Examining the Influence of Care-Recipient Resistance on Family Caregiver Emotional and Physical Well-Being: Average Frequency Versus Daily Fluctuation

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumi Shirai ◽  
Susan Silverberg Koerner
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Average Frequency ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Daily Fluctuation ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
The Impact

Although existing cross-sectional research suggests that dependent older family members’ resistive behavior (care-recipient [CR] resistance: verbal or nonverbal rejection or resistance toward caregiver [CG] assistance) can be challenging for informal family CGs, we know little about the impact of the occurrence patterns of CR-resistance—average frequency versus daily fluctuation—on CG emotional and physical well-being. To document CGs’ daily experiences with CR-resistance and their emotional and physical well-being, the present study applied short-term repeated measures, collecting data on 8 consecutive days from 63 CGs in Southern Arizona, the United States. Multilevel modeling of the daily data revealed that neither average frequency nor daily fluctuation in CR-resistance alone had a significant impact on CG emotional/physical health. However, the combination of experiencing relatively high frequency and high daily fluctuation in CR-resistance was associated with significant increases in CG physical health symptoms ( b = .34, p < .01). Specifically, on days when a CG faced more CR-resistance than his or her usual amount, significant increases in physical health symptoms existed for CGs with relatively high average frequency of CR-resistance, but not for CGs with relatively low average frequency of CR-resistance. Based on our results, it appears that monitoring and maintaining a reasonable level of CR-resistance are effective strategies to maintain CG resilience to the negative impact of CR-resistance daily fluctuation. The findings are interpreted in light of Stress Theory, and recommendations for future research and practical interventions are offered.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review of the Examination of Sandwiched Caregivers’ Psychological Well-being and Physical Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 814-814
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Patricia S Pittman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
The Impact

Abstract As numbers of sandwiched caregivers in the United States grow, it is essential to document the literature on the impact of dual care responsibilities on aspects of psychological well-being and physical health. This scoping review examined the literature on sandwiched caregivers’ psychological well-being and physical health, identified gaps in the literature, and provided suggestions for future studies to advance the literature on sandwiched caregivers in the United States. Guided by the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework, this scoping review comprised of 15 peer-reviewed articles between 1980 and 2019, that examined aspects of the psychological well-being (e.g., depression, affect) and physical health (e.g., health behaviors, chronic conditions) of sandwiched caregivers in the United States. Findings showed that there was ambiguity surrounding the conceptualization of sandwiched caregivers, specifically how older and younger care recipients were defined. Also, most studies examined psychological well-being while physical health was understudied. The findings of this review also showed that, compared to non-sandwiched caregivers (e.g., spousal, filial caregivers) and non-caregivers, sandwiched caregivers exhibited greater depressive symptoms and psychological distress as well as poorer health behaviors. Furthermore, sandwiched caregivers who were female and employed were more susceptible to greater depressive symptoms than their employed male counterparts or employed non-caregivers. In considering future directions, more work is needed that examines physical health. Additionally, sandwiched caregivers of minority status merit attention as multigenerational care occurs at greater rates in these populations. Finally, caregiving during the pandemic may have a detrimental impact on sandwiched caregivers’ lives which should be investigated.

