Multi-Year Spatial Variability of the Impact of Sociodemographic, Behavioural, and Health Factors on Depression of Older Adults

Abstract. The mental health of older adults has become a critical issue with the rising suicide rate in older adults in South Korea. Various factors related to depression can make heterogeneous impacts in different regions. Yet, such spatial perspectives have been rarely integrated with the mental health studies in South Korea. This study aims to explore 1) how differently each factor of sociodemographic characteristics, social interactions, and health-related behaviors is associated with depression of older adults throughout different regions in South Korea, and 2) how those relationships change across five survey years (2008–2016) for a long term. Spatially local regression and small-multiple map visualization were applied to analyze a longitudinal panel survey dataset named KLoSA, collected in South Korea. It is found that age, marital status, in-person social contact frequency, and perceived physical health are significantly correlated with depression in more regions than other variables. The local regression coefficients and significance vary by region and year.

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360 Efficacy of CBT-I and its Components on Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Older Adults

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A143-A144

Author(s):

Kelly Showen ◽

Kathleen O’Hora ◽

Beatriz Hernandez ◽

Laura Lazzeroni ◽

Jamie Zeitzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Health Related Qol ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Introduction Insomnia affects 30–48% of older adults and impairs health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Numerous studies report Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I) as an effective non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia symptoms, with few examining the impact of CBT-I on mental and physical aspects of HRQoL. While limited research suggests that CBT-I leads to improvements in HRQoL, the impact of the cognitive versus behavioral components of CBT-I on HRQoL is unknown. Methods 128 older adults with insomnia (mean age=69, 66% female, 19% minority) were randomized to receive cognitive therapy (CT), behavior therapy (BT), or CBT-I. The Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) was collected at baseline, post-treatment and six-month follow-up. Split-plot linear mixed models with age and sex as covariates to assess within and between subject changes were used to test intervention, time, and interaction effects on the mental health and physical well-being domains of HRQoL. Significance for all effects was defined as p < 0.05. The effect size (d) was calculated by dividing the difference between means by the root-mean-squared error of the mixed effects model. Results The mental health-related QoL improved over time independent of treatment (Main effect of time: F(2, 202) = 6.51, p < 0.002). The interaction failed to reach significance (Interaction: F(4, 202) = 1.19, p = .31). Simple effects revealed significant improvements among CBT-I participants at six months (p = .02, d = .53) and CT participants at post-treatment (p = .00, d = .79) and six months (p = .03, d = .66), but not among BT participants for either time point (p = .32, d = .24; p = .16, d = .35). Treatment did not improve physical health-related QoL over time (F(2, 202) = 1.01, p = .37) nor was there a significant interaction (F(4, 202) = .46, p = .76). Conclusion These findings suggest that CBT-I, particularly the CT component, may be effective in improving mental health-related QoL outcomes for older adults with insomnia. In contrast, neither CBT-I nor its component treatments were effective in improving physical health-related QoL. Support (if any) NIMHR01MH101468-01; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VAPAHCS

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Engagement in Favorite Activity and Implications for Cognition, Mental Health, and Function in Persons Living With and Without Dementia

Journal of Applied Gerontology ◽

10.1177/0733464821999199 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073346482199919

Author(s):

Natalie G. Regier ◽

Jeanine M. Parisi ◽

Nancy Perrin ◽

Laura N. Gitlin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Health Related ◽

And Function ◽

The Impact ◽

Healthy Persons

Little is known about the impact of engagement in personally meaningful activities for older adults. Thus, this study examines the impact of engagement in one’s favorite activity on cognitive, emotional, functional, and health-related outcomes in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Data were obtained from 1,397 persons living with dementia (PLWD) and 4,719 cognitively healthy persons (CHP) who participated in wave 2 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Sociodemographic characteristics were examined by cognitive status. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that, for PLWD, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence and decreased depression. For CHP, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence, decreased depression and anxiety, and better performance on memory measures. Findings suggest that engagement in valued activities that are considered personally meaningful may have significant and distinct benefits for persons with and without dementia.

