scholarly journals Coping with the Subjective Impact of COVID-19 among Older Adults in Puerto Rico

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1037-1037
Author(s):  
David Camacho ◽  
Yamile Marti ◽  
Sunghwan Cho ◽  
Thomas Buckley ◽  
Julia Vazquez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Grief And Loss ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Poverty Level ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
And Coping

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic poses serious physical and mental health risks for older adults worldwide. To develop culturally and contextually congruent services to mitigate these risks requires understanding their stress and coping processes, which remain understudied in Latin America. This study examines qualitative data from 51 adults aged 60 and over who participated in an ongoing study of older Puerto Ricans’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices about COVID-19. Trained interviewers collected the data by telephone from January to August, 2021. Two-thirds of participants were female, 60% had less than high school education and 90% had poverty-level incomes. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s Stress and Coping Theory, we conducted a thematic analysis of responses to open-ended questions about the nature and extent of COVID-related stressors, stress management, and meanings and guidance they had gleaned from their experience. Participants perceived the pandemic as an added threat to ongoing chronic stressors (e.g., Hurricane Maria, poverty, political instability); disruptions in daily routines, family cohesion, and grief and loss processes; and increased isolation and loneliness. They reported using cognitive, behavioral, socioemotional and spiritual coping, including positive thinking, keeping occupied, relaxation, religious practices and, in a few cases, social media. Participants highlighted a revitalized appreciation for emotional qualities of relationships, freedom and life in general. Consistent with our guiding theory, cultural, contextual, religious, and socio-political factors shaped their appraisals of stress and their coping strategies. Future research should examine how these practices relate to health outcomes and quality of life and how they can inform effective, appropriate interventions.

The economic recession and subjective well-being in older adults in the Republic of Ireland

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Duffy ◽  
K. Mullin ◽  
S. O’Dwyer ◽  
M. Wrigley ◽  
B. D. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Future Health

ObjectiveSubjective well-being in older people is strongly associated with emotional, physical and mental health. This study investigates subjective well-being in older adults in Ireland before and after the economic recession that commenced in 2008.MethodsCross-sectional data from the biennial European Social Survey (2002–2012) were analysed for two separate groups of older adults: one sampled before the recession and one after. Stratification and linear regression modelling were used to analyse the association between subjective well-being, the recession and multiple potential confounders and effect modifiers.ResultsData were analysed on 2013 individuals. Overall, subjective well-being among older adults was 1.30 points lower after the recession compared with before the recession (s.e. 0.16; 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.61; p<0.001) [pre-recession: 16.1, out of a possible 20 (s.d. 3.24); post-recession:14.8 (s.d. 3.72)]. Among these older adults, the pre- and post-recession difference was especially marked in women, those with poor health and those living in urban areas.ConclusionsSubjective well-being was significantly lower in older adults after the recession compared with before the recession, especially in women with poor health in urban areas. Policy-makers need proactively to protect these vulnerable cohorts in future health and social policy. Future research could usefully focus on older people on fixed incomes whose diminished ability to alter their economic situation might make them more vulnerable to reduced subjective well-being during a recession.

scholarly journals COVID-19 as a Stressor: Pandemic Expectations, Perceived Stress, and Negative Affect in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
And Coping

Abstract Objectives The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic is appraised as a stressor influences perceived stress (PS) and psychological well-being during the event. Here, the association of older adults’ expectations concerning the pandemic’s duration and impact with PS and negative affect (NA) is investigated. Based on the stress and coping framework, PS is expected to mediate the association between COVID-19 expectations and NA. Methods Seven hundred fourteen residents of the United States and aged 60 and older completed an anonymous online survey in late March 2020 reporting PS, NA, and expectations regarding the pandemic. Results Regression analyses controlling for demographic factors revealed that more dire pandemic expectations significantly predicted PS and NA directly, and the effects on NA were significantly mediated by PS. Discussion Findings provide evidence that expectations about a pandemic influence the extent to which older adults experience stress and NA in the midst of a pandemic event. Implications for mental health are discussed.

Religiosity and Adaptation in the Oldest-Old

1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley C. Courtenay ◽  
Leonard W. Poon ◽  
Peter Martin ◽  
Gloria M. Clayton ◽  
Mary Ann Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Religious Coping ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has yielded mixed results with respect to the relationship between religiosity and adaptation in older adults. Most studies show that religiosity is stable over the life span, but that religiosity may or may not be related to such factors as physical and mental health, life satisfaction, and coping. This study adds to earlier investigations by including centenarians among the sample. The preliminary results of this research project support earlier findings that religiosity does not change significantly as one ages, although there is a trend in the results that suggests otherwise. The results also indicate a significant relationship between religiosity and physical health but no significant relationship between religiosity and mental health and life satisfaction. Religiosity and coping are strongly related, and there is the suggestion that religious coping mechanisms might be more important in the oldest-old.

