Self-perceived and reported mental health in older adults

Several studies assess mental health in older adults, but relatively few do so from a multi-informant perspective. In this work, discrepancies in self-perception and third-person perception of the mental health of older adults were analyzed in two age groups and differentiated by sex and place of residence. Relationships between different scales that measure psychopathology and psychosocial competencies were also analyzed. A sample of 288 older people aged between 60-95 years old (154 women, 53.47%) belonging to 12 municipalities in the Region of Murcia was employed, and the Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) questionnaire was used to measure the psychopathology of older people and the Older Adult Behavior Checklist (OABCL) instrument to find out the family's perception of these problems. Outcomes show different perceptions of mental health among older people and their families, which worsen with increasing age, psychosocial risk status and female gender. This reflects the need to develop specific treatment protocols for each gender and psychosocial risk situation, in order to address the differential mental health needs in older people. Son numerosos los trabajos que evalúan la salud mental de las personas mayores, pero relativamente escasos los que lo hacen desde una perspectiva multi-informante. En este trabajo se analizaron las discrepancias en la autopercepción y la percepción que tienen otros de la salud mental de las personas mayores, en dos franjas de edad, diferenciando por sexos, lugar de residencia y se analizaron las relaciones entre diferentes escalas que miden psicopatología y competencias psicosociales. Se empleó una muestra de 288 personas mayores entre 60-95 años (154 mujeres, 53.47%) pertenecientes a 12 municipios de la Región de Murcia, y se empleó el cuestionario OlderAdultSelf-Report (OASR) para medir la psicopatología de las personas mayores y el instrumentoOlderAdultBehaviorChecklist (OABCL) para conocer la percepción de la familia de estos problemas. Los resultados reflejan que existen diferentes percepciones de la salud mental entre personas mayores y sus familiares, que empeoran al aumentar la edad, la situación de riesgo psicosocial y el género femenino. Esto refleja la necesidad de desarrollar protocolos de tratamiento específicos para cada género y situación de riesgo psicosocial, con el fin de atender las necesidades diferenciales de salud mental de las personas mayores.

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Talk or Walk? Gait Speed over Self-Report in Association with Cognitive Speed in Healthy Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000202 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 41-52

Author(s):

Matthew C. Costello ◽

Shane J. Sizemore ◽

Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽

Lydia K. Manning

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Gait Speed ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Report ◽

Subjective Report ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Relative Value ◽

Cognitive Speed ◽

Age Range

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.

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Physical Inactivity in Older Adult Couples: A Dyadic Analysis Using Continuous In-Home Monitoring

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1327 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 412-412

Author(s):

Chao-Yi Wu ◽

Lyndsey Miller ◽

Rachel Wall ◽

Zachary Beattie ◽

Jeffrey Kaye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Home Monitoring ◽

Health Determinants ◽

Dyadic Analysis ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Positive Health ◽

Aging Research

Abstract Many older adults remain inactive despite the known positive health implications of physical activity (e.g. improved mood, reduced mortality risk). Physical inactivity is a known interdependent phenomenon in couples, but the majority of research identifies determinants of physical inactivity at the individual level. We estimated the average amount of physical inactivity for older adult couples and, using dyadic analysis, identified physical and mental health determinants thereof. Forty-eight heterosexual older adult couples (mean age=70.6, SD=6.63) from the Veterans Integrated Service Network 20 cohort of the Collaborative Aging Research using Technology (CART) initiative were included in this study. Both dyad members wore actigraph devices for a month. The average number per day of inactive periods (defined as no movement or sleep activity for ≥ 30 minutes) was estimated. Multilevel modeling revealed that, within couples, there was no difference between partners in the average number of inactive periods, but on average across couples, males had more inactive periods per day (13.4, SD=4.43) than females (12.3, SD=4.87). For males, older age was the only variable associated with more inactive periods (β=0.13, p=.013). For females, more depressive symptoms in men were associated with fewer inactive periods (β=-0.37, p=.002), and more dependence in completing their own IADLs predicted more inactive periods (β=2.80, p<.001). All models were adjusted for covariates. Viewing couples’ activity as a unit, rather than as separate individuals, provides a novel approach to identifying pathways to reduce inactivity in older adults, especially when focusing on mental health issues and decreased independence within the couple.