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Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Community Dwelling Older Adults: Impact of Covid-19

Proceedings of IMPRS ◽

10.18060/24754 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Tara Seibert ◽

Anthony Perkins ◽

Nicole Fowler

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

P Value ◽

The Impact ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Background and Hypothesis: Symptoms of anxiety and depression are prevalent in adults age 65 and older. Numerous factors impact the mental health of older adults including changes in overall health, isolation, and financial stress. Emotional support reduces the risk of mental illness. 12.2% of adults 65 and older “rarely” or “never” receive the social and emotional support they need. We hypothesize that the Covid-19 pandemic and associated shelter in place orders will increase symptoms of anxiety and depression in community dwelling older adults. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected pre and post Covid-19 from a sample in Indiana from the Caregiver Outcomes of Alzheimer’s Disease Screening Trial (COADS) and a national sample from the Understanding America Study (UAS). 1,299 and 2,465 adults age 65 and older from Indiana and a nationwide sample, respectively, answered the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). The PHQ-4 is a validated 4-item screening tool for symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mean PHQ-4 scores were compared pre and post Covid-19 for both samples to explore the impact of Covid-19 on symptoms of anxiety and depression in this population. Results: No significant change in PHQ-4 scores pre and post Covid-19 were observed between the Indiana (1.23, 1.13, p-value=0.474) or the national samples (1.38, 1.35, p-value=0.793). An increase was observed in national depression scores, determined by a PHQ-4 subset score, post Covid-19 compared to pre Covid-19, but not statistically significantly higher (0.54, 0.56, p-value=0.679). Conclusions and Implications: In a sample of 3,764 participants, the mental health of adults age 65 and older nationwide remained steady despite unprecedented pandemic and social isolation. The mental health of older adults is known to be an important topic and the potential for the pandemic to exacerbate symptoms of anxiety or depression makes this a critical issue for both clinicians and researchers.

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Social Contact Frequency and Pain among Older Adults with HIV: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Annals of Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1093/abm/kaab037 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew S Herbert ◽

Jennalee S Wooldridge ◽

Emily W Paolillo ◽

Colin A Depp ◽

Raeanne C Moore

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽

Social Contact ◽

Contact Frequency ◽

Ecological Momentary ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Momentary Assessment

Abstract Background Social relationships are important for pain management among individuals with HIV, but the impact of daily social contact on pain responses in real-time, real-world settings has never been specifically examined. Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between social contact frequency and pain, and the role of negative and positive affect in this relationship among older adults with HIV using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Methods A total of 66 (Mage = 59.3, SD = 6.3, range: 50–74) older adults with HIV completed EMA surveys that included social contact frequency, pain level, and negative and positive affect four times per day for 2 weeks. Mixed-effects regression models were used to examine concurrent and lagged associations between social contact frequency, pain, and negative and positive affect. Results Greater recent social contact frequency was associated with less severe current pain (unstandardized B = −0.04, 95% CI: −0.08, −0.01, p = .014), while greater current pain was associated with lower subsequent social contact frequency (unstandardized B = −0.07, 95% CI: −0.11, −0.03, p < .001). Further, higher current negative affect was related to greater current pain, and this relationship was dampened by increased recent social contact frequency (unstandardized B = −0.17, 95% CI: −0.26, −0.08, p < .001). Neither negative nor positive affect was significantly associated with the relationship between current pain and subsequent social contact frequency. Conclusions Social contact frequency and pain are bidirectionally and inversely associated among older adults with HIV. Further, recent social contact influences current pain by attenuating negative affect. Together, these results highlight the need to address social engagement in interventions for pain among older adults with HIV.

