scholarly journals Death of Parents and Adult Psychological and Physical Well-Being

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1611-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadine F. Marks ◽  
Heyjung Jun ◽  
Jieun Song

Guided by a life course perspective, attachment theory, and gender theory, this study aims to examine the impact of death of a father, a mother, or both parents, as well as continuously living with one or both parents dead (in contrast to having two parents alive) on multiple dimensions of psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, happiness, self-esteem, mastery, and psychological wellness), alcohol abuse (binge drinking), and physical health (self-assessed health). Analyses of longitudinal data from 8,865 adults in the National Survey of Families and Households 1987-1993 reveal that a father's death leads to more negative effects for sons than daughters and a mother's death leads to more negative effects for daughters than sons. Problematic effects of parent loss are reflected more in men's physical health reports than women's. This study's results suggest that family researchers and practitioners working with aging families should not underestimate the impact of filial bereavement on adult well-being.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 512-512
Author(s):  
Nicky Newton ◽  
Jennifer Lodi-Smith

Abstract In the early months of COVID-19, behavioral modifications (i.e., social distancing) were the only means available to ameliorate contagion. These had widespread ramifications for well-being, although older adults showed relatively less disruption and high resilience than their younger counterparts (Carney et al., 2021). Early findings highlight the need for a life course perspective when examining reactions to COVID-19, based on social structure, personal agency, and individual differences such as age, gender, and personality (Settersten et al., 2020). The presentations in this symposium contribute to a developing body of research that delves deeper into individual lived experiences during COVID-19. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, Ryan examines cohort and age differences in pandemic-related social contact, communication, loneliness, and well-being for women in the US, revealing that the impact of pandemic-attributed psychosocial experiences on well-being differed by age group. Newton et al. examine associations between perceptions of future time, COVID-19 disruption, and psychological well-being among older Canadian women, finding that COVID-19 disruption moderated the relationship between constrained time horizons and well-being. Birditt and colleagues assessed racial disparities in relationships between COVID-related stress, social isolation, and depression among adults aged 18-97 from the Survey of Consumers, and found ethnic/racial minorities reported greater pandemic-related stress and that stress and social isolation had detrimental effects on well-being. A discussion by Lodi-Smith will emphasize the necessity to include individual differences – age, race, gender, cohort, cultural context –when examining pandemic-related well-being in order to provide a more nuanced body of research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 723-723
Author(s):  
Mark Brennan-Ing ◽  
Charles Emlet

Abstract Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the term “intersectionality” in the late 1980s to highlight the experience discrimination and marginalization of Black and African-American women originating from the confluence of their racial/ethnic and gender identities. Since that time the focus on intersectionality has broadened to consider other communities and individuals who may have multiple stigmatized and discredited identities, including older people with HIV (PWH). For example, Porter and Brennan-Ing described the “Five Corners” model as the intersection of ageism, racism, classism, sexism, and HIV stigma for older transgender and gender non-conforming PWH. HIV disproportionately affects marginalized communities (e.g., racial/ethnic and sexual minorities). Thus, for older PWH it is important to consider how HIV stigma may intersect with other marginalized identities and impact physical and psychological well-being. The first paper in this session examines how the intersection of HIV serostatus, gay identity, and age complicates identity disclosure, leading to social isolation and interference with care planning. The second paper describes how intersectional identities among older PWH interfere with access to mental health services in a population that is disproportionately affected by depression and PTSD. Our third paper examines the role of race, education, and behavioral health in neurocognitive functioning among a diverse sample of older HIV+ gay and bisexual men. Our last paper examines neurocognitive functioning among older Latinx PWH, finding that sexual and gender minorities were at greater risk for impairment. Implications of these findings for research and programming that accounts for the effects of intersectionality among older PWH will be discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 360-360
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen Wong

Abstract Filial caregivers (e.g., individuals caring for a parent or parent-in-law) are a part of the growing number of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. The responsibilities that filial caregivers navigate in midlife and late adulthood may expose them to multiple types of discrimination that may decrease their physical health, though this relationship has been understudied. As numbers of family caregivers grow, it is important to examine the potential vulnerability of younger and older filial caregivers’ physical health in the context of discrimination. Informed by the life course perspective, this study compares the physical health of younger (aged 34-64) and older (aged 64-74) filial caregivers who experience discrimination. Filial caregivers (N=270; Mage=53; SD=9.37) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II) Survey reported on demographics, family caregiving, daily discrimination, self-rated physical health, and chronic conditions via questionnaires and phone interviews. Regression analyses showed no differences between younger and older adults’ self-rated physical health or average chronic conditions. However, moderation analyses revealed that younger filial caregivers who experienced greater discrimination reported poorer self-rated physical health than their older counter parts as well as younger and older filial caregivers who experienced less discrimination. Additionally, younger caregivers with greater discrimination exposure exhibited more number of chronic conditions as compared to other caregivers. The study results highlight the impact of the intersection between filial caregivers’ age and discrimination on physical health. Findings have the potential to inform programs that could promote the health of filial caregivers in the face of discrimination.