scholarly journals Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Mehrete Girmay ◽  
Gopal K. Singh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Students ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
International Student ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Background: Loneliness and social isolation have the ability to affect an individual's mental and physical health. With research linking both to morbidity and premature mortality, their effects must be viewed as important public health problems. Loneliness and social isolation can be especially pronounced in the international student community, particularly at the university level, as this population encounters challenges assimilating to their host university, surrounding community, and host country. This study explores the risks and sociocultural factors associated with loneliness, social isolation, and psychological distress with regards to the overall adjustment of international students. Methods: In this qualitative, narrative case study, 10 international graduate students at a university in the United States participated in two focus group sessions followed by individual interviews. Thematic areas and topics were identified using Barrer's three models of social support. Study was completed between December 2016 and September 2017. Results: All of the participants shared that they had experienced loneliness and social isolation at some point during their acculturative process resulting in perceived xenophobia and a sense of insincerity on behalf of domestic students when attempting to forge connections. For some, these experiences elicited feelings of depression, a disinterest in building connections with domestic students, and in attending social events held on campus and within the community, further exacerbating feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Results shed light on the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student's mental and physical health and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly, sustained. There is a critical need for more effort to be focused on attending to both the mental and physical health needs of migrant students during their stay at the host university. Key words: • Acculturation • Social Isolation • Loneliness • Mental Health • International •  Student   Copyright © 2019 Girmay and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com- mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Effects of Indigenous-focused curriculum on elementary students' engagement and cultural identity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lisa N. Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ample Evidence ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Achievement disparities stratified by race and socioeconomic status persist across all academic disciplines and grade levels in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a direct response to concern over an academic achievement differential and high school dropout rates based on race, socioeconomic class, and level of English language ability (Vavrus, 2008). Several researchers have theorized that student engagement may explain variation in student achievement across ethnic groups (Connell, Spencer, and Aber, 1994; Finn and Rock, 1997; Steele, 1997). In the case of Indigenous students, cultural representation within the curriculum has the potential to engage students with the content. Additionally, there is ample evidence that a strong Indigenous identity can be a source of resilience for Indigenous youth, contributing to their academic success and well-being (Lester, 1999; Walters, Simoni, and Evans-Campbell, 2002; Whitbeck, Hoyt, McMorris, Chen and Stubben, 2001). More research is needed to understand the relationship between culture-specific programs, universal contributors to school success, and Indigenous student outcomes (Powers, 2006). ... Each classroom completed behavior and academic engagement ratings using a multiple baseline design, including baseline and intervention phases. The intervention phase involved teachers providing instruction in the areas of science and social studies using the lessons from the NDNAEU curriculum. The results from the study indicated minimal change in behavior and academic engagement ratings for one classroom. However, the improvements for each classroom during the intervention phase were small, in comparison to baseline. Each classroom displayed small changes in pre-and post-test cognitive and affective scores and small to medium effects on cultural identity. Future research is needed to determine the impact of Indigenous-focused curricula on student outcomes. Implications for research and practice, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals Wellness Among University-level Music Students: A Study of the Predictors of Subjective Vitality

2019 ◽  
pp. 102986491986055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Miksza ◽  
Paul Evans ◽  
Gary E. McPherson
Keyword(s):  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Subjective Vitality ◽  
University Level ◽  
Effects Of Stress ◽  
The Impact

For many music students, the transition to university-level studies can be a time characterized by high levels of stress as they adjust to academic standards and the challenges of demanding performance assessments. Given this context, this study investigated the impact of stress on students’ well-being, specifically the facet of subjective vitality, defined in the literature as a feeling of energy and aliveness. Our focus was to explore whether certain psychosocial traits would moderate the negative effects of stress on vitality. Working from an empirically derived conceptual model, our central hypotheses were: (a) that stress and self-oriented perfectionism would be negatively related to vitality, whereas adaptability and quality of peer relationships would be positively related to vitality; and (b) that the relationship between stress and vitality would be moderated by students’ self-oriented perfectionism, adaptability, and quality of peer relationships. Participants were 293 undergraduate and graduate music majors from university schools of music and conservatoires in the United States and Australia. Findings revealed that stress was a significant negative predictor of vitality, but self-oriented perfectionism was not. In addition, both adaptability and quality of peer relationships were significant positive predictors of vitality. However, neither self-oriented perfectionism, adaptability, nor quality of peer relationships moderated the effects of stress on vitality. These findings are discussed with regard to practical recommendations for helping students deal with the stressors in their environments and potential theoretical avenues to explore through future research.