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Reducing the Mental Health–Related Stigma of Social Work Students

Research on Social Work Practice ◽

10.1177/1049731516641492 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 164-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Maria Rubio-Valera ◽

Ignacio Aznar-Lou ◽

Mireia Vives-Collet ◽

Ana Fernández ◽

Montserrat Gil-Girbau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Social Work ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Social Contact ◽

Social Work Students ◽

Control Group ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Health Related ◽

The Impact

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a social contact and education intervention to improve attitudes to mental illness in first-year social work students. This was a 3-month cluster randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: intervention (87) and control group (79). The intervention was a workshop led by an OBERTAMENT activist (a person with a mental illness trained in communication skills and empowerment by a social worker). We assessed intended future behavior toward people with mental illness, personal and perceived stigma, and mental health–related attitudes (self-reported questionnaire). The intervention improved social work students’ attitudes ( d ≈ 0.50, p < .05) and reduced personal stigma toward people with mental illness ( d = 0.35, p = .04) as well as improving their future intended behavior 2 weeks after the intervention ( d = 0.51, p = .01). The intervention impact on authoritarian attitudes toward people with schizophrenia was maintained after 3 months ( d = 0.94, p = .01). Long-term impact needs to be improved.

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Favorite Activity and Implications for Cognition, Mental Health, and Function in Persons With and Without Dementia

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.745 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 196-197

Author(s):

Jeanine Parisi ◽

Nancy Perrin ◽

Laura Gitlin ◽

Natalie Regier

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Functional Independence ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Health Related ◽

And Function ◽

The Impact ◽

Healthy Persons

Abstract Little is known about the impact of engagement in personally meaningful activities for older adults. This study examines the impact of engagement in one’s favorite activity on cognitive, emotional, functional, and health-related outcomes in older adults with and without dementia. Data were obtained from 1,397 persons living with dementia (PLWD) and 4,719 cognitively healthy persons (CHP) participating in wave 2 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Sociodemographic characteristics were examined by cognitive status. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated that, for PLWD, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence and decreased depression (F(6,1201)=3.01, p<.01, Wilks’s Λ=.985, partial ƞ2=.015). For CHP, engagement in favorite activity was associated with greater functional independence, decreased depression and anxiety, and better performance on memory measures (F(6,4107)=11.46, p<.001, partial ƞ2=.016,). Findings suggest that engagement in personally meaningful activities may have significant and distinct benefits for persons with and without dementia.

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The Impact of Work Hours on Depressive Symptoms among Koreans Aged 45 and Over

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18030853 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 853

Author(s):

Juyeong Kim ◽

Eun-Cheol Park

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Services ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Work Hours ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Health Studies ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Impact

Background: Given the documented importance of employment for middle-aged and older adults’ mental health, studies of the association between their number of work hours and depressive symptoms are needed. Objectives: To examine the association between the number of work hours and depressive symptoms in Korean aged 45 and over. Methods: We used data from the first wave to fourth wave of the Korea Longitudinal Study of Aging. Using the first wave at baseline, data included 9845 individuals. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. We performed a longitudinal analysis to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms by work hours. Results: Both unemployed males and females aged 45–65 years were associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.59, p < 0.001; β = 0.32, p < 0.001). Females working ≥ 69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms compared to those working 41–68 h (β = 0.25, p = 0.013). Among those both middle-aged and older adults, both males and females unemployed were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Those middle-aged female working ≥69 h were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Conclusions: An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with unemployed males and females working ≥69 h compared to those working 41–68 h. Although this association was found among middle-aged individuals, a decrease in depressive symptoms in both sexes was associated with working 1–40 h. Depressive symptoms should decrease by implementing employment policies and social services to encourage employers to support middle-aged and older adults in the workforce considering their sex and age differences.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing and cognitive functioning of older adults

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84127-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah De Pue ◽

