scholarly journals Improving Older People’s Lives Through Digital Technology and Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142110362
Author(s):  
Hannah R. Marston ◽  
Charles B. A. Musselwhite
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Issues ◽  
Barriers To Use

The Aging and Technology special issue showcases twelve papers spanning a range and diversity of international scholarly research within the field of ageing and technology. The collection of papers demonstrates the positive impact technology can have on the lives of older people including improving cognitive performance, physical and mental health and people’s daily activities and practices. There are still barriers to use, including psychological issues of motivation, attitudes, privacy and trust and social issues involving learning to use the technology. In conclusion, to help overcome these barriers, it is recommended that research and development of technology involves older people as co-developers working with stakeholders from different disciplines and backgrounds.

scholarly journals The Influence of Human–Animal Interactions on Mental and Physical Health during the First COVID-19 Lockdown Phase in the U.K.: A Qualitative Exploration

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Shoesmith ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Dimitra Kale ◽  
Daniel S. Mills ◽  
Catherine Reeve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Human Animal Interaction ◽  
Animal Interaction ◽  
The Impact

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of animals as sources of emotional and physical support during a period when most of the population is experiencing social and environmental challenges. We investigated how companion animal owners perceived the influence of human–animal interaction on their physical and mental health during the first COVID-19 lockdown phase in the U.K., and what concerns they had regarding their animals at this time. We also explored the impact of participants’ interaction with non-companion animals during this phase. A cross-sectional online survey of U.K. residents aged over 18 was conducted between April and June 2020. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences and/or perceptions of their human–animal relationships during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. A qualitative thematic analysis of responses was undertaken. Four main themes related to the following aspects of human–animal interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown phase were identified: the positive impact of animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., amelioration of wellbeing and mental health), concerns relating to animal ownership during the COVID-19 lockdown (e.g., concerns over animals carrying the COVID-19 virus), grief and loss of an animal during the COVID-19 lockdown and the impact of engaging with non-companion animals during the COVID-19 lockdown. The findings complement and extend previous insights into the impact of human–animal interaction with both companion and non-companion animals. They also highlight the challenges of caring for an animal during the lockdown phase and indicate the need to consider the development of further targeted support strategies, such as “day care” for the companion animals of key workers in this context.

scholarly journals Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Older and Younger People

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7871
Author(s):  
Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan ◽  
Yoshihiko Kadoya
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Living Condition ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Subjective Health Status ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Precautionary Measures

The precautionary measures and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have serious psychological impacts on peoples’ mental health. We used longitudinal data from Hiroshima University to investigate loneliness before and during the pandemic among older and younger people in Japan. We provide evidence that loneliness among both older and younger people increased considerably during the pandemic. Although loneliness among younger people is more pervasive, the magnitude of increase in loneliness during the pandemic is higher among older people. Our logit regression analysis shows that age, subjective health status, and feelings of depression are strongly associated with loneliness before and during the pandemic. Moreover, household income and financial satisfaction are associated with loneliness among older people during the pandemic while gender, marital status, living condition, and depression are associated with loneliness among younger people during the pandemic. The evidence of increasing loneliness during the pandemic is concerning for a traditionally well-connected and culturally collectivist society such as Japan. As loneliness has a proven connection with both physical and mental health, we suggest immediate policy interventions to provide mental health support for lonely people so they feel more cared for, secure, and socially connected.

scholarly journals Experiences of men with psychosis participating in a community-based football programme

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Moloney ◽  
Daniela Rohde
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Physical activity is associated with both physical and mental health benefits for people with psychosis. However, mental health services have been criticised for failing to adequately promote physical activities. Occupational Therapy, with its focus on meaningful everyday occupations, is well placed to incorporate physical activity interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of men with psychosis participating in an Irish community-based football programme. Design/methodology/approach Six men with psychosis participated in qualitative interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview data were analysed thematically. Findings Participants identified many benefits of engaging in the programme. Football became a valued part of weekly routines and fostered re-engagement with previously valued roles. Participants identified improvements in social confidence and motor and process skills, as well as a positive impact on their mental and physical health. Originality/value This study highlights the value and meaning of participation in football for men with psychosis, as well as demonstrating the longer-term feasibility of football as a therapeutic medium in Occupational Therapy mental health service provision. Findings could help to promote the routine use of sports interventions to mental health services.