scholarly journals Educationally Resilient College Students and Their Experiences With Housing Insecurity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kathryn Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Housing Affordability ◽  
College Completion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Generation College Student ◽  
Research Institution ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study was to understand how students navigate housing insecurity during their postsecondary experience. Emerging as a recent topic in scholarly discussion, how students address housing affordability and accessibility highlights an important discussion surrounding college opportunity. Qualitative interviews with 20 postsecondary alumni were conducted in a large public research institution in the United States. Through a resilience framework, this study explored how students navigated their housing challenges by leveraging internal and external factors. Housing challenges included living in overcrowded spaces, moving frequently, working significant hours, and reducing monthly expenses such as groceries to ensure housing affordability. The impact of these strategies increased a student's anxiety, negatively affecting their personal well-being and at times their academics. Despite these challenges, participants showed a strong resolve to persevere toward college completion. Themes of self-efficacy (internal) and supportive relationships (external) were important motivators to persist toward college completion in spite of housing challenges and barriers. Each participant was determined to overcome the stigma associated with their housing challenges to increase the social mobility of their family and counter stereotypes associated with being a low-income, minority, or first-generation college student. However, due to the negative perceptions associated with housing insecurity, participants would not disclose the extent of their housing challenges with campus stakeholders. Isolation from these experiences decreased a student's sense of belonging and established a belief that the institution could not provide support to address their housing challenges. Implications for policy, practice, and future research include reassessing financial aid packages, developing direct support offices on campus, and additional opportunities to examine housing insecurity from an identity-based lens.

scholarly journals “You Feel Very Isolated”: Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregiver Social Connections

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142110601
Author(s):  
Alycia A. Bristol ◽  
Aaron C. Mata ◽  
Melody Mickens ◽  
Kara B. Dassel ◽  
Lee Ellington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
The Impact

One in five individuals in the United States provides care and support to ill, disabled, and aging family members in the home, leading to feelings of burden, stress, and poor health and well-being. Social support represents an important buffer for family caregivers that allows them to feel less isolated and more positive about their caregiving role. This sequential mixed-methods study aimed to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on family caregivers’ social connections. Eighty-two caregivers completed a web-based survey which comprised of fixed-choice and open-ended questions. Survey data showed that the majority of caregivers (83%) reported an increase in stress and feeling lonely (77%) during the pandemic. Qualitative interviews with a subsample of caregivers ( n=27) further explored social connections during the pandemic. Three themes echoed the quantitative findings and centered around defining boundaries, intentionality in social interactions, and loss of social resources. Although caregivers were often strained by new or increased caregiving demands, many experienced positive changes such as feeling a deeper connection with the care-recipient. Findings from this study highlight the need for further consideration of the impact of social isolation on the well-being of caregivers.

scholarly journals An Analysis of the Impact of Sexual Orientation on Longitudinal Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 900-900
Author(s):  
Anna Thompson ◽  
Britney Wardecker
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Repeated Measures Anova ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Research suggests that mental health and well-being improve as we age, and this trend is dubbed “the paradox of aging” (Charles & Carstensen, 2010). However, little is known about whether this trend happens for individuals who may experience lifelong disadvantage, such as those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. We used data from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) to examine lesbian/gay, bisexual, and heterosexual adults’ changes in depression from 1995 to 2014. Participants identified as lesbian/gay (n = 46), bisexual (n = 37), and heterosexual (n = 3030) and 45.1% identified as female. Participants’ ages ranged from 20-74 years (M = 45.61, SD = 11.41) in 1995 and 39-93 years (M = 63.64, SD = 11.35) in 2014. We analyzed our data using a repeated measures ANOVA and our results indicate that depression decreased on average from 1995 to 2014 for heterosexual [Wilk’s Lamda = .996, F (1, 3029) = 12.23, p &lt; .001] and lesbian/gay adults [Wilk’s Lamda = .848, F (1, 45) = 8.08, p = .007]. However, bisexual adults did not experience this decrease in depression [Wilk’s Lamda = .990, F (1, 36) = 0.36, p = .550] and their depression remained relatively stable. Our results are consistent with previous studies that indicate bisexuals experience poorer mental health when compared to lesbian/gay and heterosexual adults (Bostwick, Hughes, & Everett, 2015). The current research highlights depression as a condition that may not decrease universally over time. We discuss implications for bisexuals’ health and well-being.

