scholarly journals Age Differences in Stress and Coping: Problem-Focused Strategies Mediate the Relationship Between Age and Positive Affect

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwei Chen ◽  
Yisheng Peng ◽  
Huanzhen Xu ◽  
William H. O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Mediation Hypothesis ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Relationship

The present study examined the different types of stressors experienced by adults of different ages, their coping strategies, and positive/negative affect. A mediation hypothesis of coping strategies was tested on the relationships between age and positive/negative affect. One-hundred and ninety-six community-dwelling adults (age range 18–89 years) reported the most stressful situation they experienced in the past month and coping strategies. Levels of positive and negative affect in the past month were also measured. Content analysis revealed age differences in different types of stressors adults reported. Three types of coping strategies were found: problem-focused, positive emotion-focused, and negative emotion-focused coping. Older adults were less likely than younger adults to use problem-focused coping and reported lower levels of positive affect. Path analysis supported the mediation hypothesis, showing that problem-focused coping mediated the relationship between age and positive affect. Implications are discussed on the importance of promoting problem-focused coping among older adults.

scholarly journals Reactive, Agentic, Apathetic, or Challenged? Aging, Emotion, and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel A Young ◽  
Christian E Waugh ◽  
Alyssa R Minton ◽  
Susan T Charles ◽  
Claudia M Haase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives Advanced age is generally associated with improved emotional well-being, but the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a global stressor that gravely threatened the physical well-being and ostensibly challenged the emotional well-being of older adults disproportionately. The current study investigated differences in emotional experiences and coping strategies between younger and older adults during the pandemic, and whether these differences were accounted for by age differences in appraisal of the pandemic. Research Design and Methods We asked younger (n = 181) and older adult (n = 176) participants to report their stress, appraisals the pandemic, emotions, and the ways in which they were coping with the pandemic. Results Results indicated that older adults experienced less stress and less negative affect and used greater problem-focused coping and less avoidant coping in response to the pandemic than younger adults. Further, age differences in affect and coping were partially accounted for by age differences in appraisals of the pandemic. Discussion and Implications Despite their objectively higher risk of illness and death due to the pandemic, older adults experienced less negative affect and used more agentic coping strategies than younger adults.

scholarly journals Age Differences in the Relationship Between Daily Social Media Usage and Affect

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Xin Yao Lin ◽  
Margie Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Daily Time

Abstract Social media platforms allow people to connect and share content online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Although older adults are becoming more frequent users of social media, there continue to be mixed views on whether social media positively or negatively impacts well-being. Past studies have mainly focused on cross-sectional analyses for individual differences. However, both the time spent on social media and one’s affect can fluctuate on a daily basis. Thus, it is important to understand how the relationship between daily social media usage and affect varies within individuals from day to day. The current study adds to the literature by examining whether daily variations in time spent with social media are related to daily positive and negative affect and whether there are age differences in these relationships. The current study used an eight-day daily diary from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher dataset for 782 participants (ages 25-75). Multilevel modeling results revealed that age moderated the relationship between daily time spent on social media and negative affect: for younger adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had more negative affect. For older adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had less negative affect. Surprisingly, daily time spent on social media was not related to daily positive affect, nor did this relationship differ by age. Implications for future research are discussed with a focus on how social media usage can contribute to daily well-being for adults of different ages.

scholarly journals Social Media Use and Emotional Well-Being: The Role of Physical Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 931-931
Author(s):  
Xin Yao Lin ◽  
Margie Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract There are mixed findings as to whether social media use (SMU) is positively or negatively related to well-being (positive/negative affect), and this relationship varies by age. The current study seeks to further explore this relationship by examining physical activity (PA) as a potential mediator at both a within (intraindividual) and between-person (interindividual) level across adulthood. The data are from the Midlife in the United States Refresher eight-day daily diary study (N=782, ages 25-75) with self-reported frequency of SMU, PA, and well-being (positive/negative affect). Multilevel structural equation modeling simultaneously tested how the relationships between the variables differed at both the between- and within-person levels. Between-person results showed that across the week, those who reported less SMU reported engaging in more PA, and more PA was associated with more positive affect. PA significantly mediated the relationship between SMU and positive affect for midlife and older adults, but not for younger adults. Effects for negative affect were not significant. Within-person results indicated that days with more PA were associated with more positive affect; however, PA did not mediate the relationship between SMU and positive or negative affect. These findings suggest the benefits of engaging in PA on one’s positive emotional well-being at both the between- and within-person levels. However, for midlife and older adults, more SMU across the week may take away time from engaging in PA, which in turn lowers their positive affect. Implications of the effects of SMU on PA and well-being across adulthood are discussed.

