The Influence of Pension Mode on the Mental Health of Older Adults—Evidence from Older Adults in China

Successful aging is achieved throughout the life course, and successful aging groups tend to have good psychosocial and physical conditions and are active in social activities. With increasing age, the mental health problems of older adults have become increasingly prominent, and the choice of pension mode is closely related to the mental health of older adults. Starting from the psychological level of the older adult, this paper used data from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to study the impact of three pension methods on the mental health of older adults. The study found that, at present, there are three types of pension modes in China: living alone, family pension, and institutional care, and family pensions are still the mainstream pension mode. Older adults with deeper negative feelings are more inclined to family pensions than to live alone, but the spiritual comfort provided by family members does not improve the negative feelings of older adults. Institutional care deepens the negative feeling and reduces the positive feeling of older adults. In addition, retirement or pension and medical insurance, as life security in old age, can effectively reduce the negative feelings of old age and promote positive feelings. In view of the present situation of China’s pension mode and the psychological characteristics of the older adults, we should further build a perfect family pension security system, promote the personalized service construction of older adult care institutions, promote applicable aging renovation of existing residential areas, and encourage older adults to engage in healthy exercise.

Download Full-text

Mental Health and Older Adults

Encyclopedia of Social Work ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1355 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hee Yun Lee ◽

William Hasenbein ◽

Priscilla Gibson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Old Age ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Health Issues ◽

Mental Health Issues ◽

Older Adult Population

As the older adult population continues to grow at a rapid rate, with an estimated 2.1 billion older adults in 2050, social welfare researchers are determined to fill the shortage of gerontological social workers and structural lag to best serve the baby boomers who are expected to need different services than previous generations. Mental illness impacts over 20% of older adults in the world and the United States. The major mental health issues in older adults include depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social isolation. Depression is considered one of the most common mental health issues among this population; however, the prevalence could be underestimated due to older adults linking relevant symptoms to other causes, such as old age, instead of as possible depression. Like depression, anxiety symptoms are often mistaken as results of aging. It is also difficult for providers to diagnose anxiety in this population due to anxiety frequently being coupled with other illnesses and the psychological stress that comes with old age. Because the presence of loneliness or social isolation can manifest depression and anxiety symptoms in older adults, it is also difficult to separate these two issues. With the anticipated increase of the older adult population within the next few years, measurement tools have been created to assess depression and anxiety specifically for older adults. In addition to adapting assessment tools, interventions tailored to older adults are essential to ensure treatment coherence, even though medications are the go-to treatment option.

Download Full-text

Chronic Mental Illness in Old Age Homes

Chronic Illness and Long-Term Care ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7122-3.ch025 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 509-527

Author(s):

Shamsi Akbar ◽

Hitesh Khurana

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Old Age ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Developmental Process ◽

Living Arrangement ◽

Human Beings ◽

Care Family ◽

And Migration ◽

Old Age Homes

Aging is a part of natural developmental process in the life of any living being. For human beings it is not just a biological phenomenon but it has psychological and social implications too. Some of the areas that would be affected include those related to health and health care, family composition, living arrangement, housing and migration. As a result of these socio-demographic evolutions and situations, older adults at times are forced to shift from their own homes to institutions/ Old age homes OAH. Living in OAH evokes a picture of apathy, dependence, and sadness which make the older adults increasingly vulnerable to mental health problems. Further there is also a strong need to develop suitable strategies to implement better mental health programmes and guidelines for the CMI in old age homes.

Download Full-text

The impact of forced migration on the mental health of the elderly: a scoping review

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610216000193 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (6) ◽

pp. 889-896 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ashwini Virgincar ◽

Shannon Doherty ◽

Chesmal Siriwardhana

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Older Adults ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Older Adult ◽

Forced Migration ◽

The Elderly ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTBackground:The worldwide elderly population fraction is increasing, with the greatest rise in developing countries. Older adults affected by conflict and forced migration mainly taking place in developing countries may be particularly vulnerable to poor mental health due to other age-specific risk factors. This review aims to explore global evidence on the effect of conflict-induced forced migration on the mental health of older adults.Methods:Seven bibliographic databases were searched. The title and abstract of 797 results were reviewed for qualitative and quantitative studies meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results:Six studies were selected for the in-depth review. Five papers assessed mental health in older adult populations displaced as refugees. One paper assessed mental health of older adults with varying immigration status.Conclusions:This review highlights the dearth of evidence about the impact of forced migration on the mental health of older adults. Further research is needed to explore the risk factors and processes that contribute to adverse mental health outcomes among older adult populations. This is essential to the development of interventions for this vulnerable and at-risk population, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Download Full-text