Author(s):  
Oriol Ríos-González ◽  
Mimar Ramis-Salas ◽  
Juan Carlos Peña-Axt ◽  
Sandra Racionero-Plaza

Background: Men who develop behaviors connected with the model of hegemonic masculinity present several health problems. Previous research has shown the types of problems that men commonly suffer in this regard such as chronic diseases, dietary disorders, and traffic accidents. To combat and overcome this situation, several campaigns, policies and recommendations have been undertaken, and consequently, their influence has been analyzed. However, there have been few investigations into the role of men’s friendship in the reduction of these physical health problems. The findings presented in this article are focused on this issue, illustrating the impact of male friendship on the shaping of healthy behaviors. Methods: Drawing upon a qualitative-based methodology articulated in a case study of the Men in Dialogue association, located in Spain, the study has followed the premises of the communicative approach, a total of 15 structured online open-ended questionnaires have been performed and analyzed. The median age of the participants is 37.5 years. Results: The findings show how men involved in Men in Dialogue are promoting a kind of masculine friendship that is improving men’s emotional well-being and, consequently, their physical health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro

Abstract Military service during early life can result in exposure to traumatic events that can reverberate throughout life. Although much attention is focused on the negative effects of military service, many veterans report positive effects. These papers explore life course effects of military service on veterans’ health and well-being. Three used national US longitudinal cohorts (HRS, MIDUS); two sampled veterans from Oregon or from Korea. Three compared veterans to non-veterans; two examined veterans only. Cheng and colleagues found that veterans in HRS are more likely to be risk-averse than non-veterans. Risk aversion matters because it determines how people make decisions and predicts a wide array of health and economic outcomes. Kurth and colleagues examined Oregon veterans from several wars, finding PTSD symptoms were highest among Vietnam combat veterans, the oldest cohort; there were no differences among non-combat veterans. Piazza and colleagues examined in MIDUS the impact of veteran status on cortisol, a stress biomarker, finding older veterans more likely had non-normative patterns than did younger or non-veterans. Lee and colleagues studied patterns of mental health among Korean Vietnam veterans, identifying two patterns as ‘normal’ and ‘resilient’ encompassing half the sample; these veterans demonstrated positive outcomes of military service. Frochen and colleagues compared depression trajectories between veterans and non-veterans in HRS, finding veterans had less depression than non-veterans, but among veterans, trajectories varied based on extent of service. in sum, these papers demonstrate that military service can have positive as well as negative effects on veterans’ health and well-being in later life. Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula G. Watkins ◽  
Husna Razee ◽  
Juliet Richters

This article examines factors influencing English language education, participation and achievement among Karen refugee women in Australia. Data were drawn from ethnographic observations and interviews with 67 participants between 2009 and 2011, collected as part of a larger qualitative study exploring the well-being of Karen refugee women in Sydney. Participants unanimously described difficulty with English language proficiency and communication as the ‘number one’ problem affecting their well-being. Gendered, cultural and socio-political factors act as barriers to education. We argue that greater sensitivity to refugees' backgrounds, culture and gender is necessary in education. Research is needed into the combined relationships between culture and gender across pre-displacement, displacement and resettlement and the impact of these factors on post-immigration educational opportunities. Training is needed to sensitise educators to the complex issues of refugee resettlement. The paper concludes with recommendations for service provision and policy.


Author(s):  
Sheila Menon FBSCH ◽  
Vidya Bhagat

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the psychosocial factors that effect people globally. Particularly affected are children, students and health workers and the common symptoms identified are stress, anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the various security measures implemented to ensure public safety have adversely affected relationships between people. This study directs public awareness to the value of psychotherapeutic support. Tele-therapy can be offered easily to people both at home or in the workplace, providing both cost effective and time sensitive solutions during times of crisis. The current review article provides an overview of the importance of maintaining psychological well-being during a pandemic and the identifies the role that empathetic communication has on wellbeing. The literature review was completed using electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases using the keywords covid-19, affected groups, affected relationships, psychology and its technological interventions, negative effects of pandemic so on.


Noise can be defined as an undesirable sound that pollutes the environment. If noise is continuous and exceeds certain levels, negative effects on health can be observed. In recent years, the impact of environmental noise (road traffic noise, railway traffic noise, air traffic noise and industrial noise) on human health has come under increasingly intense scrutiny. Noise can cause a number of negative effects on health that directly or indirectly affect humans. The occurrence of some certain and harmful health effects drives the onset of others and may contribute to the development of various diseases. Health is not only a state of physical well-being, but also mental well-being. Mental health primarily depends on the quality of life, which can be affected by various environmental factors, such as noise. An important aspect of fighting noise is the most effective protection of the population by avoiding sources of noise and reducing it. This can be achieved by introducing new technical solutions and new technologies, including devices that generate less noise. Another important measure is educating the society and influencing the change of individual and collective behavior, which may contribute to reducing the harmful factor, which is noise in human life, and minimize the resulting negative effects on health.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Kunene ◽  
S Ramklass ◽  
N Taukobong

Background: Anterior knee pain (AKP) is the most common injury among runners and has a negative impact on the quality of life (QOL) of many athletes. Objective: To determine the impact of anterior knee pain on the QOL among runners in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. Materials & methods: A cross–sectional study design was used. A population of 73 runners with AKP were included. Participants included runners aged 13 to 55-year-old. The SF-36 questionnaire was used to collect data. Ethical clearance, permission from club managers and consent from participants were obtained. Data were collected over six weeks and analysed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, means, standard deviations and ranges. Inferential statistics included Spearman's correlation calculation. Results: The lowest QOL scores were found among: role functioning/physical (62), role functioning/emotional (59), energy/fatigue (59), emotional well-being (68) and pain scales (63). Males, youth and runners with least experience presented with lowest scores. Significant correlation was found between: role functioning/physical and experience (p =.030; rs =-.221), role functioning/emotional and gender (p =.017; rs =-.247) and race (p =.012; rs =-.265), general health and experience (p =.021; rs =-.239), energy/fatigue and race (p =.012; rs =.264), emotional well-being and age (p =.020; rs =.241), general health and gender (p =.013; rs =.456), social functioning and age (p =.010; rs =.271) and energy/fatigue and experience (p =.001; rs =-.371). Discussion & Conclusion: This study highlights the need to improve QOL among running population with AKP. Multidimensional rehabilitation programmes are recommended.  Key words: anterior knee pain, quality of life, runners


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document