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Reference values and factors associated with hand grip strength among older adults living in southeastern Poland

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89408-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Agnieszka Wiśniowska-Szurlej ◽

Agnieszka Ćwirlej-Sozańska ◽

Justyna Kilian ◽

Natalia Wołoszyn ◽

Bernard Sozański ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Reference Values ◽

Handgrip Strength ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Normative Values ◽

Dominant Hand ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated

AbstractHandgrip strength (HGS) is used as a biomarker for the state of health of older people, but the number of research publications containing the normative values of HGS in older adult populations is limited. The aim of the study was to define reference values and factors associated with HGS in older adults living in southeastern Poland. A cross-sectional study including 405 participants aged 65 and older was conducted. Handgrip strength for the dominant hand was assessed by the average of three trials using a JAMAR dynamometer. The sample was categorized into the following age groups: 65–69 years, 70–74 years, 75–79 years, 80–84 years, 85 and over. The average HGS was 19.98 kg (16.91 kg for women and 26.19 kg for men). There was a decrease in handgrip strength across the age range in both sexes. The average handgrip strength of the older people was 17.97 kg (14.47 kg for women and 25.66 kg for men) for those aged 80–85 and 16.68 kg (13.51 kg for women and 21.77 kg for men) in the group over 85 years old. In both sexes, marital status was an independent factor associated with reduced handgrip strength. In conclusion, this study described, for the first time, handgrip strength values for the southeastern Polish population aged ≥ 65 years according to age and gender.

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The ‘loneliness pandemic’: implications for gerontological nursing

British Journal of Nursing ◽

10.12968/bjon.2021.30.11.652 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (11) ◽

pp. 652-655

Author(s):

Carlos Laranjeira

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Old Age ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Gerontological Nursing

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled states to limit free movement, in order to protect at-risk and more vulnerable groups, particularly older adults. Due to old age or debilitating chronic diseases, this group is also more vulnerable to loneliness (perceived discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships) and social isolation (feeling that one does not belong to society). This forced isolation has negative consequences for the health of older people, particularly their mental health. This is an especially challenging time for gerontological nursing, but it is also an opportunity for professionals to combat age stereotypes reinforced with COVID-19, to urge the measurement of loneliness and social isolation, and to rethink how to further adjust interventions in times of crisis, such as considering technology-mediated interventions in these uncertain times.

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An Innovative Mental Health Model for Treating Culturally Diverse Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.306 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 93-93

Author(s):

Tobi Abramson ◽

Jacquelin Berman ◽

Madison Gates

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Older Adult ◽

Culturally Diverse ◽

Spanish Speakers ◽

English Speakers ◽

Chinese Speakers

Abstract The mental health needs of older adults are largely unmet, a finding even more prevalent within culturally diverse older adult populations. Added to this is the high rate of social isolation. Research has indicated increased connection to mental health services when services are embedded within physical health care settings. For those attending community centers, 85% indicate that they are socially isolated, 68% indicate they are lonely, and 53% have a mental health need (compared to 20% nationally). The need for innovative programming is evident. When examining the needs of diverse older adults, it is increasingly important that new and innovative approaches address social isolation, loneliness, and mental health problems experienced by this cohort. Utilizing this knowledge an innovative model of embedding and integrating mental health services, provided by bilingual and bicultural clinicians, into congregate sites (older adult centers) was implemented. Those that participated were mainly female (72.1%), 68.5% English-speaking, 14.5% Spanish-speaking, 13.6% Chinese-speaking and 3.4% other. Spanish-speakers had more depression than English-speakers and both had more depression than Chinese-speakers. English and Spanish-speakers reported more social isolation and Chinese-speakers compared were more likely to participate in engagement. Chinese-speakers were less likely to be in clinical services with a positive screen compared to English-speakers. Overall, 75% engaged in treatment; 37.3% and 41% showed a 3-month improvement of depression and anxiety, respectively. This presentation focuses on the innovative components of this model, how to engage diverse older adults to utilize treatment, steps needed for replication, and policy implications around integrated mental health treatment.

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Video-Based Communication and its Association with Loneliness, Mental Health and Quality of Life among Older People during the COVID-19 Outbreak

10.20944/preprints202104.0520.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tore Bonsaksen ◽

Hilde Thygesen ◽

Janni Leung ◽

Mary C. Ruffolo ◽

Mariyana Schoultz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Older People ◽

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Psychological Outcomes ◽

Age Group ◽

Communication Tools ◽

Study Results

The aim of the study was to examine the use of video-based communication and its association with loneliness, mental health and quality of life in older adults (60-69 years versus 70+ years) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020, and 836 participants in the relevant age groups were included in the analysis. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between use of video-based communication tools and loneliness, mental health and quality of life within age groups, while adjusting by sociodemographic variables. Video-based communication tools were found to be more often used among participants aged 60-69 years (60.1%), compared to participants aged 70 or above (51.8%, p < 0.05). Adjusting for all variables, use of video-based communication was associated with less loneliness (β = -0.12, p < 0.01) and higher quality of life (β = 0.14, p < 0.01) among participants aged 60-69 years, while no associations occurred for participants in the oldest age group. The use of video-based communication tools was therefore associated with favorable psychological outcomes among participants in their sixties, but not among participants in the oldest age group. The study results support the notion that age may influence the association between use of video-based communication tools and psychological outcomes amongst older people.