Céline Gillebert ◽

Eva Dierckx ◽

Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt ◽

Rudi De Raedt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

At Risk ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Online Survey ◽

Activity Level ◽

The Impact

AbstractCOVID-19 took a heavy toll on older adults. In Belgium, by the end of August, 93% of deaths due to COVID-19 were aged 65 or older. Similar trends were observed in other countries. As a consequence, older adults were identified as a group at risk, and strict governmental restrictions were imposed on them. This has caused concerns about their mental health. Using an online survey, this study established the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults aged 65 years or older, and which factors moderate this impact. Participants reported a significant decrease in activity level, sleep quality and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was strongly related to reported declines in activity level, sleep quality, wellbeing and cognitive functioning. Our study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the mental health of older adults. This implies that this group at risk requires attention of governments and healthcare.

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Enhancing Behavioral Health Competencies for Senior Center Staff: Lessons Learned From Workforce Training Efforts

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Bronwyn Keefe ◽

Jennifer Tripken

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Behavioral Health ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Organizational Level ◽

Senior Center ◽

Senior Centers ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Center Staff ◽

The Impact

Abstract Increases in the numbers of older adults with mental health and substance use concerns compel us to identify best practices in training to address these issues. Senior Centers are an ideal location for behavioral health education programs as they are the go-to place for many older adults. This session will describe a program funded by The Retirement Research Foundation and offered in collaboration with Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research at Boston University and NCOA to increase senior center staff knowledge and skills. Approximately 250 senior center staff in Illinois, Florida, and Wisconsin completed an online certificate in Behavioral Health and Aging. Results show that 100% of respondents felt that the training was useful for their job; 93% felt that they will be a more effective worker as a result of the training; and 97% felt that the information they learned in the training will make a difference with the people they serve. We held key informant interviews to assess the impact of training and participants stated that their knowledge, skills, and behaviors were influenced by the program. At the organizational level, leaders reported new programming related to behavioral health and revised practices and protocols. This presentation will cover: (1) the extent to which training participants mastered the competencies needed for effective practice; (2) knowledge and skills gained from the training program; (3) Senior Centers’ capacity to identify and refer older adults to mental health services; and (4) organizational changes related to behavioral health programming with older adults.

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Marital therapy for the divorce-seeking couples in the legal systems, South Korea: Family systemic, mental health-related, and socio-economic analyses

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)72494-4 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 789-789

Author(s):

S.B. Lee

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Family Therapy ◽

South Korea ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Marital Therapy ◽

Marital Violence ◽

List Type ◽

Court System ◽

Economic Issues ◽

Health Related

AimThis study was to analyze the sample data collected from divorce marital therapy sessions in the local court system in South Korea as well as diagnose typical symptoms in the divorcing couples.MethodsThe survey forms and marital therapy notes were collected from 200 divorce counseling cases in the local court systems, South Korea. The 200 divorce counseling cases were categorized as twelve major themes. Family therapy notes were utilized as an aid in verifying the divorcing couples’ self-reports. The research method was partially adopted from the article, “Working with Korean-American Families: Multicultural Hermeneutics” (Sang Bok Lee, 2003: The American Journal of Family Therapy, 31, 159 – 178). Multicultural hermeneutics was instrumental for explicating multiple layers of multicultural narratives, psychological dynamics, socio-economic systems, and of family systemic relations when dealing with the divorcing couples.ResultsThe results were summarized as: economic issues (20%); extra-marital relationship (16%); in-law conflict (12%); substance abuse, addiction & marital violence (12%); international marriage & cross-cultural differences (10%); personality difference (8%); re-marriage issues (6%); sexual conflict (6%); age gap (4%); personality disorder & mental disorder (2%); parenting & children issues (2%); pre-mature marriage (2%). The twelve categories were grouped as mainly(1)family systemic or relationship-related issues,(2)socio-economic issues, and(3)mental health-related issues.ConclusionPsychiatrists, family therapists, and mental health professionals who work with the divorcing couples need to be aware of the predominant causes for rapidly increasing divorce rates when conducting therapeutic assessment and implementing intervention for the divorcing couples.

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