Marital Quality as a Mechanism Linking Childhood Abuse to Mental Health

Childhood abuse has been widely associated with mental health problems in adulthood and marital quality may be one possible mediator. We examine marital quality as a mediator linking childhood abuse to positive affect, negative affect, emotionally reactivity, and aggression. Using data from Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), results of structural equation modeling indicate that the indirect effects from childhood abuse to each of the mental health outcomes were significant. Marital quality may be a source of resilience among adults who were abused in childhood and could be a point of intervention for clinicians.

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Engagement in Various Activities and Cognitive Functioning

Recent studies indicate that engaging in more diverse activities is related to higher cognitive functioning. Questions remain, however, regarding whether activity variety within different domains is important. We examined how overall activity variety across domains, as well as variety within cognitive, physical, and social domains are related to cognitive functioning. Data were drawn from Waves 2-3 of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). In cross-sectional analyses (N = 3349), activity variety overall and within each domain were positively related to cognitive functioning regardless of activity frequency. In longitudinal analyses (n = 2054), participants with consistently higher activity variety overall and within the social domain over time (vs. those with consistently low or decreasing activity variety) exhibited better cognitive functioning at W3 after adjusting for cognitive functioning at W2. Findings suggest that engaging in a variety of activities that involve multiple cognitive processes might be beneficial for cognitive health.

Tips for Timely (and Positive) Reviews: The International Journal of Aging & Human Development

For more than 40 years, under the leadership of four editors and two publishers, The International Journal of Aging and Human Development (IJAHD) has featured multidisciplinary scholarship related to aging processes and older adults. With the publication of eight issues a year, with over 800 pages of scientific content, the IJAHD places emphasis upon psychological and social studies of aging and the aged. However, the Journal also publishes research that integrates observations from other disciplines that illuminate the "human" side of gerontology. A more recent focus includes midlife development, as well. About half (47%) of the publications in the IJAHD are from international colleagues. This presentation will discuss tips for both international and US-based scholars for ensuring timely reviews and positive decisions for manuscript submissions, including such areas as key words, suggesting unbiased reviewers, formatting, writing mechanics, clearly-articulated methods, and a sound theoretical basis.

Physical Disability at Work: How Functional Limitation Affects Perceived Discrimination and Interpersonal Relationships in the Workplace

Adults with disability have significantly lower rates of labor force participation relative to persons without disability, although it is unclear whether this disparity extends to subjective workplace experiences. Using data from the 2004 to 2006 wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (n =2,030), we evaluate: (1) whether U.S. workers with physical disability report higher levels of perceived job discrimination and unequal workplace opportunities and lower levels of supervisor and coworker support and (2) whether these patterns differ by sex, age, and occupation group. We find that workers with physical disability fare significantly worse on all four outcomes net of covariates. Disability takes a particularly large toll on men’s perceived workplace opportunities and white-collar employees’ relationships with coworkers. Young adult workers (ages 30–39) with disability report significantly more support from their supervisor relative to their counterparts without disability. We discuss implications for research and policy.

Conceptual and analytical overlap between allostatic load and systemic biological aging measures: Analyses from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States

Background Indices quantifying allostatic load (AL) and biological aging (BA) have independently received widespread use in epidemiological literature. However, little attention has been paid to their conceptual and quantitative overlap. By reviewing literature utilizing measures of AL and BA, and conducting comparative analysis, we highlight similarities and differences in biological markers employed and approach toward scale construction. Further, we outline opportunities where both types of indices might be improved by adopting methodological features of the other. Methods Using data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (N=2,055, age=26-86), we constructed three AL indices: one common literature standard, and two alternative formulations informed by previous work with measures of BA. The performance of AL indices was juxtaposed against two commonly employed BA indices: Klemera-Doubal Method Biological Age and Homeostatic Dysregulation. Results All indices correlated with chronological age. Participants with higher AL and older BA performed worse on tests of physical and subjective functioning. Further, participants with increased life-course risk exposure exhibited higher AL and BA. Notably, alternative AL formulations tended to exhibit effect-sizes equivalent to or larger than those observed for BA measures, and displayed superior mortality prediction. Conclusions In addition to their conceptual similarity, AL and BA indices also exhibit significant analytical similarity. Further, BA measures are robust to construction using a panel of biomarkers not observed in previous iterations, including carotenoids indexing antioxidant capacity. In turn, AL indices could benefit by adopting the methodological rigor formalized within BA composites, such as applying biomarker down-selection criteria.