scholarly journals WHICH CAME FIRST, WELL-BEING OR PHYSICAL HEALTH? A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION IN MID- TO LATE LIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S721-S721
Author(s):  
Tarah Raldiris ◽  
Joseph Dzierzewski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Purpose In Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Positive Aging

Abstract As the United States population continues to age, focus has turned toward understanding and promoting positive aging processes. However, positive aging is not only about maintaining physical health, but also about maintaining and improving psychological health. Though previous research has found well-being to be predictive of physical health outcomes, research has yet to examine the temporal associations between these variables. The aim of the current study was to begin to disentangle these temporal associations by investigating how well-being and physical health relate over the course of nearly two decades in a nationwide sample of adults (N = 7,419, Mage = 46.38 at Time 1). The current study employed a cross-lagged panel SEM design across three time points to investigate if well-being, operationalized as purpose in life and personal growth, predicted future self-rated physical health. Data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study was analyzed from 1995, 2004, and 2014. Cross-lagged analyses revealed well-being was significantly predictive of future physical health, and physical health was also significantly predictive of future well-being. However, the magnitude of the path loadings indicated well-being was a stronger predictor of future physical health than physical health was of future well-being. Thus, these results suggest that personal growth and purpose in life may be particularly important for the promotion of physical health as individuals age. Future research should investigate if these predictive associations apply to all age-groups, as well as for individuals who self-identify as caregivers.

scholarly journals Understanding Male Caregivers’ Emotional, Financial, and Physical Burden in the United States

Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Lopez–Anuarbe ◽  
Priya Kohli
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Recipient ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
National Study ◽  
Weak Support ◽  
Monolithic Group ◽  
Physical Burden ◽  
Male Caregivers ◽  
The Impact

Men caregivers face caregiving burden, have weak support networks and are less likely to seek out programs which increase their caregiving capabilities and help them cope with this burden. Using the 2011 and 2015 National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) database and hierarchical regressions, we studied the emotional, financial, and physical burden of male caregivers as spouses, sons, and other caregivers by assessing the impact of caregiver characteristics, tasks and resources for each subgroup. We highlighted the importance of using a nationally representative database for men caregivers only and emphasized that these caregivers are not a monolithic group. We found that all caregivers experienced these three burden types, particularly elevated emotional stress, with sons reporting the highest emotional and financial strain levels. Assisting with personal care was the most stressful task and caregivers vastly under-utilized support and training. Our results suggest that burden suppressants included having family and friends help with caregiving, having time to decompress, and feeling appreciated by the care recipient. These findings offer insight for devising future policies that intentionally include relationship and burden type to encourage improved and more caregiving from men while supporting their well-being.

Understanding the Impact of Historical Trauma Due to Colonization on the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Young Peoples: A Systematic Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-68
Author(s):  
Reakeeta Smallwood ◽  
Cindy Woods ◽  
Tamara Power ◽  
Kim Usher
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factors ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Historical Trauma ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Indigenous Research ◽  
Culturally Congruent ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Indigenous Peoples are experiencing the ongoing effects of colonization. This phenomenon, historical trauma (HT), helps to address the current ill-health disparity. Aim of this scoping review was to identify sources of evidence available to understand the impact of HT on Indigenous young peoples. Method: A scoping review was conducted on available evidence-based literature. Article quality was assessed using validated quality appraisal tools. Synthesis was conducted with predefined levels of impact. Results: Consistent with the literature, the themes and levels of impact were interrelated. Despite this, studies predominately reported a singular focus with limited discussion of protective factors. Discussion: HT continues to have a profound impact on Indigenous young peoples across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Protective factors for HT were evident within Indigenous research designs. Future research should ensure a multilevel focus to explore intergenerational strength and how this influences culturally congruent health care.

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