scholarly journals Social Contact for Older People with Visual Impairment Through Mastery of Smartphones: Barriers and Suggested Solutions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Skeide Fuglerud ◽  
Siv Tunold ◽  
Kristin Kjæret
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Information Society ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
Future Work

Older people with visual impairment are more prone to feeling lonely than their seeing peers. Research suggests that learning to use smartphones can improve psychological well-being in older adults. We seek to further explore and find solutions to three barriers for increased use and mastery of smartphones by older people with visual impairment, namely how to a) reach and motivate this group to learn to use a smartphone; b) improve the provision of training for this group, and c) organize support after training to increase the possibility for continued use. Data is collected through interviews and meetings with various stakeholders on a national and local level in Norway. Based on the results we provide some recommendations for future work to lower the barriers and to improve inclusion of older people with visual impairment into the information society.

Resistance Training and Older Adults’ Beliefs about Psychological Benefits: The Importance of Self-Efficacy and Social Interaction

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rylee Dionigi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Resistance Training ◽  
Older People ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Quantitative Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived psychological benefits and explore the mechanisms underlying the link between exercise and psychological well-being for a group of older adults (65-72 years; 6 women; 4 men) who participated in a 12-week program of moderate-to-high intensity resistance training. They were interviewed in-depth at 1 week preintervention, 1 month after commencement, and 1 week after completion. The participants believed that resistance training enhanced their well-being, and they gave various physical, mental, and social reasons to explain this link. In particular, self-efficacy and social interaction were found to be key mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study exposed meaningful perceived improvements in psychological well-being that have not been uncovered in quantitative studies of healthy older people undertaking resistance training. The findings highlight the importance of using qualitative methods to enrich understandings of the positive effect of exercise on psychological well-being. The findings also have implications for designing effective resistance training interventions for older people.

scholarly journals THE UNIQUE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP QUALITY FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S962-S963
Author(s):  
Ashley M Tate ◽  
Lynn Martire
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Network Growth ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Future Work

Abstract Social networks can directly influence the health and well-being of older adults. Some work has suggested that network growth is associated with increased well-being. However, little is known about how the quality of relationships with confidants may be associated with better psychological well-being over and above the number of confidants. We aimed to test the hypothesis that feeling closer to confidants would be associated with lower anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms above and beyond the influence of the number of confidants as well as the number of children and grandchildren. To test this hypothesis, we collected data during face-to-face interviews with 131 community-dwelling adults who were between the ages of 58 and 94. Participants’ gender, age, marital status, self-rated health, and cognitive function were included as covariates in the models. In line with predictions, regression analyses showed that average closeness with confidants predicted significantly lower reports of anxiety (p < .05) and depressive symptoms (p < .001). Additionally, the number of confidants was not significantly associated with anxiety or depressive symptoms. Interestingly, having a greater number of children and grandchildren was associated with increased anxiety symptoms. These results extend previous work by suggesting that the quality of the relationship with confidants is more important for psychological well-being than the number of confidants. Future work should test these associations longitudinally so that directionality can be inferred.

scholarly journals Older Adults’ Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Stresses and Joys

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda R Whitehead ◽  
Emily Torossian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Coping Theory ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Stress Experience ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is experienced differently across individuals, and older adults’ different life experiences lead to a variety of ways of coping. The present study explores older adults’ reports of what about the pandemic is stressful, and what brings joy and comfort in the midst of stress. Research Design and Methods An online survey asked 825 U.S. adults aged 60 and older to complete questionnaires assessing 3 psychological well-being indicators: perceived stress, negative affect, and positive affect. Participants also responded to open-ended questions about what was stressful and what brought joy or comfort at the time of the survey. A mixed-method approach first qualitatively analyzed the open-ended responses, content analysis identified themes most frequently reported, and quantitative analysis examined the associations between various stressors and joys and the psychological well-being indicators. Results Qualitative analysis revealed 20 stress categories and 21 joy/comfort categories. The most commonly reported stressors were confinement/restrictions, concern for others, and isolation/loneliness; the most commonly reported sources of joy/comfort were family/friend relationships, digital social contact, and hobbies. Demographic comparisons revealed variations in experience. Independent t tests revealed stress from concern for others, the unknown future, and contracting the virus to be significantly associated with poorer psychological well-being; faith, exercise/self-care, and nature were associated with more positive psychological well-being. Discussion and Implications Results are discussed in the context of stress and coping theory, highlighting the importance of understanding the unique stress experience of each individual for effective distress intervention.

