scholarly journals Meaning Making as a Central Mechanism of Dignity Therapy for Older Adults With Cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 419-419
Author(s):  
Emily Mroz ◽  
Carma Bylund-Lincoln ◽  
Rachel Wisolmerski ◽  
Diana Wilkie ◽  
George Fitchett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Vital Statistics ◽  
Central Mechanism ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Making Meaning ◽  
Dignity Therapy ◽  
Past Life ◽  
Trained Provider

Abstract Nearly 500,000 older Americans die a cancer-related death each year (National Vital Statistics Report, 2018). Following a diagnosis of a serious illness like cancer, maintaining a sense of dignity is central to a patient’s wellbeing. Dignity Therapy (DT) was recently introduced as an intervention to enhance dignity for terminally ill patients (Chochinov et al., 2005). This therapy provides patients opportunities to foster a sense of dignity though making meaning of their lives (Hack et al., 2010). To date, whether meaning-making actually occurs as a central mechanism of effective DT has not been tested. The current study investigates (i) how often and in what forms meaning-making occurs during DT, and (ii) how patients’ baseline feelings of dignity relate to meaning-making during DT. Participants were 25 male and female cancer outpatients (M age = 63.08; SD = 5.72). They completed the Patient Dignity Inventory (Chochinov et al., 2008) and then participated in Dignity Therapy with a trained provider. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed, and reliably content-analyzed for meaning-making using an established coding scheme (Park & Folkman, 1997). Content-analysis revealed that all patients made meaning of past life events at least once (range: 1-12 occurrences). Multiple forms of meaning-making emerged, with Finding Benefit and Personal Growth most common. Patients reporting more dignity-related distress prior to DT showed greater meaning-making during the DT session (r = .46, p < 0.05). This study provides foundational evidence that meaning-making is a key mechanism of Dignity Therapy, helping older adults with cancer enhance dignity at end-of-life.

Emotion regulation processes as mediators of the impact of past life events on older adults’ psychological distress

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-209
Author(s):  
Virginia Fernández-Fernández ◽  
Andrés Losada-Baltar ◽  
María Márquez-González ◽  
Teresa Paniagua-Granados ◽  
Carlos Vara-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Past Life ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjective:Although it is known that certain emotion regulation processes produce a buffering effect on the relationship between life events and well-being, this issue has been poorly studied in the elderly population. Thus, the aim of the present study is to test and confirm a comprehensive model of the impact that past life events have on older adults’ psychological distress, exploring the possible mediating roles of emotion regulation processes. These include rumination, experiential avoidance, and personal growth.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 387 people over 60 years old residing in the community were assessed on life events, physical functioning, emotion regulation variables, psychological well-being, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.Results:The structural model tested achieved a satisfactory fit to the data, explaining 73% of the variance of older adults’ psychological distress. In addition, the main results suggest possible mediation effects of both the physical functioning and the emotional variables: rumination, experiential avoidance, and personal growth in the face of hardship.Conclusions:These findings confirm the importance of emotion regulation processes in the final stages of life. They reveal the various adaptive and maladaptive mechanisms that underlie the relationship between life events and psychological distress. The findings suggest – both in the explanatory models of psychological well-being and in psychotherapeutic interventions – the importance of emotion regulation in the elderly population’s health.

scholarly journals Generativity in Life Review: Discovering Life Lessons and Wisdom in Naturalistic Intergenerational Conversations

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 978-979
Author(s):  
Patricia Chilton ◽  
Cindy Woolverton ◽  
Elizabeth Glisky ◽  
Matthias Mehl ◽  
Matthew Grilli
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Life Review ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Life Lessons ◽  
Age Segregation ◽  
Intergenerational Interaction

