Unraveling Trauma and Stress, Coping Resources, and Mental Well-Being Among Older Adults in Prison: Empirical Evidence Linking Theory and Practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore if and how community organizations providing services to late-in-life Punjabi immigrants in British Columbia, Canada, offer services with the potential to promote their mental health or well-being. The authors also wanted to know how Punjabi seniors perceived available services and if they supported their mental well-being. Design/methodology/approach – To guide the research, the authors used the VicHealth Framework, which identifies three overarching social and economic determinants of mental health: social inclusion (SI), freedom from violence and discrimination, and access to economic resources and participation. This mixed methods study combines descriptive survey and qualitative focus group data with input from Punjabi seniors and community service providers. Findings – All three mental health determinants were identified as important by service providers and seniors, with SI as the most important. Family dynamics (shaped by migration and sponsorship status) influence all three determinants and can promote or diminish mental well-being. Research limitations/implications – The pilot study is limited in sample size and scope and further inquiry with different groups of immigrant older adults is warranted. Practical implications – Service providers assert that more outreach and sustainable funding are needed to reach the majority of potential beneficiaries unable to participate in community programmes. Information on mental well-being of seniors should be targeted at both seniors and their families. Originality/value – The VicHealth Framework provided a unique lens through which to explore the contributions of community organizations to mental health promotion for immigrant older adults.

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Sleep and Mental Health Among Older Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz186.594 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

R Rodrigues ◽

K Nicholson ◽

P Wilk ◽

G Guaiana ◽

S Stranges ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Initiatives ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Global studies have demonstrated consistent associations between sleep problems and mental health and well-being in older adults, however Canadian data are lacking. We investigated associations between sleep quantity and quality with both mental illness symptoms and well-being among older adults in Canada. Methods We used cross-sectional baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a national survey of 30,097 community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and older. Self-reported sleep measures included average past-week sleep duration (short [<6h], normal [6-8h], long [>8h]), and sleep quality (satisfied or dissatisfied vs neutral). Mental illness outcomes included depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Mental well-being outcomes included self-rated mental health and satisfaction with life. We used modified Poisson regression models with adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical factors, and stratification by sex and age to explore effect modification. Results In the unadjusted analysis, short and long sleep duration and sleep dissatisfaction were associated with higher mental illness symptoms and lower well-being across all outcomes. Sleep satisfaction was associated with a lower likelihood of mental illness symptoms and better well-being. Short sleep duration was associated with the largest effects on mental health outcomes. Self-rated mental health and depressive symptoms had the largest associations with sleep measures. Effects were larger in males and the 45 to 54 year age group. Conclusions Preliminary evidence suggests sleep duration and quality are associated with symptoms of depression, psychological distress, and poor mental well-being among older adults. We are unable to determine whether sleep problems are a cause or consequence of poor mental health. Nonetheless, sleep may be an important target for public health initiatives to improve mental health and well-being among older adults. Key messages Our findings contribute further evidence that sleep difficulties are associated with adverse health outcomes including higher mental illness symptoms and lower well-being among older adults. Sleep disturbances are an unmet public health problem, and may be an important target for public health initiatives to improve mental health and well-being among older adults.

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Stress, coping and mental well-being in hospital nurses

Stress Medicine ◽

10.1002/smi.2460080206 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 91-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Patrick Tyler ◽

Delia Cushway

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Hospital Nurses ◽

Stress Coping ◽

Mental Well Being

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Built Environment and Health Outcomes: Identification of Contextual Risk Factors for Mental Well-being of Older Adults

Ageing International ◽

10.1007/s12126-016-9276-0 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 62-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ghuncha Firdaus

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Older Adults ◽

Built Environment ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Well Being ◽

Contextual Risk ◽

Environment And Health ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Contextual Risk Factors

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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.

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THE EFFECTS OF IMMIGRANT STATUS ON WELL-BEING AMONG OLDER ADULTS BY RACE-ETHNICITY: A MULTI-GROUP ANALYSIS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2621 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S714-S714

Author(s):

Heehyul Moon ◽

Hyesook Kim ◽

Sunshine Rote ◽

William E Haley

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Health ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Stress Coping ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Immigrant Status ◽

Coping Process ◽

Race Ethnicity ◽

Racial Ethnic

Abstract Although prior researchers have decried the lack of research on racial/ethnic minority older adults, they have been less vocal about the gaps in research concerning the ways in which immigrant status and race/ethnicity affect their well-being. Thus, we examined the role of immigrant status on the stress coping process by race/ethnicity using the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. The multi-group analysis function in structural equation modeling was used to determine whether the stress coping process was equivalent across three racial/ethnic groups (Non-Hispanic White (NHW), Non-Hispanic Black(NHB), and Hispanic) by immigrant status using the Round 1 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS, (U.S.-born= 4,799, foreign-born=612)). We found that immigrant status and race/ethnicity may have complex effects on the stress coping process. For example, the total effects of being an immigrant were significantly associated with more stressors, less resources, and worse physical health. Except NHW, the total effects of being immigrant were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. With respect to the direct and indirect effect of immigrant status in the three groups, the Hispanic group has a larger effect of immigrant status on stressors, resources, depression/anxiety and physical health than their NHW and NHB counterparts. The results indicated that immigrant racial/ethnic minority older adults were more likely to have higher levels of depression and anxiety than the U.S.-born except for NHW. Immigrant status will require special attention in both assessment and management of depression/anxiety among racial/ethnicity minority older adults.

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