Age and COVID-Stress: A Multimethodological Analysis of Older Adults' On-Line Responses to Media Depictions of Coping and Communication Technologies (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najmeh Khalili-Mahani ◽  
Shannon Hebblethwaite ◽  
Sasha Elbaz ◽  
Janis Timm-Bottos ◽  
Kim Sawchuk
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
International News ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
And Coping

BACKGROUND Older adults were amongst the first to experience the hazards of COVID-19 stress, from health to social isolation. This situation motivated research organizations and advocacy groups to promote Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support seniors and to mitigate the risk of contagion. OBJECTIVE We used a multimethodological approach to examine how older adults appraised news articles about older adults' COVID-related stress and coping strategies, focusing on ICTs. METHODS This study involved targeted search of several international news media outlets for articles addressing older adults COVID-related stress, coping strategies, and ICTs. Articles that satisfied our selection criteria had more than 100 public comments on their website, Facebook and Reddit feeds. We scraped the comments and performed a quasi-automated social network analysis to identify and map the pattern of interrelations between the topics of age, stress, resources (for coping) and technology. RESULTS Having analyzed the themes emerging from 3390 valid comments in seven international news outlets, revealed that ICTs were not identified as the primary resource for coping with COVID-19 stress. Life experience and putting the discomfort of the pandemic for their age group in perspective (compared to its economic burdens for the younger members of the society) were more prevalent in comments addressing age-related COVID coping strategies. Socialization strategies and connections to people, especially friends and family, were also prominent. Although ICTs such as Zoom and social media platforms were identified as important for maintaining connections, they were not seen as a replacement for face-to-face or in-person experiences. The availability of technologically-mediated news, information and entertainment channels were linked to other activities that helped older adults cope, however these comments also revealed critical attitudes towards ICTs in general. An important finding from our study is that older adults passionately objected to uncritical and patronizing assumptions about the ability of older adults to deal with stress, and to the promotion of ICTs as the most important coping strategy. CONCLUSIONS Informed by media ecology and the appraisal theory of stress and coping, this interdisciplinary approach provides a nuanced understanding of what resources for coping are valued by a group of technologically-savvy older adults. Using social media as a data collection site, we showed that even amongst a digitally-connected group of older adults, ICTS were not positioned as the primary solution to COVID-related problems. As older commenters stated, in promoting ICT use it is necessary to acknowledge, their online and offline needs including their desire for face-to-face connections, their past experiences and perspectives on aging with ICTs, and the import of life experience as a key factor for mitigating stress. CLINICALTRIAL NA

scholarly journals Stress and Coping Among Public School Principals in a Midwest Metropolitan Sample

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401982954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A. Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Public School ◽  
Elevated Level ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Coping Skills ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public School Principals ◽  
Leading Schools ◽  
And Coping

The present study sought to investigate perceptions of stress and coping among public school principals. School principals are daily called upon to make decisions regarding a range of unscripted events. The position can be stressful, and stress is known to interfere with sound decision making. It was predicted that present samples of school principals would report a mean level of elevated stress. Contrary to expectations, school principals did not report an elevated level of stress. They instead reported an ostensibly effective reliance on problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills. It remains unclear how the school principals developed such adaptive means for coping with the stress of leading schools. It is recommended that future research explore this question so that such skills may be transmitted to principals-in-training.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychosocial Outcomes across Age through the Stress and Coping Framework

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Minahan ◽  
Francesca Falzarano ◽  
Neshat Yazdani ◽  
Karen L Siedlecki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Coping Style ◽  
Psychosocial Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship

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.

The Personal Functioning of Pastors: A Review of Empirical Research with Implications for the Care of Pastors

1997 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd W. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Spiritual Functioning ◽  
Divorce Adjustment ◽  
Personal Functioning ◽  
And Coping

The present article surveys the available empirical research on the personal (psychological/spiritual) functioning of pastors. The literature is divided into six major areas: emotional well-being, stress and coping, marital/divorce adjustment, family adjustment, burnout, and impairment. The research in each area is critically reviewed and summarized, and directions for future research are suggested. The primary conclusion is that interpersonal/relational deficits are associated with the vast majority of psychological problems faced by pastors, and thus need to be addressed, particularly at an early stage of the pastor's career.

Meaning in the Context of Stress and Coping

1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal L. Park ◽  
Susan Folkman
Keyword(s):  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Stress And Coping ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extended Model ◽  
Critical Dimensions ◽  
Coping Process ◽  
And Coping

Although theoretical and empirical work on topics related to meaning and meaning making proliferate, careful evaluation and integration of this area have not been carried out. Toward this end, this article has 3 goals: (a) to elaborate the critical dimensions of meaning as it relates to stressful life events and conditions, (b) to extend the transactional model of stress and coping to include these dimensions, and (c) to provide a framework for understanding current research and directions for future research within this extended model. First, the authors present a framework for understanding diverse conceptual and operational definitions of meaning by distinguishing 2 levels of meaning, termed global meaning and situationalmeaning. Second, the authors use this framework to review and synthesize the literature on the functions of meaning in the coping process and propose a definition of meaningmaking that highlights the critical role of reappraisal. The authors specify the roles of attributions throughout the coping process and discuss implications for future research.

Longitudinal Examination of the Functional Status of Older Adults: Successful Aging Within a Representative Canadian Sample

2000 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norm O'Rourke ◽  
Richard MacLennan ◽  
Thomas Hadjistavropoulos ◽  
Holly Tuokko
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Functional Status ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Socio Economic Variables ◽  
Longitudinal Examination

ABSTRACTPalmore, Nowlin, and Wang (1985) posit a theoretical framework in which to predict the health status of older adults over time as a function of social, economic, physical and mental health variables. The current study provides the first independent, empirical test of this model based upon longitudinal data derived from a representative sample of older British Columbians. The results of this study support the basic structure of the Palmore model; however, various revisions were required to improve the fit of data. Findings indicate that demographic and socio-economic variables have a direct effect upon functional status at baseline. Results further suggest significant consistency in the functional status of older adults over a two-year interval. Directions for future research as well as limitations of the current study are discussed.

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