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The Role of Delay of Care in Depression among US Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic:: A Secondary Data Analysis (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29953 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Luo

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Dental Care ◽

Age Groups ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Delay Of Care ◽

Middle Aged Adults ◽

Univariate Analyses

BACKGROUND The depression level among US adults significantly increased during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and age disparity in depression during the pandemic were reported in recent studies. Delay or avoidance of medical care is one of the collateral damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to assess the prevalence of depression and delay of care among US middle-aged adults and older adults during the pandemic, as well as investigate the role of delay of care in depression among those two age groups. METHODS This cross-sectional study used the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-19 Project (Early, Version 1.0) data. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were applied. US adults older than 46 years old were included. Depression was measured by Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). Delay of care were measured by four items: delay of surgery, delay of seeing a doctor, delay of dental care, and delay of other care. Univariate analyses, bivariate analyses, and binary logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS More than half of participants were older than 65 years old (58.23%) and 274 participants (8.75%) had depression during the pandemic. Delay of dental care was positively associated with depression among both middle-aged adults (OR=2.05, 95%CI=1.04-4.03, P<0.05) and older adults (OR=3.08, 95%CI=1.07-8.87, P<0.05). Delay of surgery was positively associated with depression among older adults (OR=3.69, 95%CI=1.06-12.90, P<0.05). Self-reported pain was positively related to depression among both age groups. Middle-aged adults who reported higher education level (some college of above) or worse self-reported health had higher likelihood to have depression. While perceived more loneliness was positively associated with depression among older adults, financial difficulty was positively associated with depression among middle-aged adults. CONCLUSIONS This study found that depression among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic was also prevalent. The study highlighted the collateral damage of the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying the effect of delay of surgery and dental care on depression during the pandemic. Although surgery and dental care cannot be delivered by telehealth, telehealth services can still be provided to address patients’ concern on delay of surgery and dental care. Moreover, the implementation of tele-mental health services is also needed to address mental health symptoms among US middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic. Future research that uses more comprehensive CLINICALTRIAL N/A

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Age Differences in the Malleability of Attitudes toward Automated Shared Mobility

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181321651250 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 128-128

Author(s):

Kathryn Baringer ◽

Dustin J. Souders ◽

Jeremy Lopez

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older Adult ◽

Age Groups ◽

Educational Video ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Automated Vehicles ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Difference Scores ◽

Video Condition ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Introduction: The use of shared automated vehicles (SAVs) should lead to several societal and individual benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced traffic, and improved mobility for persons who cannot safely drive themselves. We define SAVs as on-demand, fully automated vehicles in which passengers are paired with other riders traveling along a similar route. Previous research has shown that younger adults are more likely to report using conventional ridesharing services and are more accepting of new technologies including automated vehicles (AVs). However, older adults, particularly those who may be close to retiring from driving, stand to greatly benefit from SAV services. In order for SAVs to deliver on their aforementioned benefits, they must be viewed favorably and utilized. We sought to investigate how short educational and/or experiential videos might impact younger, middle-aged, and older adult respondents’ anticipated acceptance and attitudes toward SAVs. Knowing what types of introductory experiences improve different age groups’ perceptions of SAVs will be beneficial for tailoring campaigns aiming to promote SAV usage. Methods: We deployed an online survey using the platform Prolific for middle-aged and older respondents, and our departmental participant pool for younger adults, collecting 585 total responses that resulted in 448 valid responses. Respondents answered questions regarding their demographic attributes, their ridesharing history, preconceptions of technology, as well as their anticipated acceptance attitudes towards SAVs as measured by the dimensions of the Automated Vehicle User Perception Survey (AVUPS). After this, respondents were randomly assigned to an intervention condition where they either watched 1) an educational video about how SAVs work and their potential benefits, 2) an experiential video showing a AV navigating traffic, 3) both the experiential and educational videos, or 4) a control video explaining how ridesharing works. Anticipated acceptance attitudes towards SAVs were measured again after this intervention and difference scores calculated to investigate the effect of the intervention conditions. Prolific respondents were paid at a rate of $9.50/hour and younger adults received course credit. Results: Controlling for preconceptions of technology and ridesharing experience, a MANOVA was run on the difference scores of the dimensions of the AVUPS (intention to use, trust/reliability, perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), safety, control/driving-efficacy, cost, authority, media, and social influence). Both older and middle-aged adults expressed significantly greater increases in PEOU and PU of SAVs than younger adults. We also observed an interaction between age and condition for both PU and PEOU. For PU, older adults’ difference scores were found to be significantly greater than younger adults’ for the control video condition. With PEOU, older adults’ difference scores were significantly greater than both younger adults’ for the control video condition, and middle-aged adults had greater difference scores for the educational-only video condition than younger or older adults. Discussion: The increases in PU observed for older adults in the control condition suggests that educating them on how to use currently available ridesharing services might transfer to and/or highlight the benefits that automated ridesharing might provide. The PEOU interactions also suggest that middle-aged adults might respond more positively than younger or older adults to an educational introduction to SAVs. Conclusion: The positive findings pertaining to PU and PEOU show that exposure to information related to SAVs has a positive impact on these attitudes. PU’s and PEOU’s positive relationship to behavioral intentions (BI) in the Technology Acceptance Model, coupled with the findings from this study, bode well for higher fidelity interventions seeking to inform and/or give individuals experience with SAVs. Providing information on how currently available ridesharing services work helped our older adult respondents recognize the potential usefulness of SAVs. Knowing that different age groups may respond better to educational versus experiential interventions, for example middle-aged adults in this study responding more positively to the educational video condition than younger or older adults, may be useful for targeted promotional campaigns.

