scholarly journals Self-compassion as predictor of daily physical symptoms and chronic illness across older adulthood

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532110023
Author(s):  
Heather Herriot ◽  
Carsten Wrosch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Early Old Age

This study examined whether self-compassion could benefit daily physical symptoms and chronic illness in early and advanced old age. The hypotheses were evaluated in a 4-year longitudinal study of 264 older adults. Results showed that self-compassion predicted lower levels of daily physical symptoms across the study period in advanced, but not early, old age ( T-ratio = −1.93, p = 0.05). In addition, self-compassion was associated with fewer increases in chronic illness in advanced, but not early, old age ( T-ratio = − 2.45, p < 0.02). The results of this study suggest that self-compassion may be particularly adaptive towards the end of life.

scholarly journals A Tale of Two Emotions: The Diverging Salience and Health Consequences of Calmness and Excitement in Old Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 626-627
Author(s):  
Jeremy Hamm ◽  
Carsten Wrosch ◽  
Meaghan Barlow ◽  
Ute Kunzmann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Younger Adults

Abstract Using two studies, we examined the late life prevalence and health consequences of discrete positive emotions posited to motivate rest and recovery (calmness) or pursuit of novelty and stimulation (excitement). Study 1 assessed the salience of these discrete emotions in older adults (n=73, Mage=73) relative to younger adults (n=73, Mage=23) over a one-week period. Multilevel models showed that older (vs. younger) adults reported higher calmness and lower excitement. Study 2 examined the longitudinal health consequences of calmness and excitement in old age (n=336, Mage=75), as moderated by perceived control. Multilevel growth models showed that calmness, but not excitement, buffered against 10-year declines in psychological well-being (perceived stress, depressive symptoms) and physical health (physical symptoms, chronic conditions) for older adults with low perceived control. Results suggest that positive emotions with disparate motivational functions become more (calmness) or less (excitement) salient and have diverging implications for health in old age.

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 UNIMAGINED FUTURES: THE PARADOX OF FAMILISM AND ELDERCARE AMONG AGING LATINOS IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S715-S715
Author(s):  
Melissa Howe ◽  
Alexis Howard ◽  
Wendy Hsieh ◽  
Lissette M Piedra
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Nativity Status ◽  
North Americans ◽  
Physical Independence ◽  
Latino Older Adults

Abstract Scholars of gerontology highlight the ways aging varies cross-culturally. Whereas North Americans tend to describe “successful aging” as the maintenance of social and physical independence, Latin Americans tend to view aging as a natural process of social transition. In this study, we conducted a content analysis of nine focus groups (N =101) and 20 interviews with Latino older adults in the Chicagoland area to examine how they characterize successful aging and view the health declines that accompany aging. We found that Latino older adults often used rhetoric associated with “successful aging,” which tended to emphasize the maintenance of independence and physical functioning. Even immigrant respondents employed this language, suggesting that descriptions of “good old age,” may be more culturally transferable than previously thought. At the same time, the cultural values of respeto and familismo also emerged. Regardless of the participant’s nativity status, centrality of family and the importance of respect represented constant sources of support. Still, adherence to these values came with considerable drawbacks for those intensely focused on self-sacrifice for the sake of their families. Taken together, “successful old age” was defined by the participants as one in which a person maintains physical independence in the context of an interdependent, kin-focused, social life. This paradoxical combination of valuing independence and familial interdependence produced a number of benefits and challenges for Latino adults as they transitioned into to older adulthood.

scholarly journals End-of-life experience for older adults in Ireland: results from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing (TILDA)

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter May ◽  
Lorna Roe ◽  
Christine A. McGarrigle ◽  
Rose Anne Kenny ◽  
Charles Normand
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Life Experience