Measuring Well-Being among Spanish Older Adults: Development of a Simplified Version of Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being

2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feliciano Villar ◽  
Carme Triadó ◽  
Montserrat Celdrán ◽  
Carme Solé
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Factorial Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Item Scale

Two studies were designed to develop and obtain information about the psychometric properties of a shortened 54-item, Spanish version of Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being adapted to older people. In Study 1, 267 older people completed the scales, and data were submitted to a principal components analysis. Then, 22 items were selected and grouped into four components (Self-confidence, Orientation to present, Stress, and Social tension) to form the Simplified Ryff's Well-being Scales. In Study 2, the new scales were administered to 107 older people. While internal consistency estimates were similar to those generally obtained for the 54-item scale, results extracted from a confirmatory factor analysis did not support any factorial model. Although the simplified scales can distinguish between conceptually different approaches to well-being, further studies are needed to obtain estimates of reliability and validity.

scholarly journals INTERNET USE AND LONELINESS OF OLDER ADULTS OVER TIME: THE MEDIATION EFFECT OF SOCIAL CONTACT

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S194-S194
Author(s):  
Kexin Yu ◽  
Kexin Yu ◽  
Shinyi Wu ◽  
Iris Chi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Total Effect ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Longitudinal Association ◽  
Retirement Study ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Internet is increasingly popular among older adults and have changed interpersonal interactions. However, it remains controversial whether older people are more or less lonely with internet use. This paper tests the longitudinal association of internet use and loneliness among older people. One pathway that explains the association, the mediation effect of social contact, was examined. Data from the 2006, 2010 and 2014 waves of Health and Retirement Study was used. Hierarchical liner modeling results showed internet use was related to decreased loneliness over 12-year period of time (b=-0.044, p<.001). Internet use was associated with more social contact with family and friends overtime (b=0.261, p<.001), social contact was related to less perceived loneliness longitudinally (b=0.097, p<.001). The total effect of internet use on loneliness is -0.054 and the mediated effect is -0.025. The findings imply that online activities can be effective for reducing loneliness for older people through increased social contact.

scholarly journals Intergenerational Relationships, Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being Among Korean Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 498-498
Author(s):  
Yooumi Lee ◽  
Janet Wilmoth
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being

Abstract This study investigates whether intergenerational relationships and social support improve the psychological well-being of Korean older adults. We examine whether intergenerational relationships and social support directly influence psychological well-being and the extent to which they mediate the distressing consequences of life events such as declining health and recent widowhood. Using longitudinal data from the 2006 to 2016 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, we explore depression trajectories among individuals who are 60 or older with at least one living adult child at baseline. Specifically, we converted data from 5,383 older adults into a person-period file with 24,726 observations over a ten-year period. Then we estimated linear growth curve models of depression trajectories separately for men and women using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results from the hierarchical linear models indicate that declining health and recent widowhood are positively related to depressive symptoms. Satisfactory intergenerational relationships and social support in the form of personal interactions and proximate living arrangements with adult children decrease depressive symptoms of older parents, especially among women. We conclude that the psychological benefits of intergenerational relationships and social support are contingent upon the vulnerability of older adults and discuss the implications for public policy.

scholarly journals Loving Others: The Impact of Compassionate Love on Later-Life Psychological Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 480-481
Author(s):  
Eva Kahana ◽  
Tirth Bhatta ◽  
Boaz Kahana ◽  
Nirmala Lekhak
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Compassionate Love ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Existing scholarship in social gerontology has surprisingly paid little attention to broader loving emotions, such as compassionate and altruistic love, as potentially meaningful mechanisms for improving later life psychological well-being. This study examined the influence of feeling love toward other persons and experiencing love from others on later life psychological well-being. We conducted a 3-wave longitudinal study of a representative sample of 340 ethnically heterogeneous community dwelling older residents of Miami, Florida. The increase in feeling of being loved (β=-1.53, p<0.001) and love for others (β=-1.43, p<0.001) led to decline in odds of reporting greater level of depressive symptoms over time. The odds of reporting higher level of positive affect were significantly greater for older adults who reported feeling loved by others (β=1.16, p<0.001) and expressed love for other people (β=1.18, p<0.01). Older adults who felt loved had 0.92-point lower ordered log odds of reporting higher negative affect than those who reported lower level of love. The impact of compassionate love on depressive symptoms and negative affect remained statistically significant even after adjustment for altruistic attitudes and emotional support. The influence of loving emotions on positive affect was, however, explained by altruistic attitudes and emotional support. Our findings underscore the powerful influence of both receiving and giving love for the maintenance of later life psychological well-being. We offer support for the expectation that love is a significant force in the lives of older adults that transcends intimate relationships.

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