scholarly journals “We Are Staying at Home.” Association of Self-perceptions of Aging, Personal and Family Resources, and Loneliness With Psychological Distress During the Lock-Down Period of COVID-19

Author(s):  
Andrés Losada-Baltar ◽  
Lucía Jiménez-Gonzalo ◽  
Laura Gallego-Alberto ◽  
María del Sequeros Pedroso-Chaparro ◽  
José Fernandes-Pires ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Families are going through a very stressful time because of the COVID-19 outbreak, with age being a risk factor for this illness. Negative self-perceptions of aging, among other personal and relational variables, may be associated with loneliness and distress caused by the pandemic crisis. Method Participants are 1,310 Spanish people (age range: 18–88 years) during a lock-down period at home. In addition to specific questions about risk for COVID-19, self-perceptions of aging, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Hierarchical regression analyses were done for assessing the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress. Results The measured variables allow for an explanation of 48% and 33% of the variance of distress and loneliness, respectively. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, more contact with relatives different to those that co-reside, fewer positive emotions, less perceived self-efficacy, lower quality of sleep, higher expressed emotion, and higher loneliness were associated with higher distress. Being female, younger, having negative self-perceptions about aging, more time exposed to news about COVID-19, lower contact with relatives, higher self-perception as a burden, fewer positive emotions, lower resources for entertaining oneself, lower quality of sleep, and higher expressed emotion were associated with higher loneliness. Discussion Having negative self-perceptions of aging and lower chronological age, together with other measured family and personal resources, are associated with loneliness and psychological distress. Older adults with positive self-perceptions of aging seem to be more resilient during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Author(s):  
Andrés Losada-Baltar ◽  
José Ángel Martínez-Huertas ◽  
Lucía Jiménez-Gonzalo ◽  
María del Sequeros Pedroso-Chaparro ◽  
Laura Gallego-Alberto ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To longitudinally analyze the correlates of loneliness and psychological distress in people exposed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown, exploring the effects of age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). Methods A longitudinal follow-up of 1,549 participants was carried out at four different time points during the lockdown in Spain. Questions about the risk of COVID-19, age, SPA, family and personal resources, loneliness, and psychological distress were measured. Results Changes in loneliness showed a linear longitudinal trajectory through time, but changes in psychological distress showed a U-shaped relationship with time. Age was a relevant predictor of differences in distress, with older people reporting less psychological distress. Change in both dependent variables was related to change in different predictors like family and personal variables and also to negative SPA. Discussion In a stressful situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults may be more resilient to adverse mental health outcomes by using more adaptive resources that strengthen their resilience. Support is provided for the importance of stereotyped views of the aging process that, independently of chronological age, may put people at risk of suffering adverse mental health outcomes such as loneliness and psychological distress in times of crisis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umesh M. Venkatesan ◽  
Amanda Rabinowitz ◽  
Frank Hillary

Objective. Personal beliefs about memory ability, which comprise memory self-efficacy (MSE), can influence memory performance in healthy older adults. Self-efficacy theory also predicts that MSE biases self-perceptions of functioning more globally, potentially impacting daily activity beyond cognitive performance. People with traumatic brain injury (PwTBI) frequently report debilitating memory problems long after acute recovery, but little is known about how MSE affects health outcomes in this population. We examined demographic and clinical correlates of MSE, as well as its relationship to memory test performance and health-related quality of life (QOL), in older adults with chronic moderate-to-severe TBI (msTBI). Method. One hundred fourteen adults, aged 50+ and at least one year post-msTBI, underwent neuropsychological testing to assess their memory functioning. Participants also self-reported levels of psychological distress, MSE (Cognitive Confidence subscale of the Metacognitions Questionnaire), and health-related QOL (Quality of Life after Brain Injury questionnaire). Results. Demographic and injury-related predictors showed weak correlations with MSE. Although the relationship between MSE and general psychological distress was robust, only the former significantly predicted memory performance. Bivariate analyses revealed significant relationships between MSE and five out of the six QOL domains assessed. Multivariate linear regression revealed a significant impact of MSE on overall QOL independent of demographic and clinical variables. Conclusions. Our findings support a unique role for MSE in both objective cognitive performance and subjective health of PwTBI. Increased focus on self-perceptions of ability and their impact on measured outcomes is an important step towards personalized rehabilitation for adults with chronic msTBI.


2020 ◽  
pp. 016402752098013
Author(s):  
Rita Xiaochen Hu ◽  
Mengsha Luo ◽  
Anao Zhang ◽  
Lydia W. Li

This systematic review synthesizes observational studies on the relationship between ageism and health. We searched 10 electronic databases and included 67 articles. The operationalization of ageism in these studies can be classified into three constructs: age stereotype, self-perceptions of aging, and age discrimination. Most ageism measures were used within a single study, and many lacked information about psychometric properties. Seven health domains—disease, mortality, physical/functional health, mental health, cognitive function, quality of life, and health behavior—have been used as outcomes. Evidence supports a significant association between ageism and health, particularly between self-perceptions of aging and health. Nine studies report moderators, which helps to identify those more vulnerable to negative effects of ageism and inform the development of interventions. The review suggests that the literature has examined limited dimensions of ageism, and that developing valid and reliable instruments for ageism-related concepts is a priority.