Abstract According to the theory of generativity, one would expect older adults to inherently feature life lessons in naturalistic conversations with younger adults. Little though, is known about the process of these conversations, and to what extent they convey wisdom characteristics. In this project, intergenerational conversations between university students and older adults living in assisted and independent living communities were analyzed to identify life lessons within older adults’ informal life reviews. In the original study, 37 young and 52 older adults engaged in an intergenerational interaction as part of an undergraduate course. These conversations were recorded with participants’ consent, and transcribed with identifying information removed. For the current project, we analyzed 15 of these recorded conversations, averaging 46 minutes each between 10 students and 5 older adults to (1) develop a coding scheme and procedure to examine life lessons in intergenerational conversations, and (2) investigate whether wisdom characteristics are embedded into life lessons shared in this context. On average, each older adult referenced 4 life lessons (SD = 2) per conversation, which were coded for the following constructs: meaning making, personal growth, emotional valence, wisdom characteristics, life lesson type, and autobiographical memory type. Exploratory analyses suggest life lessons are inherently integrated into naturalistic intergenerational conversations, and that reflectivity is the most frequently expressed wisdom characteristic. This supports previous research identifying reflectivity as key to wisdom, and to the process of generativity. Further analysis is needed to illuminate the value of intergenerational conversations, particularly in a time of age segregation and ageism.

scholarly journals Elder Mistreatment and Psychological Well-Being among Older Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7525
Author(s):  
Ronald W. Berkowsky
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Elder Mistreatment ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Older Americans

Elder mistreatment is a major public health issue both in the US and around the globe. While extensive research has elucidated the association between elder mistreatment and health in older adults, little is known about the relationship between elder mistreatment and more eudaimonic measures of psychological well-being. Using data from the 2011 wave of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, this project examined the association between older adults’ experience with varied forms of elder mistreatment and eudaimonic dimensions of psychological well-being including autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Ordinary least squares regression analyses found significant associations between experiences of elder mistreatment and psychological well-being. In particular, older adults who reported feeling that someone was too controlling over their daily lives and older adults who reported making donations to organizations they later worried were not legitimate reported significantly lower scores on all six psychological well-being dimensions. The results of this study suggest the negative effects of elder mistreatment can extend to more eudaimonic feelings of well-being, and programs designed to treat victims of elder mistreatment should incorporate strategies that help strengthen psychological well-being.

scholarly journals Development and evaluation of the Good Grief program for young people bereaved by familial cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pandora Patterson ◽  
Fiona E. J. McDonald ◽  
Elizabeth Kelly-Dalgety ◽  
Bianca Lavorgna ◽  
Barbara L. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Familial Cancer ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Program Satisfaction ◽  
Death Of A Parent

Abstract Background Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) bereaved by the death of a parent or sibling from cancer report unique psychosocial needs and can have difficulty adjusting to their loss. Unaddressed, this can result in poor long-term bereavement outcomes. This paper describes the development and evaluation of Good Grief – a 3-day camp-based program focused on meeting coping, social support, and respite needs of AYAs bereaved by familial cancer. Methods One hundred and nine Australian AYAs (68% female; age: 12–25 years, M = 16.63) participated in the evaluation. Grief intensity (Texas Revised Inventory of Grief), meaning-making (Grief and Meaning Reconstruction Inventory), trauma coping (Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma Scale) and unmet needs (Bereaved Cancer Needs Instrument) measures were administered pre-program and 3-months post-program. Acceptability was measured after each session and at the program’s conclusion. Appropriateness was measured at 3-month follow-up. Thirteen participants were interviewed three months post-program on their perceptions of the program. Results Participants reported high program satisfaction, engagement with psychosocial sessions, and enjoyment of recreational activities. Significant improvements were observed in trauma coping abilities and reductions in unmet needs for managing emotions, social support, respite, future planning, and accessing information and support domains. No change was evident in grief intensity or meaning-making as measured quantitatively. Interviews supported these quantitative findings but also identified evidence of personal growth, a component of meaning-making. Conclusions Good Grief is a highly acceptable and beneficial intervention that addresses the unique needs of AYAs bereaved by familial cancer.

scholarly journals Changing Educational Gradients in Life Expectancy With and Without Disease Among U.S. Older Adults From 2000 to 2010

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 505-505
Author(s):  
Matthew Farina ◽  
Phillip Cantu ◽  
Mark Hayward
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Vital Statistics ◽  
Healthy Life Expectancy ◽  
Healthy Life ◽  
Education Group ◽  
Education Groups