″Time does not heal all wounds″: Sexual victimisation is associated with depression, anxiety and PTSD in old age

10.1101/2021.06.05.21258397 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anne Nobels ◽

Gilbert M.D. Lemmens ◽

Lisa Thibau ◽

Marie Beaulieu ◽

Christophe Vandeviver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Care ◽

Old Age ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Later Life ◽

Health Impact ◽

The Past ◽

Self Harm

Background Sexual violence (SV) has an important impact on mental health. Childhood sexual abuse is linked to internalising disorders in later life. In older adults, SV occurs more often than previously believed. Moreover, health care workers lack the skills to address SV in later life. Studies researching the mental health impact of lifetime SV, i.e. SV during childhood, adulthood and old age, are lacking. Methods Between July 2019 and March 2020, 513 older adults living in Belgium participated in structured face-to-face-interviews. Selection occurred via a cluster random probability sampling with a random walk finding approach. Depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) were measured using validated scales. Participants were asked about suicide attempts and self-harm during their lifetime and in the past 12-months. SV was measured using behaviourally specific questions based on a broad SV definition. Results Rates for depression, anxiety and PTSD were 27%, 26% and 6% respectively, 2% had attempted suicide, 1% reported self-harm in the past 12-months. Over 44% experienced lifetime SV, 8% in the past 12-months. Lifetime SV was linked to depression (p =.001), anxiety (p =.001), and PTSD in participants with a chronic illness/disability (p = .002) or no/lower education (p <.001). We found no link between lifetime SV and suicide attempts or self-harm in the past 12-months. Conclusions Lifetime SV is linked to mental health problems in late life. Tailored mental health care for older SV victims is necessary. Therefore, capacity building of professionals, and development of clinical guidelines and care procedures are important.

Download Full-text

Digital Access in Working-Age and Older Adults and Their Caregivers Attending Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics: Quantitative Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9130 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Callum Cruickshank ◽

Donald J MacIntyre

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Internet Access ◽

Adult Patients ◽

The Internet ◽

Working Age ◽

Adult Caregivers ◽

Older Adult Caregivers

BACKGROUND It has been suggested that improving access to mental health services, supporting self-management, and increasing clinical productivity can be achieved through the delivery of technology-enabled care by personal mobile-based and internet-based services. There is little evidence available about whether working-age and older adults with mental health problems or their caregivers have access to these technologies or their confidence with these technologies. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence and range of devices used to access the internet in patients and caregivers attending general and older adult psychiatry outpatient services and their confidence in using these technologies. METHODS We conducted an anonymous survey of 77 patients and caregivers from a general psychiatry and old age psychiatry clinic to determine rates of internet access and device ownership, and attitudes to technology-enabled care. RESULTS We found high levels of internet access and confidence in using the internet in working-age adults, their caregivers, and older adult caregivers but not in older adult patients. The smartphone usage predominated in working-age adults and their caregivers. Older adult caregivers were more likely to use desktop or laptop computers. In our sample, tablets were the least popular form factor. CONCLUSIONS Access rates and uptake of internet-based services have the potential to be high in working-age adults and their caregivers but are likely to be markedly lower among older adult patients attending psychiatry clinics. Applications designed for tablets are likely to have low uptake. All groups identified appointment reminders as likely to be beneficial.

Download Full-text

Higher training in liaison psychiatry for older adults: experiences of two specialist training posts

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1192/pb.bp.106.014233 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 31 (9) ◽

pp. 354-356

Author(s):

Maura Young ◽

Siobhan Morris

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

General Hospital ◽

Old Age ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Health Problems ◽

Liaison Psychiatry ◽

The Past

Over the past decade, old age liaison psychiatry services have been developing across the UK. The driving force behind this has been the recognition of the inequity in service provision for people over the age of 65 with mental health problems in a general hospital setting. A postal survey of consultants in old age psychiatry in April 2002 showed that most respondents (71%) considered that the service they provided to older people in general hospitals was poor and needed to be improved (Holmes et al, 2002). Much work has been done to highlight this issue, and liaison psychiatry for older adults is gaining prominence. The national conference on liaison psychiatry for older people, which has been held in Leeds for the past 4 years, attracts large numbers of enthusiastic participants. The Department of Health (2006) document A New Ambition for Old Age specifically mentions the current poor standard of care that older people with mental health problems receive in a general hospital setting. The Royal College of Psychiatrists (2005) has produced guidelines for the development of liaison mental health services for older people.