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Technology implementation in delivery of healthcare to older people: how can the least voiced in society be heard?

Journal of Enabling Technologies ◽

10.1108/jet-10-2017-0041 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 76-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yvonne van Zaalen ◽

Mary McDonnell ◽

Barbara Mikołajczyk ◽

Sandra Buttigieg ◽

Maria del Carmen Requena ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Older Adult ◽

Social Relations ◽

Technology Use ◽

Great Emphasis ◽

Older Person ◽

Content Type ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Use Of Technology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on ethical and judicial themes related to technology and the older adults.Design/methodology/approachDifferent consecutive phases in technology design and allocation will be discussed from a range of perspectives.FindingsLongevity is one of the greatest achievements of contemporary science and a result of development of social relations. Currently, various non-communicable diseases affect older adults and impose the greatest burden on global health. There is a great emphasis across Europe on caring for the older person in their own homes. Technology has a mediating role in determining the possibilities for good quality of life (QOL). The concept of assisting the older adult through the use of technology so as to access healthcare services has enormous potential. Although the potential of technology in healthcare is widely recognised, technology use can have its downsides. Professionals need to be aware of the risks, namely, those related to the privacy of the older person, which may accompany technology use.Research limitations/implicationsBy 2050, there will be more people aged over 65 than there are children. This phenomenon of global ageing constitutes a massive challenge in the area of health protection.Practical implicationsProfessionals need to be aware of the risks, for example, related to the privacy of the older person, that may accompany technology use.Social implicationsThere is a great emphasis across Europe on caring for the older person in their own homes. Technology has a mediating role in determining the possibilities for QOL.Originality/valueThe concept of assisting the older adult through the use of technology to avail of healthcare has enormous potential. Assistive technology, social media use and augmentative and alternative communication can have a positive effect on the QOL of older people, as long as they are supported enough in use of these technologies. However, ethical and juridical considerations are at stake as well.

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Clinical supervision in older adult mental health services

Working with Older People ◽

10.1108/wwop-09-2019-0024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 241-250

Author(s):

Alessandra Merizzi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Older People ◽

Older Adult ◽

Clinical Supervision ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Clinical Work ◽

Therapeutic Work ◽

Content Type ◽

Self Reflection

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how supervision is applied in the context of National Health Service services for older adults, with particular regard to the profession of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Design/methodology/approach The clinical supervision theories that are considered in this exploration are the Seven-Eyed Model (Hawkins and Shohet, 2012) and the Cyclical Model (Page and Wosket, 2015). The discussion also integrates an overview of psychological dynamics as presented by the existing literature with the author’s reflections on the influence of ageing stereotypes in the therapeutic work with older adults. Findings The theoretical models of clinical supervision considered can offer a robust framework and pathway for supervisory work in psychology and psychotherapy for older people. However, this alone seems insufficient and needs to be combined with the supervisor’s knowledge on psychology of ageing as well as their own self-reflection on internalised ageing stereotypes. Practical implications The paper suggests a need for health care professionals, providing clinical supervision on older adult therapeutic work, to be familiar with the aspects analysed. Originality/value Clinical supervision handbooks overlook aspects related to age as an issue of difference. This paper adds value to the clinical work with older people through a novel attempt to link implications of ageing stereotypes with the therapeutic and supervisory practice.

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