scholarly journals Sense of Purpose in Life Promotes Resilience to Memory Deficits Related to Depressive Symptomatology

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Nathan Lewis ◽  
Patrick Hill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Memory Deficits ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Sense Of Purpose

Abstract Individuals higher in depressive symptoms commonly present with neuropsychological deficits including poorer memory performance. Sense of purpose in life, a component of psychological well-being, has been shown to promote resilience to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but it is unclear whether it may also protect against cognitive deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. This study examined whether purpose in life moderated the effect of depressive symptoms on cognitive functioning in a large longitudinal study of 4599 American older adults (Mage = 74.33 years, range = 65–104 years, 56.84% female) across a 12-year follow-up period. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at each wave using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel models assessed the influence of depressive symptoms and the interaction with sense of purpose in life on changes in word recall and mental status. Higher depressive symptoms were associated with poorer recall at baseline, but not rate of change over time. A negative interaction was observed between sense of purpose in life and depressive symptoms such that individuals higher in purpose experienced a less negative impact of depressive symptoms on word recall. No significant interaction of sense of purpose and depressive symptoms was observed on mental status. Having a sense of purpose in life may help protect older adults from memory deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the potential for sense of purpose to promote cognitive reserve in older adulthood, allowing individuals to maintain cognitive performance in the face of accruing neuropsychological challenges.

scholarly journals Sense of Purpose Promotes Resilience to Cognitive Deficits Attributable to Depressive Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Lewis ◽  
Patrick L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Status ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Sense Of Purpose

ObjectiveIndividuals higher in depressive symptoms commonly present with neuropsychological deficits including poorer memory performance. Sense of purpose in life has been shown to promote resilience to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, but it is unclear whether it may also protect against cognitive deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms.MethodCognitive functioning among 4599 older American adults (Mage = 74.33 years, range = 65–104 years, 56.84% female) was examined across a 12-year follow-up period. Depressive symptomatology was assessed at each wave using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multilevel models assessed the influence of depressive symptoms and the interaction with sense of purpose in life on changes in memory performance and mental status.ResultsHigher depressive symptoms were associated with poorer memory performance at baseline, but did not predict rate of change over time. A negative interaction was observed between sense of purpose in life and depressive symptoms such that individuals higher in purpose experienced a less negative association between depressive symptoms and baseline memory performance. No significant interaction of sense of purpose and depressive symptoms was observed on mental status.ConclusionHaving a sense of purpose in life may help protect older adults from memory deficits associated with higher depressive symptoms. The present findings underscore the potential for sense of purpose to promote cognitive reserve in older adulthood, allowing individuals to maintain cognitive performance in the face of accruing neurological insults.

Goal disengagement capacities and severity of disease across older adulthood

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joelle Jobin ◽  
Carsten Wrosch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Goal Disengagement ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Early Old Age

This study examined age-related associations between goal disengagement capacities, emotional distress, and disease severity across older adulthood. Given that an age-related increase in the experience of stressors might render important goals unattainable, it is expected that goal disengagement capacities would predict a decrease in the severity of experienced illness (i.e., the common cold) by preventing emotional distress (i.e., depressive symptoms), particularly so among individuals in advanced (as compared to early) old age. This hypothesis was tested in a 6-year longitudinal study of 131 older adults (age range = 64 to 90). Regression analyses showed that goal disengagement capacities buffered 6-year increases in older adults’ cold symptoms, and that this effect was significantly pronounced among older-old participants. Mediation analyses further indicated that changes in depressive symptoms exerted an indirect effect on the age-related association between goal disengagement and changes in cold symptoms. The study’s findings suggest that goal disengagement capacities become increasingly important for protecting emotional well-being and physical health as older adults advance in age.

scholarly journals Sense of Purpose Following a Dementia Diagnostic Appointment: Comparing Self- and Other-Reports of Care Recipients and Care Partners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Wynn ◽  
Catherine H. Ju ◽  
Patrick L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Future Work

