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Sung P, Chan A, Lim-Soh J. Feeling Alone Together: Loneliness in Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment and Their Family Caregivers with Low Mastery. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024; 53:66-73. [PMID: 38354725 PMCID: PMC11098021 DOI: 10.1159/000536644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Loneliness in older persons with cognitive impairment (PCI) may beget loneliness in their family caregivers, depending on buffering resources caregivers possess. This study examined the association between loneliness in older PCI and loneliness experienced by their family caregivers, and the moderating role of caregiver mastery in this association. METHODS Dyadic data from 135 PCI and their family caregivers in Singapore were analyzed using multivariable regression. Loneliness was measured using a three-item UCLA loneliness scale. Mastery was assessed using a seven-item Pearlin instrument. RESULTS Multivariable regression showed that PCI loneliness and caregiver loneliness were weakly associated, taking other covariates into account. Notably, a significant interaction between PCI loneliness and caregiver mastery was observed, indicating that PCI loneliness was associated with caregiver loneliness only when caregivers had low mastery. CONCLUSION Lonely PCI may share their feelings of loneliness with their caregivers, and this can lead to loneliness among caregivers if they have low mastery. Promoting caregiver mastery may help reduce caregiver loneliness, directly and indirectly as a buffer against PCI loneliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pildoo Sung
- Department of Sociology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Angelique Chan
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeremy Lim-Soh
- Centre for Ageing Research and Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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2
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Yoon D, Gallo H, Gassoumis ZD, Joo S. The Mediating Role of Sense of Control in the Associations Between Remote Contacts and Loneliness Among Older Adults. Res Aging 2024; 46:167-175. [PMID: 37861368 DOI: 10.1177/01640275231206484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
This study explored whether a sense of control over social life mediated the associations between using remote contact (phone calls, letters/emails, social media) and loneliness for socially isolated older adults. We used path analysis with the 2014 and 2016 Health and Retirement Study datasets (N = 3767). Results showed that more frequent phone calls and letters/emails were associated with lower levels of loneliness through sense of control. However, sense of control did not mediate the association between social media and loneliness. Findings suggest that promoting sense of control over social life by remote contact, particularly phone calls and letters/emails, may be effective in alleviating loneliness for isolated older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dokyung Yoon
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Haley Gallo
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zachary D Gassoumis
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susanna Joo
- Human Life and Innovation Design, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Schäfer SK, Fritz J, Sopp MR, Kunzler AM, von Boros L, Tüscher O, Göritz AS, Lieb K, Michael T. Interrelations of resilience factors and their incremental impact for mental health: insights from network modeling using a prospective study across seven timepoints. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:328. [PMID: 37872216 PMCID: PMC10593776 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02603-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Resilience can be viewed as trajectory of stable good mental health or the quick recovery of mental health during or after stressor exposure. Resilience factors (RFs) are psychological resources that buffer the potentially negative effects of stress on mental health. A problem of resilience research is the large number of conceptually overlapping RFs complicating their understanding. The current study sheds light on the interrelations of RFs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic as a use case for major disruptions. The non-preregistered prospective study assessed a sample of 1275 German-speaking people from February 2020 to March 2021 at seven timepoints. We measured coping, hardiness, control beliefs, optimism, self-efficacy, sense of coherence (SOC), sense of mastery, social support and dispositional resilience as RFs in February 2020, and mental health (i.e., psychopathological symptoms, COVID-19-related rumination, stress-related growth) at all timepoints. Analyses used partial correlation network models and latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM). Pre-pandemic RFs were strongly interrelated, with SOC being the most central node. The strongest associations emerged between coping using emotional support and social support, SOC and sense of mastery, and dispositional resilience and self-efficacy. SOC and active coping were negatively linked. When we examined RFs as predictors of mental health trajectories, SOC was the strongest predictor of psychopathological symptoms and rumination, while trajectories of stress-related growth were predicted by optimism. Subsequent network analyses, including individual intercepts and slopes from LGMM, showed that RFs had small to moderate associations with intercepts but were unrelated to slopes. Our findings provide evidence for SOC playing an important role in mental distress and suggest further examining SOC's incremental validity. However, our results also propose that RFs might be more important for stable levels of mental health than for adaptation processes over time. The differential associations for negative and positive outcomes support the use of multidimensional outcomes in resilience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Schäfer
