scholarly journals The Effect of Older Adults’ Relational Stress, Environmental Stress, and Coping on Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 634-634
Author(s):  
Meeryoung Kim

Abstract This study used the stress process model for analyzing older adults’ stressors and coping resources, which compares relational and environmental stressors (Pearlin et al., 1990). Additionally, the effect of coping abilities and social support on well-being was compared. This study used the 5th wave data of KReIS (Korean Retirement and Income Studies) that were collected in 2014. The sample included 4,072 older Korean adults aged 60 and older. Relational and environmental stressors were used as the independent variables. Social support and coping were used as coping resources. For the dependent variable, life satisfaction and perceived health were used. Since the stress model is a process model, hierarchical multiple regression was used. Environmental stressors had a significant effect on reducing life satisfaction. Relational and environmental stressors had significant negative effects on perceived health. Both coping and social support had a significant effect on both life satisfaction and perceived health.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S314-S314
Author(s):  
Meeryoung Kim

Abstract Older adults experience stressors in everyday life, which can be acute or chronic stressors. When people are stressed, coping abilities and social support are important factors for increasing their life satisfaction. Using Pearlin et al.’s (1990) stress process model, this study compared whether acute or chronic stressors were more stressful. Additionally, the effectiveness of emotional, informational and instrumental support on life satisfaction were compared. This study used the 3rd and 5th addition wave of KReIS (Korean Retirement and Income Studies) which were collected in 2009 and 2014 respectively. For socio economic status, 3rd wave data was used. Independent and dependent variables were derived from 5th addition wave data. The sample size of this study was 4,072 older adults who were 65+. Daily hassles were used to indicate acute stressors, and physical and economic strain were used to indicate chronic stressors. For coping resources, social support and coping were used. Life satisfaction was used for dependent variable. Since the stress model is a process model, hierarchical multiple regression was used. Both acute and chronic stressors had a significant effect on reducing life satisfaction. Coping and social support both had significant positive effects on life satisfaction. In regard to social support, emotional and instrumental social support had significant effects on life satisfaction. These results implied that chronic stressors were more stressful than acute stressors. In addition, instrumental social support was found to be better than emotional social support for increasing life satisfaction for Korean older adults.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Minahan ◽  
Francesca Falzarano ◽  
Neshat Yazdani ◽  
Karen L Siedlecki

Abstract Background and Objectives The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the measures implemented to curb its spread may have deleterious effects on mental health. Older adults may be at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes since opportunities to remain socially connected have diminished. Research is needed to better understand the impact of pandemic-related stress on mental health. The purpose of this study is three-fold: 1) to examine the influences of COVID-19 pandemic-related stress on depression, anxiety, and loneliness, 2) to assess the mediating role of coping style and social support, and 3) to investigate whether these relationships vary across age. Research Design and Methods Participants (N = 1,318) aged 18-92 years completed an online survey assessing pandemic-related stress, mental health, social support, coping, and their experiences with social distancing, during the initial implementation of social distancing measures in the United States. Results Social support and coping style were found to relate to psychosocial outcomes. Avoidant coping was the strongest mediator of the relationship between pandemic-related stress and psychosocial outcomes, particularly depression. Avoidant coping more strongly mediated the relationship between stress and depression in younger adults compared to older adults. Discussion and Implications Results were consistent with the stress and coping framework and recent work highlighting older adults’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight the associations between positive coping behaviors and psychosocial well-being and indicate that older adults may use unique adaptive mechanisms to preserve well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.


2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1346-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshinori Kamo ◽  
Tammy L. Henderson ◽  
Karen A. Roberto

Guided by an ecological perspective, the authors examined event, individual, structural/cultural, and family/community factors that shaped the psychological well-being of older adults displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. The authors first established the negative effects of displacement on psychological well-being by comparing displaced older adults with permanent Baton Rouge residents. Displaced older persons’ psychological well-being was positively related to their age and physical health. Older displaced women coped with displacement better than men. Avoidant coping was negatively related to the older adults’ well-being, whereas spiritual coping showed no effect. The functioning of older persons’ family was positively related to their psychological well-being, whereas dependence on people outside immediate family showed a negative relationship. Income, education, and race were largely unrelated to psychological well-being. Findings provide implications for future studies regarding the relationship between disaster and psychological well-being and provide practitioners with suggestions for work with older adults displaced by disasters.


