scholarly journals Adult Personal Network Characteristics Associated with Early Life Adversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 924-924
Author(s):  
Janae Briggs ◽  
Stephanie Child
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Subjective Assessments ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Close Family

Abstract Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with poor health through social and economic pathways. ELA also shapes cognitive and emotional development, including self-perception, social attachment and mental well-being. As such, ELA may shape later life health through social relationships, yet few studies have examined these associations. Data from the UC Berkeley Social Network Study were used to examine ELA measured retrospectively and current personal network characteristics among young (21-30 years) and older adults (50-70 years). ELA was operationalized as a summary of six experiences occurring before age 18 (e.g., parents’ divorce/separation, violence/drug use in the home, etc.). Personal network characteristics included objective measures, such as the number of ties who provide or receive various types of support, and subjective assessments about the adequacy of support received. Multivariate regression models adjusted for gender, race/ethnicity, and level of education. Among young adults, ELA was associated with more ties who rely upon the ego for support (b=0.15, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.28, p=0.02). Among older adults, ELA was associated with more ties named as either an advisor (b=0.14, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.21, p=0.02) or difficult/demanding (b=0.12, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.21, p<0.01). Furthermore, ELA was associated with less confidence in family support available (b= -0.09, 95% CI: -0.16, -0.03, p<0.01) and fewer emotionally close family members (b= -0.18, 95% CI: -0.32, -0.03, p=0.02) among older adults. In conclusion, clear differences emerged in network characteristics by exposure to ELA, particularly among older adults. The findings highlight potential pathways through which ELA patterns later life health.

scholarly journals EXPANDING SOCIAL TIES AS A GOAL IN LATER LIFE: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S175-S175
Author(s):  
Danielle Oleskiewicz ◽  
Karen Rook
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Support Provision ◽  
Network Characteristics ◽  
Network Composition

Abstract Older adults often winnow their social ties to focus on emotionally rewarding ties (Charles & Carstensen, 2010). Some older adults, however, have small social networks that preclude much winnowing or aversive social ties from which disengagement is difficult. These individuals might be motivated to expand, rather than contract, their social ties. The current study sought to extend knowledge regarding potential links between social network characteristics and older adults’ interest, effort, and success in creating new social ties. We expected that small social networks and negative social ties might motivate interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties but that positive social ties might foster success in efforts to form new ties. In-person interviews were conducted with participants (N = 351, Mean age = 74.16) in a larger study of older adults’ social networks and well-being. The interviews assessed participants’ social networks, as well as their interest, effort, and success in making new social ties. Participants’ social network composition, rather than size, was associated with greater motivation to establish new social ties. Negative social ties were associated with greater interest and effort directed toward forming new social ties. Positive social ties were related to greater success (due, in part, to their support provision) and, unexpectedly, were also related to greater interest and effort directed toward forming new ties. Older adults sometimes seek to expand, rather than contract, their social ties, and characteristics of their social networks appear to play a role in fueling and influencing the success of such efforts.

scholarly journals 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.

Subjective well-being among male veterans in later life: the enduring effects of early life adversity

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mai See Yang ◽  
Lien Quach ◽  
Lewina O. Lee ◽  
Avron Spiro ◽  
Jeffrey A. Burr
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Male Veterans

scholarly journals Social Isolation and Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-National Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harris Hyun-soo Kim ◽  
Jong Hyun Jung
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
State Fragility ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being

Abstract Background and Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in social isolation globally, creating heightened levels of stress and anxiety. This study investigates the link between social isolation and mental well-being in later life, and how it varies across countries. Research Design and Methods We draw on a subset of older adults from Global Behaviors and Perceptions in the COVID-19 Pandemic, a unique global online survey of 13,660 participants from 62 countries. We use mixed-effects models to analyze the data. Results Social isolation (distancing) significantly predicts poor mental health operationalized as coronavirus-induced distress (p < .01). At the aggregate level, average distress varies positively across countries with higher numbers of coronavirus-related deaths (p < .10) and more fragile state capacity (p < .05), while varying negatively across those with more stringent anticoronavirus policies (p < .05). Finally, we report several cross-level interactions between social isolation and the total number of deaths (p = .025), policy stringency (p = .065), state fragility (p = .061), and globalization index (p = .071). Discussion and Implications Our study shows that a proper understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental well-being of older adults should consider the moderating role of national context.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Usability and Acceptability of the InnoWell Platform as Rated by Older Adults: Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Child Maltreatment and The Psychological Consequences of COVID-19 for Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1004-1004
Author(s):  
Tyler Bruefach ◽  
Dawn Carr ◽  
Natalie Sachs-Ericsson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Emotional Neglect