Daily Life Positive Events Predict Well-Being Among Depressed Adults 10 Years Later

Relatively little is known about the links between the events and emotions experienced in daily life and long-term outcomes among people diagnosed with depression. Using daily diary data from the Midlife Development in the United States, we examined how positive daily life events and emotions influence long-term (10 years later) depression severity and well-being. Participants met criteria for major depressive disorder ( n = 121) or reported no depression ( n = 839) over the past 12 months. Participants reported positive events, socializing activities, and negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) for 8 consecutive days. Relative to nondepressed adults, depressed adults reported fewer positive events (fewer positive interactions, spending less time with others), lower PA, and higher NA. Among initially depressed adults, higher baseline well-being was related to higher daily PA, lower NA, and fewer days with less reported social time; higher daily PA and positive interactions predicted higher well-being 10 years later ( N = 77). Variations in day-to-day events and emotions among people with depression may presage psychological functioning years later.

Successful Aging: A Comprehensive Outcome Using Latent Profile Analysis

Understanding “successful aging” is a primary goal of gerontology and adult development researchers that has been motivated by rapid the increases in life expectancy over the last 100 years. Successful aging, as it is understood by Rowe and Kahn, is conceptualized multidimensionally in terms of limited disease and disability, high physical, mental and cognitive functioning, and active engagement with life. “Success” in all three domains reflects the idealized manifestation of “successful aging.” Nevertheless, research on successful aging typically focuses on only one or two aspects of the model – most commonly physical disease or disability. The overall goal of this research is to advance understanding and subsequent attempts to promote holistic successful aging. Specifically, using key metrics from each domain of successful aging from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), this study characterizes distinct profiles of successful aging, and it describes the distribution of these profiles in the adult population. Results indicate 3 profiles. These are labeled as Successfully Aged, Somewhat Successfully Aged, and Least Successfully Aged. Approximately 82.1% of the population (mean age=50.5) is classified as Successfully Aged, whereas the remainder are classified in the Somewhat Successfully Aged (12.2%), and Least Successfully Aged (5.6%), respectively. As expected, those who were classified as Successfully Aged had the highest cognitive scores, sense of well-being, and self-rated health; and had the lowest number of age-related physical disabilities (i.e. cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, etc.) and mental health conditions (depression, anxiety disorder, and panic disorder). This outcome can be applied to multiple predictors.

Measurement Invariance Across Age Groups and Over 20 Years’ Time of the Negative and Positive Affect Scale (NAPAS)

The factor structure and measurement invariance across gender of Mroczek’s and Kolarz’s scales of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) have been examined in past studies; however, little is known about the measurement invariance across age groups and over time, which are important psychometric properties for developmental research. The current study sought to fill this gap using the data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine increasing levels of measurement invariance across gender and age groups. Longitudinal CFA was also used to test measurement invariance over three time points using the data from MIDUS 1 ( N = 3,748), MIDUS 2 ( N = 2,257), and MIDUS 3 ( N = 1,414). Results supported full scalar invariance across gender, age groups, and over time. The latent means for NA were significantly different between men and women at time 1 and 2, but not at time 3; the latent means for both PA and NA were also different across age groups. There were no significant differences for PA and only trivial differences for NA over time within individuals. Implications of these results for longitudinal research are discussed.

Sticks and Stones: Perceived Age Discrimination, Well-Being, and Health Over a 20-Year Period

This study examines associations between perceived day-to-day age discrimination, positive well-being, and physical health over a 20-year span. Data came from all three waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (1995–2014). Generalized structural equation modeling was used to analyze 6,016 observations of 3,102 participants and test associations between age discrimination and (a) psychological well-being and positive affect, and (b) self-rated health, instrumental activities of daily living, and chronic conditions. Associations were also examined between the well-being measures and all three health outcomes. Between-persons and within-persons effects were modeled separately but simultaneously. Both between-persons and within-persons results revealed numerous significant associations between age discrimination and physical health, although results were stronger between-persons. Moreover, hypothesized associations of age discrimination with well-being, and of well-being with physical health, were supported both between- and within-persons. Findings suggest diminished well-being may be one mechanism whereby age discrimination harms health.

Social Support, Basic Psychological Needs, and Social Well-Being Among Older Cancer Survivors

This study examined the contribution of social support and satisfaction of basic psychological needs in predicting social well-being among older cancer survivors, from the perspective of self-determination theory. The sample for this study derived from the third wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Participants consisted of 376 cancer survivors who had completed cancer treatment. The results of this study suggested that social support from family members and friends was a significant predictor of social well-being. Satisfaction of the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) was a significant predictor of social well-being. The fulfillment of basic psychological needs among older cancer survivors is important to the experience of greater social well-being, a finding that contributes to the development of a dynamic model of motivation, engagement in social activity, and successful reintegration into one’s community.