Download Full-text

Interface between general adult and old age psychiatry

BJPsych Advances ◽

10.1192/bja.2017.13 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 188-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Oleksandr Khrypunov ◽

Raheel Aziz ◽

Ban Al-Kaissy ◽

Ketan Jethwa ◽

Verghese Joseph

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Old Age ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychiatric Services ◽

List Type ◽

Late Life Depression ◽

Early Onset Dementia ◽

Old Age Psychiatry ◽

The Uk

SUMMARYOlder people with mental health problems are entitled to the same level and quality of care as younger people. Several factors continue to influence policy and delivery of older adults' mental health services in the UK. Following the introduction of the Equality Act 2010, there has been a drive to create an ‘ageless’ National Health Service. This has opened up the debate about whether such a service is best equipped to meet the specific needs of older adults. In this contribution we consider the concepts of ‘old age’ and ‘frailty’ and their clinical and service provision implications in psychiatry. The management of late-life depression and early-onset dementia, advance care planning and palliation in dementia are also considered.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Appreciate how old age psychiatric services and the concept of ‘old age’ have evolved over time•Gain an understanding of issues at the interface between old age and general adult psychiatry and those specific to old age psychiatry•Gain an overview of procedures involved in transferring care between general adult and old age psychiatric services and the need for a separate old age psychiatry subspecialtyDECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Leisure Activities on Older Adults’ Cognitive Function, Physical Function, and Mental Health

10.31234/osf.io/sk4ez ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Giovanni Sala ◽

Daniela Jopp ◽

Fernand Gobet ◽

Madoka Ogawa ◽

Yukie Masui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Physical Function ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

The Elderly ◽

Future Research ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

The Impact

Engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health, and thus to contribute to successful aging. We built an SEM model analyzing the impact of leisure activities on these constructs in a large sample of Japanese older adults (N = 809; age range 72-74). The model exhibited an excellent fit (CFI = 1), and engaging in leisure activities was positively associated with all the three successful aging indicators.These findings corroborate previous research carried out in Western countries and extend its validity to the population of Eastern older adults. Albeit correlational in nature, these results suggest that active engagement in leisure activities can help older adults to maintain cognitive, physical, and mental health. Future research will clarify whether there is a causal relationship between engagement in leisure activities and successful aging.

Download Full-text

Older Adult Technology Use During a Global Pandemic: A Study of Mental Health, Social Supports, and Resiliency

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.841 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 219-220

Author(s):

Geunhye Park ◽

Erin Robinson ◽

Gashaye M Tefera

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Technology Use ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

New Technology ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Well Being ◽

Video Interface ◽

The Impact

Abstract Older adults have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led many to isolate during this time. Technology enables people to remain connected, however little is known about how older adults have used technology and the impact it has had on their mental health and connectedness. This study was to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced older adult mental health and social connectedness, with a particular emphasis on how technology has played a role. One-on-one interviews (N=29) were conducted with adults aged 65+ (Mean age=71.5; 86% female) via phone/Zoom. Participants were asked open-ended questions about the impact social distancing has had on their quality of life, health, and social connectedness as well as their technology use to remain connected. Findings highlight the mental health stressors experienced by older adults during the pandemic, as well as much resiliency and innovation. In speaking of the isolation and its effect on her mental health, one participant said, “I thought fighting cancer was bad, but this is worse.” Nearly all of the participants had used technology in some form to remain connected to others, which the most common being a smart phone to call, text, and video-interface. One participant commented, “You can’t beat an iPhone. How in the world could we ever live without an iPhone?” Many participants had learned a new technology during the pandemic, such as Zoom. Our findings raise the possibility that technology may be a good strategy for enhancing well-being of aging population amid the pandemic.

Download Full-text