Abstract Recent research has documented increasing education inequality in life expectancy among U.S. adults; however, much is unknown about other health status changes. The objective of study is to assess how healthy and unhealthy life expectancies, as classified by common chronic diseases, has changed for older adults across education groups. Data come from the Health and Retirement Study and National Vital Statistics. We created prevalence-based life tables using the Sullivan method to assess sex-specific life expectancies for stroke, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis by education group. In general, unhealthy life expectancy increased with each condition across education groups. However, the increases in unhealthy life expectancy varied greatly. While stroke increased by half a year across education groups, life expectancy with diabetes increased by 3 to 4 years. In contrast, the evidence for healthy life expectancy provides mixed results. Across chronic diseases, healthy life expectancy decreased by 1 to 3 years for respondents without a 4-year degree. Conversely, healthy life expectancy increased for the college educated by .5 to 3 years. While previous research shows increases in life expectancy for the most educated, trends in life expectancy with chronic conditions is less positive: not all additional years are in lived in good health. In addition to documenting life expectancy changes across education groups, research assessing health of older adults should consider the changing inequality across a variety of health conditions, which will have broad implications for population aging and policy intervention.

scholarly journals The media image of Chinese older people: From stigmatic stereotype to diverse self-representation

2021 ◽  
pp. 205943642110125
Author(s):  
Kun Li
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Media Studies ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Media Image ◽  
Past Life ◽  
The Media ◽  
Leisure And Recreation ◽  
Chinese Older People

From the perspective of communication and media studies, this article explores a comparison between the image of older adults presented on media and online self-representation facilitated by the use of smartphones. The qualitative textual analysis was conducted with a sample (228 posts, from 1 January to 31 December,2019) selected from a representative WeChat Public Account targeting at older adults in China. The results demonstrate that leisure and recreation is the most frequently mentioned topic (58%) with memories of past life receiving the least references (3%). The striking features of popular posts among older people include a highly emotional tone, bright colours and multimedia. Sentiment analyses shows 68.42%, 13.16% and 18.42% of positive, neutral and negative emotions, respectively. A generally positive attitude of self-representation is in a sharp contrast with the stigmatic media image of older adults. The article concludes that the visibility of Chinese older people may help to reduce the stigma surrounding old age in China.

scholarly journals Homeless on Main Street: Using Photovoice to Highlight Older Adults Among the Hidden Homeless

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 728-728
Author(s):  
H Shellae Versey
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Service Agency ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Formerly Homeless

Abstract Homelessness is a reality for a growing number of Americans living in small towns and rural areas. However, unlike in cities, housing instability may be less visible. Using a photo-elicitation method (i.e., Photovoice), this study explores the meaning of place and obscured visibility to currently and formerly homeless older adults living in a small town in central Connecticut. Participants (N = 27) were recruited from a local service agency, given cameras and asked to photograph areas around town that were meaningful to them. Photographs were developed and followed by in-person, semi-structured interviews with participants in which photos and experiences during the project were discussed. Primary themes included belonging, generativity, social isolation, and place-making as meaning-making. The study culminated in a community photography exhibition in which photographs from the project were displayed in public spaces around town. Implications for community-based interventions to reach homeless groups in rural areas are discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Qualitative Research Interest Group.

Making Meaning of Integrated Care during a Pandemic: Learning from Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Beasley ◽  
Theresa L. Scott ◽  
Nancy A. Pachana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Integrated Care ◽  
Making Meaning

Searching and Making Meaning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of African Immigrants in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 002216782110224
Author(s):  
Angela U. Ekwonye ◽  
Nina Truong
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Making Meaning ◽  
The Impact

African immigrants continue to be disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear how they are searching for and finding meaning in the face of this adversity. This study sought to understand how African immigrants in the United States are searching for and making meaning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted in-depth interviews remotely with 20 immigrants from West Africa (Nigeria and Ghana), East Africa (Somali and Rwanda), and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo). The meaning-making model was used as a framework to understand the processes of coping during a significant, adverse life event. The study found that some participants attempted to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their global meaning by seeking answers as to why the pandemic occurred and creating positive illusions. Some redefined their priorities and reframed the pandemic in a positive light. Participants found meaning in the form of accepting the pandemic as a reality of life, appreciating events previously taken for granted, and making positive changes in their lives. This study’s findings can inform health care providers of the meaning-making processes of African immigrants’ and the need to assist them in their search for meaning.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document