scholarly journals A Novel Landscape for Understanding Physical and Mental Health: Body Mapping Research with Youth Experiencing Psychosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Boydell ◽  
Jeffrey Ball ◽  
Jackie Curtis ◽  
Adèle De Jager ◽  
Megan Kalucy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Young People ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
The Body ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Body Mapping ◽  
The Future

Estimates indicate the lifespan of individuals with psychotic illness is reduced by approximately 15-20 years. Consequently there is a need to address the physical health of those who live with a mental illness, like psychosis. The Bondi Centre provides an integrated model of care to young people with a first episode of psychosis. The Keeping the Body In Mind program focuses on prevention and early intervention of physical health issues and is offered alongside treatment for mental health and social issues as part of routine care. We used body mapping, an arts-based research method, to explore the complexity of this physical health intervention. Our aim was to develop an in-depth understanding of experiences of young clients of the early intervention centre, with a particular focus on the embodied relationship between physical and mental health. Six young people engaged in creating life-sized body maps depicting their experience of the physical intervention program over four 3-hour sessions, followed by an in-depth interview. Analysis of our body maps drew on thematic analysis and narrative inquiry. The narrative trope was one of recovery, highlighting the importance of the link between body and mind, individual and community, and the balance between light and darkness. There was an emphasis on developing feelings of connectedness (to self and others), hope and optimism for the future, a sense of having an identity, and a sense of meaning and empowerment. Recovery was conceptualised as an ongoing process rather than an end product or fixed state. Involvement in the body mapping process was consistently identified as therapeutic, offering an opportunity for reflection on the journey to recovery with a focus on past, present and imagined storylines of the future. 

scholarly journals Pet Ownership and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Kristel J. Scoresby ◽  
Elizabeth B. Strand ◽  
Zenithson Ng ◽  
Kathleen C. Brown ◽  
Charles Robert Stilz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
The Impact

Pet ownership is the most common form of human–animal interaction, and anecdotally, pet ownership can lead to improved physical and mental health for owners. However, scant research is available validating these claims. This study aimed to review the recent peer reviewed literature to better describe the body of knowledge surrounding the relationship between pet ownership and mental health. A literature search was conducted in May 2020 using two databases to identify articles that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. After title review, abstract review, and then full article review, 54 articles were included in the final analysis. Of the 54 studies, 18 were conducted in the general population, 15 were conducted in an older adult population, eight were conducted in children and adolescents, nine focused on people with chronic disease, and four examined a specific unique population. Forty-one of the studies were cross-sectional, 11 were prospective longitudinal cohorts, and two were other study designs. For each of the articles, the impact of pet ownership on the mental health of owners was divided into four categories: positive impact (n = 17), mixed impact (n = 19), no impact (n = 13), and negative impact (n = 5). Among the reviewed articles, there was much variation in population studied and study design, and these differences make direct comparison challenging. However, when focusing on the impact of pet ownership on mental health, the results were variable and not wholly supportive of the benefit of pets on mental health. Future research should use more consistent methods across broader populations and the development of a pet-ownership survey module for use in broad, population surveys would afford a better description of the true relationship of pet ownership and mental health.

scholarly journals Does social capital interact with economic hardships in influencing older adults’ health? A study from China

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Gu ◽  
Yang Cheng ◽  
David R. Phillips ◽  
Mark Rosenberg ◽  
Linsheng Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Economic Capital ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Neighborhood Cohesion ◽  
Reported Health