Author(s):  
Susan Wingert

This article examines how the social structure distributes risk and protective factors and mental health outcomes within the off reserve Aboriginal population in Canada. It uses the stress process model, a prominent model in the sociology of mental health, to explore pathways between social status, stress, coping resources, and mental health outcomes. Path analyses are used to decompose total effects on distress and well-being into direct and indirect or mediating pathways. The results suggest that stress, mastery, and social support are important mediators between social status and mental health outcomes. Stress appears to be a stronger contributor to distress while mastery and social support are of higher relative importance to well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Keunbok Lee

Although the multidimensionality of core discussion networks has been well established and widely studied, studies of the effects of social support on depression rarely consider the multifaceted aspects of dyadic discussion partner ties. This article proposes defining dyadic social relationships as a construct comprising several tie-level attributes and differentiating multiple forms of support relationships by assessing the configuration pattern of multiple attributes. The current study examines various forms of older adults’ discussion partners and identifies which form of discussion partner relationship is effective at buffering the negative effects of adverse life events on depression symptoms. Results from the University of California Social Network Survey show that older adults’ discussion partners can be classified into five distinct types of dyadic ties: spouse/romantic partners, close neighbors, remote type, social companions, and acquaintances. The discussion network with more close neighbor confidants is more effective at buffering the negative effects of adverse life events. These results offer an alternative way of investigating the differential significance of various social support relationships in mental well-being.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Valias Sodré Pereira ◽  
Carolina Pessoni Garcia ◽  
Maria José D’Elboux

INTRODUCTION: Assessing quality of life in older adults is relevant due to the significant increase in this population. Based on Maslow’s need hierarchy model, CASP-19 is a broad measure of quality of life that focuses on positive aspects of older adults’ lives, regardless of health conditions or other factors. OBJECTIVE: To compare sociodemographic and health variables with quality of life according to CASP-19 scores. METHODOLOGY: Using data from the Frailty in Brazilian Older People (FIBRA 80+) follow-up study, this study included 233 adults aged ≥ 80 years who resided near the University of Campinas (Campinas, SP, Brazil). Sociodemographic variables (gender, age, and perceived social support), health variables (perceived health status and depressive symptoms) and quality of life were evaluated. RESULTS: The participants were predominantly women (69.09%) with a mean age of 83.46 ± 3.7 years. A total of 77.25% rated their health as fair or good, and 79% showed no signs of depression. The mean CASP-19 score was 41.8 ± 2.62 points, which corresponds to better well-being (total scores range from 0 to 57). Among the instrument’s domains, autonomy and pleasure obtained the highest mean scores (11.15 and 11.64 respectively). When comparing these variables with quality of life, social support (p = 0.001), depressive symptoms (p <0.001), and perceived health status (p <0.001) were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults who were satisfied with their social support, presented no depressive symptoms, and who rated their health as good or very good had higher overall quality of life scores.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Ozer

Societal lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed everyday life across the globe, including requirements of social distancing which might limit the social support people derive from social interaction. Social support has proven to be a vital resource for well-being and coping during societal challenges. The present study examines how social support is associated with perceived stress and life satisfaction through self-efficacy and self-esteem among Danish students (N = 204). These psychological constructs were examined both during and after lockdown, assessing the possible aversive psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results did not yield any significant changes in either the mean scores of the constructs or the indirect effects model across the two timepoints. Moreover, the results indicate that social support derived from a significant person, family, and friends—but not student peers—is negatively linked with perceived stress and positively associated with life satisfaction through both self-efficacy and self-esteem. Although societal lockdown did not yield significant psychological impact, the results highlight the importance of social support among students, both during and after lockdown.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 30-30
Author(s):  
Jihee Woo ◽  
Hyojin Choi

