types, (2) how network types predict health, and (3) whether health influences network types over time among older Singaporeans. We use data from Transitions in Health, Employment, Social engagement and Inter-Generational transfers in Singapore Study (THE SIGNS Study), a national longitudinal survey, collected in 2016-2017 (wave 1) and 2019 (wave 2). Latent class analysis is applied to identify distinct social network types and how they affect self-rated health after two years. Latent transition analysis is then employed to examine the pattern of change in network types between waves, and the relationship between baseline self-rated health and transition in network types. We identify six social network types: diverse, diverse but less socially engaged, immediate family, extended family, living alone yet diverse, and restricted (proportion at baseline: 7.2 %, 38.2 %, 14.1 %, 27.1 %, 7.0 %, and 6.4 %, respectively). Older adults in the ‘living alone yet diverse’ network type are less likely to report poor self-rated health after two years than those in the restricted and extended family network types. Additionally, we find that good health is related to more diversified network types—‘diverse’ and ‘diverse but less socially engaged’—at baseline, and network types are relatively stable over two years. These findings contribute to the literature by capturing complexities in the reciprocal relationship between social network types and health in later life.

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Perceived Control and Aging: A Mini-Review and Directions for Future Research

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000468540 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (5) ◽

pp. 435-442 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Stephanie A. Robinson ◽

Margie E. Lachman

Keyword(s):

Sex Education ◽

Perceived Control ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Control Beliefs ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

As Stress ◽

Health And Well Being

This brief review on perceived control and aging is organized according to 3 perspectives of research involving description, explanation, and modification. An extensive body of literature has utilized cross-sectional and correlational methods to describe the sociodemographic variations and outcomes associated with perceived control. This work has focused on differences in perceived control as a function of age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and culture and has identified positive associations with many aging-related outcomes involving health and well-being. With growing evidence regarding the health benefits of perceived control in the context of a declining sense of control with aging, there has been an increased effort to uncover the mechanisms involved, with the hopes of developing methods to maintain and/or promote adaptive control beliefs throughout adulthood. Through longitudinal and experimental work, researchers are beginning to clarify the directionality and elucidate the mechanisms to explain the associations. Recent evidence from longitudinal studies shows that control beliefs have an impact on subsequent changes in health. Yet, the findings suggest that it is not a unidirectional relationship. A conceptual model suggesting an ongoing reciprocal relationship between perceived control and health and well-being is discussed. Research examining the mechanisms that link perceived control to aging-related outcomes can help to inform and to develop effective interventions that are tailored to the individual's specific barriers and goals. We consider new directions for research, including more attention to intraindividual variability and reactivity to daily challenges, such as stress, with the goal of advancing our understanding of how perceived control contributes to aging-related outcomes. More work is needed to develop strategies to enhance control beliefs in later life. Although it will not always be possible to modify control beliefs, researchers can take these beliefs into account when developing interventions. A personalized approach is recommended as a way to tailor interventions that are compatible with individuals' beliefs about control to facilitate adaptive behavior change. Conclusions focus on selected issues and considerations for future research.

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Fostering Social Engagement and Self-Efficacy in Later Life: Studies with Ubiquitous Computing

Human-Computer Interaction Series - Awareness Systems ◽

10.1007/978-1-84882-477-5_14 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 335-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Margaret E. Morris ◽

Jay Lundell ◽

Terry Dishongh ◽

Brad Needham

Keyword(s):

Ubiquitous Computing ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life

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Life Course Trajectories of Later-Life Cognitive Functions: Does Social Engagement in Old Age Matter?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph14040393 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 393 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sojung Park ◽

Eunsun Kwon ◽

Hyunjoo Lee

Keyword(s):

Life Course ◽

Old Age ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life

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EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: DOES GENDER MATTER?

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3389 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S931-S931

Author(s):

Celeste Beaulieu ◽

Jeffrey E Stokes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Self Concept ◽

Everyday Activities ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Previous research has suggested that informal socializing can be beneficial for mental health, whereas prior findings concerning solitary activities and mental health have been equivocal. Activity theory posits that involvement in activities – particularly social activities – can improve adults’ self-concept and self-esteem, leading to improved well-being. Solitary activities may perform the same function, though without any social reinforcement. However, social engagement and mental health may both vary by gender. Thus, we examined associations of informal socializing and solitary activities with depressive symptoms among 13,387 respondents of the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, and further assessed potential gender differences. Results revealed that both informal socializing and solitary activities were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms when analyzed separately. However, when both types of activities were modeled simultaneously, only informal socializing remained significant. Further, stratified analyses revealed that informal socializing was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms among women but not men, although these coefficients were not significantly different from each other. Overall, findings suggest that both informal socializing and solitary activities may be beneficial for mental health, yet results were clearly stronger for informal socializing. Socializing may benefit mental health not only by bolstering one’s self-concept, but also by linking adults with social ties and support networks that are instrumental for well-being in mid- and later life. Moreover, gender differences in effects were minimal and largely non-significant, indicating that activity involvement can bolster mental health for men and women alike.