Abstract Traumatic experiences in early life impact adults’ well-being and their abilities to respond to adversities over the life course. Child maltreatment is a particularly salient stressor in childhood and scholars have noted the psychological implications of such experiences that extend into late life. People who experienced maltreatment in childhood have more difficulty maintaining and developing high quality relationships, regulating their emotions, and they engage in poorer coping behaviors amidst major stressors. Our study focuses on how child maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse; physical abuse; sexual abuse; emotional neglect) shaped older adults’ changes in depression during the early stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Using a dataset released in 2021, based on a community sample of older adults collected in September 2018 and June 2020, we found that exposures to emotional neglect (1.630; p < 0.001) and emotional abuse (0.670; p < 0.05) in childhood were both associated with increases in depression scores in association with the pandemic, relative to those without such exposures. In addition, the more forms of maltreatment that individuals were exposed to in childhood, the more they experienced negative psychological health consequences in association with the pandemic. Our results suggest that early life traumas play a role in how older adults respond to stressful situations. Clinical treatments for depression may be more effective if they take into consideration how these early life experiences influence exposures to new stressors in later life.

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

GeroPsych ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan ◽  
Tihana Brkljačić ◽  
Zvjezdana Prizmić Larsen ◽  
Andreja Brajša-Žganec ◽  
Renata Franc
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Financial Status

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

scholarly journals Loving Others: The Impact of Compassionate Love on Later-Life Psychological Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 480-481
Author(s):  
Eva Kahana ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Boaz Kahana ◽  
Nirmala Lekhak
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Compassionate Love ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Existing scholarship in social gerontology has surprisingly paid little attention to broader loving emotions, such as compassionate and altruistic love, as potentially meaningful mechanisms for improving later life psychological well-being. This study examined the influence of feeling love toward other persons and experiencing love from others on later life psychological well-being. We conducted a 3-wave longitudinal study of a representative sample of 340 ethnically heterogeneous community dwelling older residents of Miami, Florida. The increase in feeling of being loved (β=-1.53, p<0.001) and love for others (β=-1.43, p<0.001) led to decline in odds of reporting greater level of depressive symptoms over time. The odds of reporting higher level of positive affect were significantly greater for older adults who reported feeling loved by others (β=1.16, p<0.001) and expressed love for other people (β=1.18, p<0.01). Older adults who felt loved had 0.92-point lower ordered log odds of reporting higher negative affect than those who reported lower level of love. The impact of compassionate love on depressive symptoms and negative affect remained statistically significant even after adjustment for altruistic attitudes and emotional support. The influence of loving emotions on positive affect was, however, explained by altruistic attitudes and emotional support. Our findings underscore the powerful influence of both receiving and giving love for the maintenance of later life psychological well-being. We offer support for the expectation that love is a significant force in the lives of older adults that transcends intimate relationships.

scholarly journals Reframing Aging: Penn’s Village Members Thrive While Aging in Place

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 199-200
Author(s):  
Lois Evans ◽  
Jane Eleey ◽  
Avalie Saperstein
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Age In Place ◽  
Social Events ◽  
Affinity Groups ◽  
It Support ◽  
Center City ◽  
Survey Responses

Abstract Villages help older neighbors age-in-place as they manage their environments, take advantage of opportunities for social and civic engagement, and improve or maintain health and well-being. National surveys repeatedly indicate that older adults prefer community living as long as possible. But communities change, and post-retirement living may require rebuilding social connections with old and new neighbors. Fortunately, today’s retirees bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to later life which they are happy to share. Drawing on the talents and career experiences of older adults in Center City, Philadelphia, Penn’s Village (PV) was created in 2007 to address the needs and wishes of neighbors wanting to stay in their own homes as they aged. A member of the Village-to-Village Network, PV (a 501c3) has itself matured through board development, strategic planning, and member engagement. In reframing aging in Center City, PV currently offers its over 300 members and volunteers an array of educational and recreational programs (e.g., talks, affinity groups, social events and outings); services (including transportation, home repairs, IT support, companionship, accompaniment to medical appointments), and opportunities to use their personal knowledge and skills to help their neighbors-- as drivers, companions, volunteer staff and co-chairs/members of committees (e.g., Board of Directors, Program, Welcoming, Marketing & Communications, Finance, Fundraising). In FY2019, volunteers provided nearly 1200 services to PV members. Our most recent survey responses indicate that 82% of volunteers found their work highly meaningful and 79% of those who received services believed their quality of life was greatly improved.

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