Abstract Individuals are taking more responsibility for their retirement. However, economic stress generated by inadequate planning may pose a grave threat to well-being in retirement. Drawing on stress theory, this study examined how different types of social support mediate the relationship between economic stress and life satisfaction. We used the data from the 2013 and 2014 Korean Retirement and Income Study. Our sample was restricted to older Korean adults in retirement 55 to 96 years of age who were head of household (N=1,672). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the measurement model for six latent constructs: 1) economic stress; 2) emotional support; 3) informational support; 4) instrumental support; 5) appraisal support; 6) life satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test this hypothesized model. The results revealed that both measurement model (CFI=0.985, TLI=0.983, RMSEA=0.036, SRMR=0.035) and structural model (CFI=0.978, TLI=0.984, RMSEA=0.030, SRMR=0.039) fit the data well. Standardized results from the SEM model adjusting for sociodemographic variables showed that economic stress directly predicted life satisfaction (β=-0.39, p&lt;0.001) and two of four social support types directly predicted life satisfaction (instrumental support β=0.29, p&lt;0.001; appraisal support β=0.25, p=0.004). Analyses demonstrated that economic stress may lead to lower levels of life satisfaction directly and indirectly through its effect on instrumental (β=-0.07, p&lt;0.001) and appraisal support (β=-0.04, p=0.013). These findings will help inform policymakers and institutions of the need to alleviate economic stress and increase particular types of support with potentially more serious impact on the well-being of older adults in retirement.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Nikitina ◽  
Daniele Didino ◽  
Marcos Baez ◽  
Fabio Casati

BACKGROUND Regular physical activity has a positive effect on physical health, well-being, and life satisfaction of older adults. However, engaging in regular physical activity can be challenging for the elderly population because of reduced mobility, low motivation, or lack of the proper infrastructures in their communities. OBJECTIVE The objective of this paper was to study the feasibility of home-based online group training—under different group cohesion settings—and its effects on adherence and well-being among Russian older adults. We focused particularly on the technology usability and usage and on the adherence to the training (in light of premeasures of social support, enjoyment of physical activity, and leg muscle strength). As a secondary objective, we also explored the effects of the technology-supported intervention on subjective well-being and loneliness. METHODS Two pilot trials were carried out exploring two different group cohesion settings (weak cohesion and strong cohesion) in the period from 2015 to 2016 in Tomsk, Russian Federation. A total of 44 older adults (59-83 years) participated in the two pilots and followed a strength and balance training program (Otago) for 8 weeks with the help of a tablet-based virtual gym app. Participants in each pilot were assigned to an interaction condition, representing the online group exercising, and an individual condition, representing a home-based individual training. Both conditions featured persuasion strategies but differed in the ability to socialize and train together. RESULTS Both interaction and individual groups reported a high usability of the technology. Trainees showed a high level of technology acceptance and, particularly, a high score in intention to future use (4.2-5.0 on a 5-point Likert scale). Private texting (short service message [SMS]) was used more than public texting, and the strong cohesion condition resulted in more messages per user. Joint participations to training sessions (copresence) were higher for the social group with higher cohesion. The overall adherence to the training was 74% (SD 27%). Higher levels of social support at baseline were associated with higher adherence in the low cohesion condition (F1,18=5.23, P=.03), whereas in the high cohesion, such association was not found. Overall improvement in the satisfaction with life score was observed between pre and post measures (F1,31=5.85, P=.02), but no decrease in loneliness. CONCLUSIONS Online group exercising was proven feasible among healthy independently living older adults in Russia. The pilots suggest that a physical training performed in a virtual environment positively affect the life satisfaction of the trainees, but it does not provide support for a decrease in loneliness. High cohesion groups are preferable for group exercising, especially to mitigate effects of low social support on adherence. Further research in motivating group interactions in training settings is needed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 944-945
Author(s):  
Jillian Minahan ◽  
Francesca Falzarano ◽  
Neshat Yazdani ◽  
Karen Siedlecki

Abstract The emergence of COVID-19 and the measures implemented to curb its spread are anticipated to have long-term implications for mental health. Older adults may be at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes as opportunities to remain socially connected have diminished. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of pandemic-related stress on mental health. Utilizing the stress and coping framework, the purpose of this study is three-fold: 1) to examine the influences of COVID-19-related stress on depression, anxiety, and loneliness, 2) to assess the mediating role of coping style and social support, and 3) to investigate whether these relationships vary across age. Participants (N = 1,318) between the ages of 18-92 years completed an online survey, assessing pandemic-related stress, mental health, social support, coping, and their experiences with social distancing, during the initial implementation of social distancing measures in the United States. Stress, social support, and coping style were related to psychosocial outcomes. Results suggested that avoidant coping mediated the relationship between pandemic-related stress and psychosocial outcomes, particularly depression. Avoidant coping more strongly mediated the relationship between stress and depression in younger adults compared to older adults. Results were consistent with the stress and coping framework and recent work highlighting the older adults’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight the associations between positive coping behaviors and psychosocial well-being and indicate that older adults may use unique adaptive mechanisms to preserve well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.


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