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychodiagnostics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jessica Fritz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - M Roxanne Sopp
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Angela M Kunzler
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lisa von Boros
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Anja S Göritz
- Behavioral Health Technology, Augsburg University, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Lieb
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Michael
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
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Bierman A, Upenieks L, Lee Y. Perceptions of Increases in Cost of Living and Psychological Distress Among Older Adults. J Aging Health 2023:8982643231195924. [PMID: 37586737 DOI: 10.1177/08982643231195924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: This article examines whether older adults' perceptions of an increase in their cost of living during a time of rapid inflation are associated with multiple aspects of psychological distress, as well as whether mastery buffers these associations. Methods: Data were derived from a two-wave longitudinal survey of older adults gathered in 2021 and 2022 (N = 4,010). Multiple regression models examined symptoms of depression, anxiety, and anger. Results: Perceptions of moderate or large increases in cost of living were associated with higher levels of distress at follow-up. Taking baseline financial strain, mastery, and psychological distress into account weakened these associations, but perceptions of a large increase in cost of living were still substantially linked with anger and anxiety. Mastery also buffered associations with anxiety and anger. Discussion: Macroeconomically derived adversities can shape anxiety and anger in later-life, but these mental health consequences fall more heavily on individuals possessing lower levels of mastery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yeonjung Lee
- University of Calgary, AB, Canada
- Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
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Novic AJ, Seib C, Burton NW. Longitudinal Association of Physical Activity, Mastery and Psychological Distress in Mid-Aged Adults over 9-Years. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14052. [PMID: 36360945 PMCID: PMC9657595 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Psychological distress is highly prevalent and associated with significant adverse health outcomes and economic burden. Mastery and physical activity are potential resources to reduce distress and promote wellbeing; however, previous research has not examined their potential interactive relationship over time. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between mastery, physical activity, and distress in mid-aged adults over nine years. Data from a longitudinal mail survey study including the Kessler 6, Pearlin Mastery Scale, and items assessing time spent in physical activity were examined in a sample of 4404 adults aged 40 to 54 years at baseline. Group-Based Trajectory Models identified two distinct trajectories of psychological distress (elevated and low). Generalized Estimating Equations were used to assess mastery and physical activity, adjusting for sociodemographic and health variables, as predictors for the probability of distress group membership. The odds of elevated distress over time were significantly reduced in people with higher mastery (OR = 0.13; 95% 0.11-0.15) and doing at least 150 min/week of physical activity (OR = 0.81; 95% 0.68-0.96). There was no significant interaction between mastery and physical activity. Mastery and physical activity may be important resources to mitigate distress and further research is needed to evaluate interventions promoting these resources and the impact on mid-aged adults experiencing psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Novic
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane 4122, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Brisbane 4122, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane 4222, Australia
| | - Charrlotte Seib
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane 4222, Australia
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Brisbane 4215, Australia
| | - Nicola W. Burton
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane 4122, Australia
- Centre for Mental Health, Griffith University, Brisbane 4122, Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane 4222, Australia
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Mansour KA, Greenwood CJ, Biden EJ, Francis LM, Olsson CA, Macdonald JA. Pre-pandemic Predictors of Loneliness in Adult Men During COVID-19. