Psychological Sense of Community Responsibility and Diversity in Old Age: A Qualitative Study of Urban Older Adults in India

Abstract Psychological sense of community is a concept used to describe how individuals feel about their community. The Brief Sense of Community Scale (BSCS) is an 8-item scale that includes these four domains: membership, needs fulfillment, emotional connection, and influence. It has been used in various contexts and was validated with young adults in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this study was to validate the BSCS for use with Spanish-speaking older adults in Puerto Rico. We conducted face-to-face interviews with a non-probability sample of 154 community- dwelling adults aged 60+ in Puerto Rico. BSCS is comprised of a 5-point likert-type scale with score values ranging from 0 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree) (total score range 0-32, mean= 24.75, SD= 6.04), and it showed good reliability in our sample (a=.85) and acceptable subscale reliability (membership, a=.85; needs fulfillment, a=.85; influence, a=.66; and emotional connection, a=.69). Five competing factor structures were tested based on prior research using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The CFA indicated that a four factor structure from the original scale was the best fit (χ² (16) =25.9; p=.06; RMSEA=.06; CFI=.98; TLI=.97; SRMR=.04). The BSCS showed significant correlations in the expected direction with quality of life (r=.41), social isolation (r=.34), loneliness (r=.27) and self-rated health (r=.17). We conclude that the BSCS is a valid and reliable scale for measuring psychological sense of community with community-dwelling Spanish-speaking older adults in Puerto Rico. Future research should confirm and extend our findings with other Spanish-speaking older adult populations.

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A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community Dwelling Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 965-965

Author(s):

Thomas Buckley

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Sense Of Community ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Well Being ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Psychological Sense Of Community ◽

Psychological Sense ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important construct for health and well-being outcomes for older adults. Drawing on the Ecological Theory of Aging and the Age-Friendly Cities (AFC) framework, this scoping review explored how PSOC has been used in research with community dwelling older adults. I followed Arksey and O’Malley's (2005) scoping review guidelines. Initial database searches yielded 860 articles. I included 33 in the final sample. I grouped articles based on study populations and conceptualization and operationalization of PSOC. I used thematic analysis to explore topic areas and main findings. The AFC framework guided development of themes and others emerged during analysis. Results show most studies used Asian or White samples and focused on geographic community or neighborhoods. Among the several measures of PSOC, the Brief Sense of Community Scale performed best with older adults. Topical research areas in the thematic analysis were built (1) built environment and neighborhoods, (2) social participation and connection, (3) civic participation, (4) PSOC as a protective factor, (5) health and well-being, (6) relocation, and (7) scale development. PSOC was a consistent predictor of health and well-being and served as a mediator to link neighborhood or environmental characteristics with health and well-being. Future research needs to examine PSOC in geographically and culturally diverse samples and conduct further psychometric testing of PSOC scales with older adults. PSOC is conceptually related to the AFC framework and serves as a mechanism that links AFC features and well-being outcomes. These results can inform practice and refine theory.

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Psychological sense of community, civic participation, and health among older adults

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e529412014-029 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

Allen M. Omoto ◽

Anna M. Malsch

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sense Of Community ◽

Civic Participation ◽

Psychological Sense Of Community ◽

Psychological Sense

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Creating community life among immigrant survivors of torture and their allies

Torture Journal ◽

10.7146/torture.v26i2.108115 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 16

Author(s):

Nancy Bothne ◽

Christopher B. Keys

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Study ◽

Sense Of Community ◽

The United States ◽

Community Life ◽

Torture Survivors ◽

Community Members ◽

Psychological Sense Of Community ◽

Community Boundaries ◽

Survivors Of Torture ◽

Psychological Sense

This qualitative study describes how immigrant survivors of torture in the United States built relationships among each other to form a psychological sense of community. Eight men and seven women from 11 different countries were recruited through a torture treatment center and a survivor-led advocacy and support coalition. This qualitative study explored how participants described their experiences of community life. An advisory group that included torture survivors, torture treatment practitioners, abolition advocates, and academic experts guided the study. Data was analyzed using inductive and phenomenological theories. The construct of psychological sense of community articulated by McMillan and Chavis1 provided the conceptual framework for the evaluation of how a psychological sense of community was developed. Torture survivors with their allies formed community boundaries based on a deep understanding of the impact of torture. The safety afforded through the community boundaries was reinforced by shared condemnation of torture in all circumstances. Within the security of the community’s boundaries, members shared their experiences to enable their own and others’ recovery from torture. As community members exchanged advice and support, survivors met one another’s needs, providing physical and emotional relief from the effects of their torture. As individuals and a community, they influenced each other’s identities as survivors rather than victims. Advocating for those who remained vulnerable to torture was important to their identification as survivors. Through these exchanges, community members influenced one another and developed trusting relationships and emotional bonds. This study illuminates how community life enabled survivors to contribute to and benefit from, each other’s journeys.

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