Objective: Purpose in life tends to decline in older adulthood and it is thought that intact cognitive functioning is required for purposeful living. Thus, it is likely that individuals may perceive older adults who are experiencing cognitive declines associated with dementia as having a reduced sense of purpose. Biases such as these may influence how individuals, especially care partners, interact with those with dementia.Method: This study examined how sense of purpose changed following a dementia diagnostic appointment for both the person receiving a diagnosis and their care partner. This study also explored how each individual perceived the other member of the dyad’s sense of purpose. Older adults (47 care recipients and 75 care partners, 57% female; Mage = 68.5 years, SDage = 12.0 years) provided self- and other-report ratings of sense of purpose before and after their appointment at a specialized memory clinic.Results: Overall, both care recipients and care partners’ sense of purpose declined following a dementia diagnostic appointment [t(85) = 7.01, p < 0.001]. However, when comparing self-reports and other-reports of purpose, care partners reported that care recipients experienced a lower sense of purpose in life than the care recipients reported about themselves.Conclusions: Care recipients and partners reported less purpose in life following their dementia diagnostic appointment. Care partners may hold certain biases regarding sense of purpose toward care recipients. These findings can inform future work regarding how care recipients and care partners can plan purposeful lives following a dementia diagnosis.

scholarly journals Maintaining Sense of Purpose in Midlife Predicts Better Physical Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 214-214
Author(s):  
Daniel Mroczek ◽  
Emily Willroth
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
Physical Health Outcomes ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Positive Sense

Abstract Having a sense of purpose in life is fundamental to psychological and physical well-being. Despite the myriad benefits of purpose, it may be difficult to hold onto purpose as people age and experience fewer future-oriented goals. The present research used reliable change indices to estimate change in sense of purpose during midlife in three diverse samples. On average, sense of purpose declined slightly with age in all three samples. Next, we used linear regression to examine associations between sense of purpose levels and sense of purpose change and later self-reported physical health outcomes. Consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, higher sense of purpose predicted better health in the two larger samples and more positive sense of purpose trajectories better health in all three samples. Together, these findings suggest that both having a sense of purpose and holding onto it may be important for physical health in middle to older adulthood.

Spirituality as a Mediator Between Depressive Symptoms and Subjective Well-being in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 105477382199115
Author(s):  
Mária Sováriová Soósová ◽  
Vladimíra Timková ◽  
Lucia Dimunová ◽  
Boris Mauer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses

As the population is aging, strategies for helping older people to maintain and promote good health and well-being are needed. This study aims to assess whether depressive symptomatology and spirituality are associated with subjective well-being in older adults when controlled for sociodemographic variables. Furthermore, the mediating role of spirituality in the association between depressive symptomatology and subjective well-being was examined. A total of 250 participants (mean age 75.91 ± 7.60) in this cross-sectional study completed the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale, the Zung’s Self-rating Depression Scale, and the Personal Wellbeing Index. Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were used to analyze the data. Subjective well-being was negatively associated with depressive symptoms and positively associated with spiritual experiences. The indirect effect of depressive symptomatology on subjective well-being via spirituality was 28.7%. The enhancement of spirituality seems to represent one of the relevant interventional strategies in prevention and treatment of depressive symptoms and well-being improvement.

Analysis of Self-Concept in Older Adults in Different Contexts

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 262-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel de Gracia Blanco ◽  
Josep Garre Olmo ◽  
María Marcó Arbonès ◽  
Pilar Monreal Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
External Validity ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Discriminatory Capacity

Summary: Self-concept is a construct consisting of a group of specific self-perceptions that are hierarchically organized. Age-associated changes of self-concept are related to the individual's perception of the changes occurring throughout the aging process. The authors examined external validity and internal consistency of an instrument that has been developed to assess self-concept in older adults and examined self-concept's characteristics in two different contexts. Results confirm the multidimensionality of the scale and show a satisfactory external validity, indicating good discriminatory capacity. Findings support the hypothesis that older people who live in a nursing home have a poor self-esteem, self-concept, and psychological well-being and have a greater presence of depressive symptoms than people who live in their own home.