Social Contact Frequency and Pain among Older Adults with HIV: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S Herbert ◽  
Jennalee S Wooldridge ◽  
Emily W Paolillo ◽  
Colin A Depp ◽  
Raeanne C Moore
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Momentary Assessment

Abstract Background Social relationships are important for pain management among individuals with HIV, but the impact of daily social contact on pain responses in real-time, real-world settings has never been specifically examined. Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between social contact frequency and pain, and the role of negative and positive affect in this relationship among older adults with HIV using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Methods A total of 66 (Mage = 59.3, SD = 6.3, range: 50–74) older adults with HIV completed EMA surveys that included social contact frequency, pain level, and negative and positive affect four times per day for 2 weeks. Mixed-effects regression models were used to examine concurrent and lagged associations between social contact frequency, pain, and negative and positive affect. Results Greater recent social contact frequency was associated with less severe current pain (unstandardized B = −0.04, 95% CI: −0.08, −0.01, p = .014), while greater current pain was associated with lower subsequent social contact frequency (unstandardized B = −0.07, 95% CI: −0.11, −0.03, p < .001). Further, higher current negative affect was related to greater current pain, and this relationship was dampened by increased recent social contact frequency (unstandardized B = −0.17, 95% CI: −0.26, −0.08, p < .001). Neither negative nor positive affect was significantly associated with the relationship between current pain and subsequent social contact frequency. Conclusions Social contact frequency and pain are bidirectionally and inversely associated among older adults with HIV. Further, recent social contact influences current pain by attenuating negative affect. Together, these results highlight the need to address social engagement in interventions for pain among older adults with HIV.

A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POSITIVE AFFECT AND BOTH PROBLEM- AND EMOTIONFOCUSED COPING STRATEGIES

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuyuki Yamasaki ◽  
Akiko Sakai ◽  
Kanako Uchida
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
General Coping ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA) and reported use of problem-focused or emotion-focused coping strategies was investigated in a longitudinal study. Japanese undergraduates (200 men and 270 women) completed a version of the PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) and the situational version of the General Coping Questionnaire (Sasaki & Yamasaki, 2004). These two measures were administered twice, five weeks apart (T1 and T2). The results showed some significant sex differences. Higher PA at T1 was associated with greater reported use of cognitive reinterpretation as a coping strategy at T2 only for men, whereas greater use of cognitive reinterpretation at T1 was associated with higher PA at T2 only for women. These results suggest that there is no mutually reciprocal relationship between PA and use of cognitive reinterpretation as a coping strategy.

scholarly journals Disaster Preparedness and Coping Among Older Adults: Empirical Analysis and Virtual Reality Platform Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 351-351
Author(s):  
Zhen Cong
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Different Types ◽  
And Coping

Abstract This symposium included 4 studies that use national and regional data to examine older adults’ disaster preparedness and coping. The first study examined age differences in preparedness for the continuation of COVID-19 with a sample of 443 residents in Dallas, TX. The findings highlight older adults’ resilience and special needs for different types of support during the pandemic. The second study examined the association of having COVID-19 and intergenerational relationships using the COVID-19 module of the Health and Retirement Study with a sample of 3266 respondents. Using a national sample of 1,467 respondents from the 2017 U.S. National Household Survey, the third study examined age differences relationships among the type of disasters (i.e., disasters with different lead-time), response efficacy, and disaster preparedness. The findings highlighted older adults’ unique vulnerability and resilience in different types of disasters. The fourth study discussed a pilot virtual reality platform under development to assist older adults to develop tailored household emergency preparedness plans and practice those plans with simulated extreme weather conditions and warnings for older adults to practice disaster response and develop relevant knowledge and skills as well as test and revise their emergency preparedness plans. Overall, this symposium emphasizes the uniqueness of older adults’ needs, vulnerability, and resilience to disasters.

Poor Acceptance of the Past is Related to Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-251
Author(s):  
Gozde Cetinkol ◽  
Gulbahar Bastug ◽  
E. Tugba Ozel Kizil
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Death Anxiety ◽  
Geriatric Depression ◽  
Ego Integrity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Depressed Group ◽  
Total Death ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Depression in older adults can be explained by Erikson’s theory on the conflict of ego integrity versus hopelessness. The study investigated the relationship between past acceptance, hopelessness, death anxiety, and depressive symptoms in 100 older (≥50 years) adults. The total Beck Hopelessness (BHS), Geriatric Depression (GDS), and Accepting the Past (ACPAST) subscale scores of the depressed group were higher, while the total Death Anxiety (DAS) and Reminiscing the Past (REM) subscale scores of both groups were similar. A regression analysis revealed that the BHS, DAS, and ACPAST predicted the GDS. Past acceptance seems to be important for ego integrity in older adults.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document