scholarly journals The role of laughter for successful aging of Alaska Native Elders

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 911-911
Author(s):  
Jordan Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Alaska Native ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Meaning And Purpose ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract During a visit over tea and pilot bread, discussing successful aging and well-being, an Inupiat Elder shared that “It’s better to live a happier life, enjoy life all you can.” These wise words inspired the theme of this chapter which explores the role of laughter in the resilience and wellbeing of Alaska Native Elders. Based on a decade of research, this chapter introduces the concept of Alaska Native Eldership and provides an overview of the five strands of Alaska Native successful aging that contribute to their ability to remain resilient. Laughter is a universal emotional experience, and Alaska Native Elders have taught us that is has different functions that enable us to be resilient and age successfully. Laughter is woven throughout the strands of successful aging as a key to health and well-being and this chapter discusses the four types of laughter used to protect themselves, including redirecting conversations, practicing humility, taking away the power of stressful topics, as well as sharing happiness and laughter with others. This chapter concludes with reflections on how laughter contributes to our ability to find meaning and purpose in life and strengthening our relationships with family and community so we can remain resilient as we age.

scholarly journals Resilience, Purpose in Life, Loneliness, and Associated Medical Costs in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 182-182
Author(s):  
Rifky Tkatch ◽  
Gandhi Bhattarai ◽  
Sandra Kraemer ◽  
James Schaeffer ◽  
Charlotte Yeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Claims Data ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medical Costs ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Resilience, purpose in life (PIL), and loneliness have been linked, and used to characterize the health and well-being of older adults. Studies demonstrate that higher resilience, PIL, and minimal loneliness are associated with better late-life outcomes. However, research on how these constructs negatively impact medical costs is limited. Using survey and claims data from a large sample of older adults age 65+ (N=4,496), resilience, PIL, and loneliness were examined to determine associations with medical costs. Among study participants, 11% exhibited low resilience, 19% severe loneliness, and 35% low PIL. Low resilience was associated with 24% higher medical costs compared to participants with high resilience, severe loneliness with 20% higher costs compared to participants with no loneliness, and low PIL marginally associated with 12% higher costs compared to participants with high PIL. Interventions targeting resilience, PIL, and loneliness could be beneficial to promoting successful aging and lowering medical costs.

Gender Equity and the SDGs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dettori ◽  
Geeta Rao Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Partnership ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Health And Well Being

This chapter identifies some of the most stubborn gender-based risks and vulnerabilities girls face as a cohort from preadolescence through late adolescence across the domains of personal capabilities, security, safety, economic resources, and opportunities. It reviews progress made during the Millennium Development Goal era in improving girls’ health and well-being and looks to the role of adolescent girls in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The chapter concludes by recommending an approach for global partnership that is linked to national and local actions and that is centered on priority interventions that can catalyze change, at scale, for adolescent girls.

scholarly journals Meaning of Life and Well-Being: Preliminary Results of the Successful Aging Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 112-112
Author(s):  
Zvi Gellis ◽  
Kim McClive-Reed ◽  
Bonnie Kenaley ◽  
Eunhae Kim
Keyword(s):  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Presence Of Meaning ◽  
Aging Study ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Meaning in life for older persons has become a focal research point, with findings that a greater sense of meaning is associated with better outcomes on a range of health and well-being factors. Our study examined relationships between scores on several personality scales, including the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2009) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a proxy measure of mood/depression. Community-dwelling members (N=535) of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes aged 50 and up (mean age 71.4, SD = 6.93) at 3 U.S. sites completed surveys. Higher wellness levels were significantly correlated with increased resilience, optimism, life satisfaction, and presence of meaning in life, while lower levels were associated with greater searching for meaning in life. A multivariate linear regression model (F = 55.597, df = 4, p = .000, R = .566, R2 = .320) showed that wellness scores increased with higher scores in optimism (ß = .348, p =.000), resilience (ß = .183, p = .000), and presence of meaning in life (ß = .106, p = .019). However, searching for meaning in life significantly predicted decreases in wellness scores (ß = -.084, p=.019). These results support those of previous studies, suggesting that for older persons, an ongoing search for meaning in life is linked to negative outcomes than a perception of existing meaning in life. A variety of available interventions aimed at increasing meaning and purpose in life (Guerrero-Torelles et al., 2017) may contribute to better health and well-being in older adults.

scholarly journals Identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native in Urban Areas: Implications for Adolescent Behavioral Health and Well-Being

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan A. Brown ◽  
Daniel L. Dickerson ◽  
David J. Klein ◽  
Denis Agniel ◽  
Carrie L. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Alaska Native ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Health And Well Being

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth exhibit multiple health disparities, including high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, violence and delinquency, and mental health problems. Approximately 70% of AI/AN youth reside in urban areas, where negative outcomes on behavioral health and well-being are often high. Identity development may be particularly complex in urban settings, where youth may face more fragmented and lower density AI/AN communities, as well as mixed racial-ethnic ancestry and decreased familiarity with AI/AN lifeways. This study examines racial-ethnic and cultural identity among AI/AN adolescents and associations with behavioral health and well-being by analyzing quantitative data collected from a baseline assessment of 185 AI/AN urban adolescents from California who were part of a substance use intervention study. Adolescents who identified as AI/AN on their survey reported better mental health, less alcohol and marijuana use, lower rates of delinquency, and increased happiness and spiritual health.

Pateicības izpausmes folklorā psiholoģiskā kontekstā

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-53
Author(s):  
Ieva Ančevska
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Neuroscience Research ◽  
Health And Well Being

The article examines the depiction of gratitude and related events in Latvian folklore through comparative evaluation. Gratitude is considered in a psychological context, comparing the attitude expressed in folklore with the findings of modern scientific research. Gratitude is a concept that is usually associated with a relationship or a benefit, it is most often aimed outwards, dedicated to someone else, but at the same time, it creates a pleasant feeling within the person. In modern psychology, gratitude is receiving more and more attention from researchers because its manifestations stimulate the formation of positive emotions and contribute to the improvement of the person’s overall well-being. Research and clinical studies in psychotherapy confirm that gratitude plays an important role in improving mental health and reducing depressive, destructive feelings. In turn, neuroscience research shows the potential of a grateful and positive attitude in strengthening psycho-emotional health and well-being in general. In Latvian folklore, gratitude is depicted as an important part of ritual events, which helps to ensure a positive, balanced connection with the forces of nature, gods, and society. In folklore, the importance of gratitude is emphasised more when building family relationships or accepting various situations and occurrences in life. In both psychological research and the practice of systemic therapy, as well as in folklore, gratitude appears as one of the most important values of interpersonal connection, which promotes the formation of harmonious relationships. Similar to the opinions of psychology, the folk world views emphasise the motivational role of gratitude in improving the quality of human life and health in general.

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