Self-compassionate Aging: A Systematic Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. e311-e324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Brown ◽  
Jeff C Huffman ◽  
Christina Bryant
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Abstract Background and Objectives There is considerable heterogeneity in experiences of aging, with some experiencing greater well-being and adapting more successfully to the challenges of aging than others. Self-compassion is a modifiable psychological skill that might help explain individual differences in well-being and adjustment in later life. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on self-compassion and well-being outcomes in studies of older adults aged 65 and older. Research Design and Methods This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, using databases PsycINFO, Medline, and Embase. The search term self-compassion was paired with terms relating to well-being, psychological symptoms, and adjustment. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize results on the relationship between self-compassion and four outcomes including depression, anxiety, hedonic well-being, and eudaimonic well-being. Results Eleven studies met inclusion criteria for this review. Meta-analysis revealed that self-compassion was associated with lower levels of depression (r = −.58, 95% CI [−.66, −.48]) and anxiety (r = −.36, 95% CI [−.60, −.07]), and higher levels of hedonic (r = .41, 95% CI [.15, .62]) and eudaimonic (r = .49, 95% CI [.41, .57]) well-being. Further, three studies found self-compassion weakened the impact of physical symptoms on well-being outcomes. Discussion and Implications We found preliminary evidence that self-compassion is associated with well-being outcomes in older adults, and that self-compassion may buffer the psychological sequelae of health symptoms in later life. Higher quality studies with uniform outcome measures are needed to replicate and extend these results.

scholarly journals Blood-Based Oxidative Stress Markers and Cognitive Performance in Early Old Age: The HAPIEE Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 297-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Horvat ◽  
Ruzena Kubinova ◽  
Andrzej Pajak ◽  
Abdonas Tamosiunas ◽  
Ben Schöttker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Oxidative Stress Markers ◽  
Stress Markers ◽  
Early Old Age

Background/Aims: Oxidative stress is involved in Alzheimer disease pathology, but its impact on cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults remains unknown. We estimated associations between serum oxidative stress markers and cognitive function in early old age. Methods: Subjects aged 45-69 years recruited in urban centers in Central and Eastern Europe had memory, verbal fluency, and processing speed assessed at baseline (2002-2005) and 3 years later. Derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), and total thiol levels (TTLs) were measured at baseline in a subsample. Linear regression was used to estimate associations of biomarkers with cognitive test scores cross-sectionally (n = 4,304) and prospectively (n = 2,882). Results: Increased d-ROM levels were inversely associated with global cognition and verbal fluency cross-sectionally and in prospective analysis; observed effects corresponded to 3-4 years' higher age. TTL was inconsistently associated with memory. BAP was not related to cognitive function. Conclusion: This study found modest evidence for a relationship between serum d-ROMs and cognitive function in a population sample of older adults.

scholarly journals Linking early life risk factors to frailty in old age: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaxi Li ◽  
Qian-Li Xue ◽  
Michelle C Odden ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Chenkai Wu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Childhood Health

Abstract Background exposures in childhood and adolescence may impact the development of diseases and symptoms in late life. However, evidence from low- and middle-income countries is scarce. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association of early life risk factors with frailty amongst older adults using a large, nationally representative cohort of community-dwelling Chinese sample. Methods we included 6,806 participants aged $\ge$60 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. We measured 13 risk factors in childhood or adolescence through self-reports, encompassing six dimensions (education, family economic status, nutritional status, domestic violence, neighbourhood and health). We used multinomial regression models to examine the association between risk factors and frailty. We further calculated the absolute risk difference for the statistically significant factors. Results persons with higher personal and paternal education attainment, better childhood neighbourhood quality and better childhood health status had lower risk of being frail in old age. Severe starvation in childhood was associated with higher risk of prefrailty. The risk differences of being frail were 5.6% lower for persons with a high school or above education, 1.5% lower for those whose fathers were literate, 4.8% lower for the highest neighbourhood quality and 2.9% higher for worse childhood health status compared to their counterparts. Conclusions unfavorable socioeconomic status and worse health condition in childhood and adolescence may increase the risk of late-life frailty amongst Chinese older adults.

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