2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412096547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Bozdağ ◽  
Naif Ergün

The COVID-19 pandemic as a public health issue has spread to the rest of the world. Although the wellbeing and emotional resilience of healthcare professionals are key components of continuing healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals have been observed in this period to experience serious psychological problems and to be at risk in terms of mental health. Therefore, this study aims to probe psychological resilience of healthcare workers. The findings of this study showed that in order to raise psychological resilience of healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic their quality of sleep, positive emotions and life satisfaction need to be enhanced. Psychological resilience levels of healthcare workers in their later years were found to be higher. Doctors constitute the group with the lowest levels of psychological resilience among healthcare workers. The current study is considered to have contributed to the literature in this regard. Primary needs such as sleep which are determinants of quality of life, life satisfaction and psychological resilience should be met.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-364
Author(s):  
Natália Tonon Monteiro ◽  
Maria Filomena Ceolim

The objective of this study was to describe the quality of sleep of aged individuals at home and in hospital. Descriptive study, conducted in the wards of a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, with 160 individuals (57.5% men, mean age 69.8 years) admitted for a period between 48 hours to five days, who were able to answer the instruments. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used at home and a visual analog scale of sleep in the hospital. This scale indicated satisfactory sleep quality and moderate daytime sleepiness. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index indicated poor quality of sleep at home (69.4%), more particularly sleep fragmentation for the majority of subjects. Data indicating poor quality of sleep at home emphasize the need for assessing the quality of sleep of the elderly, especially its fragmentation, as well as the need for studies that give support to practices that promote good sleep quality during hospitalization, aiming at clinical recovery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. e524-e534
Author(s):  
Simone Hausknecht ◽  
Lee-Fay Low ◽  
Kate O’Loughlin ◽  
Justin McNab ◽  
Lindy Clemson

Abstract Background and Objectives Older adults’ self-perceptions of aging and being older can influence well-being and quality of life. This systematic scoping review aimed to map out current research on older adults’ self-perceptions of aging and being older. Research Design and Methods The scoping review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. A total of 5,037 records were identified (duplicates removed). After screening, a final 148 papers were included. Descriptives, including year of publication, methodology, age, gender, and location of participants, were calculated. Thematic analyses were conducted examining ways in which the topic was conceptualized. Results The most frequent method used in the research was quantitative. Participants were from 38 different countries. There were more female participants than male. Seven themes representing the main research emphasis emerged: attitudes towards one’s own aging (n = 48), aging well (n = 23), aging stereotypes, self-stigma (n = 23), construction of aging identities (n = 22), subjective age (n = 18), the aging body (n = 8), and future self-views (n = 6). Discussion and Implications The research within these themes approach self-perceptions of aging using varying points of reference for what participants compare their age to. The methods used to illicit aging perspectives held their own assumptions about aging.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Dirk De Clercq ◽  
Inam Ul Haq ◽  
Muhammad Umer Azeem ◽  
Samia Khalid

Abstract This paper adds to extant research by examining the relationship between employees’ fear of coronavirus disease 2019 and their suffering from insomnia. It specifically proposes mediating roles of employees' economic concerns and psychological distress and a moderating role of mindfulness in this process. The research hypotheses are tested with survey data collected through two studies among Pakistani-based professionals: 316 in study 1 and 421 in study 2. The results pinpoint a salient risk for employees who experience fear during a pandemic crisis, in that the associated economic and psychological hardships make the situation worse by undermining their sleep quality, which eventually could diminish the quality of their lives even further. It also reveals how organizations can mitigate this risk if employees can leverage pertinent personal resources, such as mindfulness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 61-61
Author(s):  
Cristina Buedo-Guirado ◽  
Cristina G. Dumitrache ◽  
Laura Rubio

AbstractObjectivesPerceived health status is an important health indicator related to successfulaging and older people’s quality of life. Perceived health status depends on biological, social and psychological factors, for example, at a social level, depends on comparisons with the peer group that individuals carry out and on attitudes towards aging, ageism andhow older people believe they are viewed by society. The aim of this study was to exploreattitudes towards aging and self-perceptions of aging among Spanish middle age and older people and to identify the influence on perceived health status.MethodThe sample comprised 1,124 individuals with ages between 50 to 98 years-old (M= 64.84, SD= 10.12) from the Aging in Spain Longitudinal Study database, Pilot Survey (ELES-PS).ResultsAlmost 70 per cent of the participants stated that old age begins at a specific chronological age and half of them considered that society treats older people with indifference. Self-perceptions of aging and attitudes towards aging were significant predictors that explain a 12.2% in the variance of perceived health status.DiscussionResults from this study highlight the importance of perceptions and attitudestowards aging for older adults’ health. Addressing negative self-perceptions of aging andnegative attitudes towards aging can be particularly useful because they are associated with more pessimistic expectancies about the aging process.


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