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Patterns of social engagement in the transition to later life

Maturitas ◽

10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.03.016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 88 ◽

pp. 90-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Katherine Burn ◽

Lorraine Dennerstein ◽

Colette Browning ◽

Cassandra Szoeke

Keyword(s):

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life

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Evaluation of the Usability and Acceptability of the InnoWell Platform as Rated by Older Adults: Survey Study

JMIR Aging ◽

10.2196/25928 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. e25928

Author(s):

Haley M LaMonica ◽

Anna E Roberts ◽

Tracey A Davenport ◽

Ian B Hickie

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Self Report ◽

Digital Tool ◽

System Usability Scale ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Health And Well Being

Background As the global population ages, there is increased interest in developing strategies to promote health and well-being in later life, thus enabling continued productivity, social engagement, and independence. As older adults use technologies with greater frequency, proficiency, and confidence, health information technologies (HITs) now hold considerable potential as a means to enable broader access to tools and services for the purposes of screening, treatment, monitoring, and ongoing maintenance of health for this group. The InnoWell Platform is a digital tool co-designed with lived experience to facilitate better outcomes by enabling access to a comprehensive multidimensional assessment, the results of which are provided in real time to enable consumers to make informed decisions about clinical and nonclinical care options independently or in collaboration with a health professional. Objective This study aims to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a prototype of the InnoWell Platform, co-designed and configured with and for older adults, using self-report surveys. Methods Participants were adults 50 years and older who were invited to engage with the InnoWell Platform naturalistically (ie, at their own discretion) for a period of 90 days. In addition, they completed short web-based surveys at baseline regarding their background, health, and mental well-being. After 90 days, participants were asked to complete the System Usability Scale to evaluate the usability and acceptability of the prototyped InnoWell Platform, with the aim of informing the iterative redesign and development of this digital tool before implementation within a health service setting. Results A total of 19 participants consented to participate in the study; however, only the data from the 16 participants (mean age 62.8 years, SD 7.5; range 50-72) who completed at least part of the survey at 90 days were included in the analyses. Participants generally reported low levels of psychological distress and good mental well-being. In relation to the InnoWell Platform, the usability scores were suboptimal. Although the InnoWell Platform was noted to be easy to use, participants had difficulty identifying the relevance of the tool for their personal circumstances. Ease of use, the comprehensive nature of the assessment tools, and the ability to track progress over time were favored features of the InnoWell Platform, whereas the need for greater personalization and improved mobile functionality were cited as areas for improvement. Conclusions HITs such as the InnoWell Platform have tremendous potential to improve access to cost-effective and low-intensity interventions at scale to improve and maintain mental health and well-being in later life. However, to promote adoption of and continued engagement with such tools, it is essential that these HITs are personalized and relevant for older adult end users, accounting for differences in background, clinical profiles, and levels of need.

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Older People With Dementia Running a Pop-Up Restaurant: How to Use Reality Shows to Reduce the Stigma of Dementia

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.685 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 181-181

Author(s):

Wenqian Xu

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Older People ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Later Life ◽

Personal Goals ◽

Family Carers ◽

Reality Show ◽

People With Dementia

Abstract The present study focused on a Chinese reality show, Forget Me Not Café, which brought together five older people (aged 65 and older) living with dementia to run a pop-up restaurant and intended to reduce the stigma of dementia. The study aims to explore how the reality-show participants describe dementia in older people and how their views relate to the macrosocial context of dementia and older people. This study performed a thematic discourse analysis on the written and spoken content about dementia in older people (or later life) presented in the reality show. Four discursive themes were identified including: (1) age is a risk factor for dementia; (2) early signs and symptoms of dementia in older people deserve attention; (3) putting pressure on family caregivers of people with dementia; (4) expectations to maintain social engagement and slow down the development of dementia. This study also found that the views of the reality-show participants highlight the capability of older people with dementia to communicate effectively and live with the condition, their personal goals of sustaining a happy, meaningful and sociable life, as well as their actions to positively influence personal circumstances. The results of this study indicate that this reality show might help reduce the stigma of dementia and empower older people living with dementia, while it also tends to stress the responsibility for care on family carers and shift the responsibility of managing the dementia-related challenges to older people living with dementia.

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Democracy and Education in the United States

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.2 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kathy Hytten

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Social Engagement ◽

Organizational Structures ◽

The United States ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Way Of Life ◽

Democratic Schools ◽

Democratic Schooling ◽

Research Problems ◽

Democracy And Education

There is an integral and reciprocal relationship between democracy and education. Democracy is more than a political system or process, it is also a way of life that requires certain habits and dispositions of citizens, including the need to balance individual rights with commitments and responsibilities toward others. Currently, democracy is under threat, in part because of the shallow and reductive ways it has been taken up in practice. Understanding the historical relationship between democracy and education, particularly how democracy was positioned as part of the development of public schools, as well as current approaches to democratic schooling, can help to revitalize the democratic mission of education. Specifically, schools have an important civic role in cultivating in students the habits and dispositions of citizenship, including how to access information, determine the veracity of claims, think critically, research problems, ask questions, collaborate with others, communicate ideas, and act to improve the world. Curriculum, pedagogy, and organizational structures are unique in democratic schools. Developing an active, inquiry-based curriculum; using a problem-posing pedagogy; and organizing schools such that students develop habits of responsibility and social engagement provide our best hope for revitalizing democracy and ensuring that it is not simply an empty slogan but a rich, participatory, justice-oriented way of life.

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