scholarly journals Death Anxiety and Loneliness among Older Adults: Role of Parental Self-Efficacy

Author(s):  
Lee Greenblatt-Kimron ◽  
Miri Kestler-Peleg ◽  
Ahuva Even-Zohar ◽  
Osnat Lavenda

Death anxiety and loneliness are major issues for older people. The present study aimed to broaden the understanding of factors that are linked with increased loneliness in old age by examining the association between death anxiety and loneliness, and the role of an unexplored variable among older adults, namely, parental self-efficacy. A convenience sample of 362 Israeli parents over the age of 65 was recruited through means of social media. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires, which included background characteristics, death anxiety, parental self-efficacy, and loneliness measures. The findings showed that death anxiety was positively associated with loneliness among older adults. The findings also confirmed that parental self-efficacy moderated this association in this population. We concluded that the combination of death anxiety and low parental self-efficacy identified a group of older adults that are at higher risk of developing increased loneliness levels. Mental health professionals should consider intergenerational relationships as a fundamental component of older adults’ daily lives, focusing on parental self-efficacy in old age, as this appears to be a resilience resource.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 555-555
Author(s):  
Walter Boot ◽  
Nelson Roque ◽  
Erin Harrell ◽  
Neil Charness

Abstract Adherence to health behaviors is often poor, including adherence to at-home technology-based interventions. This study (N=120) explored adherence to a cognitive training intervention delivered via computer tablet, assessed adherence over a 4.5 month period, explored how individual difference factors shaped adherence, and tested the efficacy of message framing manipulations (positive vs. negative framing) in boosting adherence. Individual difference factors predicted adherence, including variations in self-efficacy and belief in the efficacy of cognitive training. Overall message framing had little impact. However, during the final portion of the study in which participants were asked to play as much or as little as they wanted instead of following a schedule, participants who received positively framed messages engaged with the intervention more. Implications for predicting and boosting adherence to home delivered technology-based interventions will be discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 293-294
Author(s):  
Moriah Splonskowski ◽  
Holly Cooke ◽  
Claudia Jacova

Abstract Home-based cognitive assessment (HBCA) services are emerging as a convenient alternative to in-clinic cognitive assessment and may aid in mitigating barriers to detecting cognitive impairment (CI). It is unknown which older adults would be likely to participate in HBCA. Here we investigated the role of age and Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD). SCD has demonstrated an increased risk for progression to CI/dementia. A nation-wide community-dwelling sample of 494 adults age 50+ were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete an online survey assessing perceptions around HBCA and SCD. Our sample was 91.9% White and 66.8% female. It consisted of 174 respondents aged 50-60, 265 aged 61- 70, and 55 aged 71-79. Age groups were comparable with respect to their acceptance of cognitive assessment (Range 4-20, higher score=higher acceptance, 7.9±3.3, 8.15±3.2, 8.05±3.43) and SCD-Q total (43.1±5.8, 43.2±5.7, 43.3±5.7). Correlation analysis revealed a relationship between SCD-QSCD total and perceived likelihood of participation in HBCA for those ages 61-70 (r(263) = .222 p = .000), but not for ages 50-60 or 71-79 (r(172) = .102 p = .152; r(53) = -.102 p = .458). Our findings suggest that SCD influences the likelihood of participation in HBCA for older adults’ transitioning to old age (61-70). Findings show that for adults transitioning into old age (61-70), perceived cognitive state influences their likelihood of participation in HBCA. Importantly, concerns about CI/dementia may generate more favorable perceptions of HBCA for this group.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110428
Author(s):  
Gabriella Bentley ◽  
Osnat Zamir

The transition to motherhood is a significant developmental milestone in many women’s lives. This transitional period may be more stressful for women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) than for women without such a history. This study tested whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) accounts for the link between CM and parental stress in mothers transitioning to motherhood. The study used a convenience sample of 1,306 first-time mothers of children aged two years or younger. Mothers filled out online self-report questionnaires assessing history of CM, PSE, and prenatal stress. Consistent with the hypotheses, exposure to CM was directly associated with greater parental stress. Also, PSE partially mediated the associations between CM and parental stress, such that mothers with a history of childhood abuse reported a lower level of PSE, which in turn was associated with greater parental stress. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of negative cognitions related to parenting for maternal dysfunction following exposure to childhood abuse. These findings suggest a need to incorporate preventive interventions designed to promote PSE for mothers exposed to CM. Such programs may alleviate parental stress and further support the healthy development of the child.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Sachs-Ericsson ◽  
Amanda N. Medley ◽  
Kathleen Kendall-Tackett ◽  
John Taylor

Death Studies ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN J. DEPAOLA ◽  
MELODY GRIFFIN ◽  
JENNIE R. YOUNG ◽  
ROBERT A. NEIMEYER
Keyword(s):  

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Hüttermann ◽  
Otmar Bock ◽  
Daniel Memmert

Older adults typically have more difficulties than younger ones in situations that require attention in the visual periphery, such as driving a car or riding a bicycle. Previous studies accordingly found that the breadth of attention decreases in old age when one attention-demanding task is presented at fixation and simultaneously another one in the visual periphery. The present work evaluates the role of eye position for the observed deficit by presenting both tasks in the visual periphery (condition peripheral-peripheral) or by leaving it up to the subjects where in the visual field the tasks appear (condition free-gaze). Our data indicate that attention breadth decreases by 27% from the age of early 20 to the age of late 60 in both conditions. This outcome generalizes previous findings about age-related attention deficits to scenarios that were not explored in previous studies, yet are relevant for everyday behavior.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
CATHERINE ELLIOTT O'DARE ◽  
VIRPI TIMONEN ◽  
CATHERINE CONLON

ABSTRACTIntergenerational projects bringing together older adults and younger adults are increasingly common, but there is little research on unstructured, naturally occurring interaction, and in particular friendship between different generations. The aim of this article is to interrogate why we know so little about adult intergenerational friendship. A systematic literature search on this topic, covering a 30-year period, yielded only six articles which satisfied the inclusion criteria. This prompted us to examine how the topics of intergenerational friendship and friendship in old age have been approached in the literature to date. We argue that the paucity of research on intergenerational friendship reflects the focus of existing research on homophily, and consequently friendships among older or younger adults; and that this in turn reflects a social construction of older adults as unsuited to friendship with younger adults. Investigations of intergenerational friendship can help challenge the images and models of ageing and older adults that both research and societies currently operate with, and are constrained by. We conclude by calling for research that explores the views and experiences of older adults as parties to intergenerational relationships that are non-kin, chosen and based on mutual enjoyment.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1573-1578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Reyes Fernández ◽  
Esteban Montenegro Montenegro ◽  
Nina Knoll ◽  
Ralf Schwarzer

Background:Self-efficacy, action control, and social support are considered to influence changes in physical activity levels in older adults. This study examines the relationship among these variables and explores the putative mediating and moderating mechanisms that might account for activity changes.Methods:A longitudinal study with 54 older adults (≥ 50 years of age) was carried out in Costa Rica. In a moderated mediation analysis, action control was specified as a mediator between self-efficacy and physical activity, whereas social support was specified as a moderator between self-efficacy and action control. Baseline physical activity, age, and sex were specified as covariates.Results:Action control mediated between self-efficacy and physical activity. An interaction between social support and self-efficacy on action control pointed to a synergistic effect at the first stage of the mediating process.Conclusions:The effect of self-efficacy on physical activity was partly explained by action control, providing evidence of action control as a proximal mediator of physical activity. Moreover, the moderator role of social support was confirmed: high social support appeared to compensate for low levels of self-efficacy.


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