Abstract Background The importance of social and economic capital as predictors of health is widely documented, yet the complexity of interactions between them and effects on older people’s health is still unclear. Combining the material and psychosocial explanations of health, this study explores the potential interactions between social and economic capital in influencing older adults’ health in urban and rural China. Methods Using data from the China Family Panel Survey, physical and mental health in 2018 were regressed on social and economic capital indicators in 2016, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of 3535 respondents aged 65 and older. Rothman’s synergy index was calculated to investigate potential interaction effects. Results Economic hardships were significantly related to both self-reported health and mental health. Neighborhood cohesion and social participation were significantly associated with mental health for all, bonding trust was significantly associated with mental health for urban older people. We found no significant associations between social capital components and self-reported health. There was an interaction effect between low neighborhood cohesion and economic hardships, and between low social participation and economic hardships, creating an increased burden of poor mental health. The interaction effect between low bonding trust and economic hardships on mental health was apparent only among urban older people. Conclusions Geographical settings are important factors in the complexity between social and economic capital in affecting older health. Intervention efforts directed towards reducing simultaneously multiple dimensions of deprivation, such as poverty, social exclusion, social isolation, could be helpful in improving older people’s health. In materially deprived places, policies to promote health equity by improving social capital but without eliminating poverty may be less effective.

scholarly journals Side by Side: Reflections on Two Lifetimes of Dance

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Kipling Brown ◽  
Anne Penniston Gray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Arts Engagement ◽  
Key Aspects

Telling stories about our experiences in dance brings to light unconscious knowledge and memories of the past and helps us understand our own decisions and practices. Reflexivity and story telling is central in the process of remembering and embodies some of the key aspects of autoethnography as a research tool. We are directed to examine and reflect on our experiences, analyzing goals and intentions, making connections between happenings and recounting each single experience. Dance has the potential for positive impact on both physical and mental health among professional dancers as well as among dance students and has the power to connect them to culture and community in unique and important ways. Research has provided evidence that arts engagement provides positive forms of social inclusion, opportunities to share arts, culture, language, and values and points to the value of the arts in the prevention and amelioration of health problems. Together with those benefits of a dance experience there is clear evidence of what can be learned in, through and about dance. In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic it seemed more relevant and poignant to examine our own experiences in dance as well as those experiences of others that have influenced our lives.

Special Issue

2018 ◽  
pp. 184-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Bender ◽  
Karlie Hill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Prejudicial Attitudes

Misconceptions regarding the cause(s) of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has led to a number of prejudices against those with such diagnoses. A fear of being the object of prejudicial attitudes and behaviors leaves many individuals concerned about the social stigma of a STI diagnosis. This, in turn, may leave people unwilling to get tested or hesitant to disclose their diagnosis to others, which may fuel the spread of such infections. In addition to the numerous medical concerns associated with STIs, the psychological consequences of STIs are notable as well. Understanding the stigma related to STIs is an important step towards improving the mental health of people with such diagnoses. This chapter provides the reader with an overview of STI diagnoses, and an explanation of their physical and mental health consequences. The chapter continues by examining the three types of stigma as well as their components. Finally, the chapter offers a number of suggestions regarding how to combat STI stigma, which may be extrapolated to combat other forms of stigma affecting mental health.

scholarly journals Correlates of excessive daytime sleepiness in community-dwelling older adults: an exploratory study

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 607-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Astolphi Lima ◽  
Wuber Jefferson de Souza Soares ◽  
Tereza Loffredo Bilton ◽  
Rosângela Corrêa Dias ◽  
Eduardo Ferrioll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Older People ◽  
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Daytime Sleepiness ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) imposes a wide range of adverse health-related outcomes in older people, such as disability, which impair everyday activities and may increase the risk of fall. Few studies have explored EDS in Brazilian older people living in the community who are typically cared in primary health services. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of EDS and its sociodemographic, physical and mental health correlates among community-dwelling older adults. This is an exploratory, population-based study derived from Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study including adults aged 65 years and older. Participants with a score ≥ 11 points on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were considered as having excessive daytime sleepiness. A structured, multidimensional questionnaire was used to investigate sociodemographic, physical and mental health, and self-rated health variables. The sample was composed of 776 older adults, of whom 21% (n = 162) presented excessive daytime sleepiness. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that EDS is associated with obesity (OR = 1.50; 95%CI 1.02 - 2.20), urinary incontinence (OR = 1.53; 95%CI 1.01 - 2.31), poor self-rated health (OR = 1.54; 95%CI 1.06 - 2.24), and depression symptoms (OR = 1.49; 95%CI 1.00 - 2.20). Our results suggest that healthcare professionals should identify older adults with EDS and implement intervention strategies to minimize the negative impact of the co-occurrence of this condition with obesity, depression and urinary incontinence over health and quality of life.

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