Perceived barriers and contributors to sense of purpose in life in retirement community residents

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Lewis ◽  
Naomi Reesor ◽  
Patrick L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Retirement Community ◽  
Retirement Communities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
The Social ◽  
Continuing Care Retirement Communities ◽  
Retirement Facilities

Abstract Despite the growing use of retirement communities and ageing care facilities, little is known about how residing in retirement residences may impact aspects of older adult wellbeing. Living in these communities may hold particular influence on residents’ sense of purpose, if they feel limited in their opportunities for individual action, or could serve to promote purposefulness depending on the social connections available. The current study sought to explore contributing factors as well as barriers to purpose in older adults living in three continuing care retirement communities. Using brief semi-structured interviews, 18 older adults were asked to describe their purpose in life, community-related activities and any perceived challenges limiting their ability to pursue this purpose. Thematic analysis was used to examine themes common across interviews. Interviews presented a mixed picture of the nature of purposefulness in retirement facilities. Residents espoused several benefits of community living such as social and leisure opportunities, while also noting several obstacles to their purpose, including health concerns and the belief that purpose in life was not relevant for older adults. These findings provide insight into how older adults can derive a sense of purpose from activities within their retirement community and how facilities can better tailor programmes to promote purposefulness and support personally valued roles for residents.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Relationships, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being Among Korean Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 498-498
Author(s):  
Yooumi Lee ◽  
Janet Wilmoth
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being

Abstract This study investigates whether intergenerational relationships and social support improve the psychological well-being of Korean older adults. We examine whether intergenerational relationships and social support directly influence psychological well-being and the extent to which they mediate the distressing consequences of life events such as declining health and recent widowhood. Using longitudinal data from the 2006 to 2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we explore depression trajectories among individuals who are 60 or older with at least one living adult child at baseline. Specifically, we converted data from 5,383 older adults into a person-period file with 24,726 observations over a ten-year period. Then we estimated linear growth curve models of depression trajectories separately for men and women using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results from the hierarchical linear models indicate that declining health and recent widowhood are positively related to depressive symptoms. Satisfactory intergenerational relationships and social support in the form of personal interactions and proximate living arrangements with adult children decrease depressive symptoms of older parents, especially among women. We conclude that the psychological benefits of intergenerational relationships and social support are contingent upon the vulnerability of older adults and discuss the implications for public policy.

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 SEPARATED KIN: RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION AND MENTAL HEALTH TRAJECTORIES OF OLDER ADULTS LEFT BEHIND IN RURAL CHINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S880-S880
Author(s):  
Zhiyong Lin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As the processes of urbanization and globalization have intensified across the world, a burgeoning literature has documented the impact of emigration on the health of family members left behind in emigrant communities. Although the association between children’s migration and parental well-being is well documented, few have examined the health implications of children’s migration in the milieu of multiple children and further differentiated between children’s short-term and long-term migration. Therefore, I argue that it is not the geographic locality of a single child but the composition of all children’s location that matters. I further suggest that the impact of children’s migration on parental wellbeing is conditioned on the duration of children’s migration. Using a six waves longitudinal data (2001-2015) collected in rural China, this paper compares mental health (measured as depressive symptoms) trajectories of old adults (aged 60 and older) across different compositions of local and migrant children over a 14-year span. Results from growth curve models show that parents having more migrant children relative to local children experience a more rapid increase in depressive symptoms. In addition, older adults who have their most children migrate away for three or more waves of data have experienced the steepest rate of increase in depressive symptoms. These findings provide new evidence to support the life course processes of mental health disparities among older adults from the perspective of intergenerational proximity.

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