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:775588. [PMID: 34955922 PMCID: PMC8692260 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.775588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Loneliness is a major public health issue, with its prevalence rising during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and mandated "social distancing" practices. A 2020 global study (n = 46,054) found that, in comparison to women, men experienced the greatest levels of loneliness. Although research on predictors of loneliness during COVID-19 is increasing, little is known about the characteristics of men who may be particularly vulnerable. Studies using prospective data are needed to inform preventative measures to support men at risk of loneliness. The current study draws on rare longitudinal data from an Australian cohort of men in young to mid-adulthood (n = 283; aged M = 34.6, SD = 1.38 years) to examine 25 pre-pandemic psychosocial predictors of loneliness during COVID-19 social restrictions (March-September 2020). Adjusted linear regressions identified 22 pre-pandemic predictors of loneliness across a range of trait-based, relational, career/home and mental health variables. Given the extensive set of predictors, we then conducted penalized regression models (LASSO), a machine learning approach, allowing us to identify the best fitting multivariable set of predictors of loneliness during the pandemic. In these models, men's sense of pre-pandemic environmental mastery emerged as the strongest predictor of loneliness. Depression, neuroticism and social support also remained key predictors of pandemic loneliness (R 2 = 26, including covariates). Our findings suggest that men's loneliness can be detected prospectively and under varying levels of social restriction, presenting possible targets for prevention efforts for those most vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla A. Mansour
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Greenwood
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ebony J. Biden
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lauren M. Francis
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig A. Olsson
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jacqui A. Macdonald
- Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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A S Wickrama K, O'Neal CW. Mastery and Marital Processes: Mechanisms Linking Midlife Economic Adversity and Later-Life Loneliness for Husbands and Wives in Enduring Marriages. FAMILY PROCESS 2021; 60:836-852. [PMID: 33113156 PMCID: PMC8079508 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Research has documented that loneliness is a major public health concern, particularly for older adults in the United States. However, previous studies have not elucidated the mechanisms that connect family economic adversity to husbands' and wives' loneliness in later adulthood. Thus, using prospective dyadic data over 27 years from 254 enduring couples, the present study investigated how spouses' mastery, as an intraindividual process, and marital functioning, as a couple process, link midlife family economic adversity to spouses' later-life loneliness. The results provided support for three linking life course pathways: an adversity-mastery-loneliness pathway, an adversity-marital functioning-loneliness pathway, and a mastery-marital functioning-loneliness pathway. The results also showed spousal contemporaneous dependencies in mastery and loneliness. These findings demonstrate the persistent influence of midlife family economic adversity on husbands' and wives' loneliness nearly three decades later and elucidate linking mechanisms involving mastery and couple marital functioning. Findings are discussed as they relate to life course and family systems theories. Implications address multiple levels including national- and state-policies and couple-level clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandauda A S Wickrama
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Catherine Walker O'Neal
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Financial Strain and Loneliness among Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Psychosocial Resources. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13126942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus) pandemic, which has been accompanied by an economic crisis and multiple restrictions on our lives, has sparked renewed interest in the topic of loneliness as well as its determinants. We examined (1) the association between financial strain, occurring upon the outbreak of the virus, and loneliness among Israeli young people (aged 20–35); (2) the associations between cognitive social capital, psychological resources, and loneliness; and (3) whether these social and psychological resources were moderators in the financial strain–loneliness link. A real-time survey based on snowball sampling was conducted during April 2020 (N = 426). Hierarchical linear models were employed to explore associations between financial strain, cognitive social capital, psychological resources, and loneliness. Financial strain emerging during the pandemic was associated with greater loneliness. Cognitive social capital and optimism decreased loneliness. Sense of mastery moderated the financial strain–loneliness link. Policymakers must develop and extend mental health initiatives aimed at alleviating the psychological consequences of the pandemic and must also combat financial strain via unemployment compensation and social assistance programs. In line with the United Nations sustainable development goals, these tasks should be viewed as an integral part of promoting public health.
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Macià D, Cattaneo G, Solana J, Tormos JM, Pascual-Leone A, Bartrés-Faz D. Meaning in Life: A Major Predictive Factor for Loneliness Comparable to Health Status and Social Connectedness. Front Psychol 2021; 12:627547. [PMID: 33716892 PMCID: PMC7943478 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Loneliness is the subjective distress of feeling alone and has a strong impact on wellbeing and health. In addition to well-known predictors like isolation and poor health, a better understanding of the psychological determinants of loneliness would offer effective targets for future complementary interventions. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study (N = 2,240), we compared the explanatory power of several important risk factors of loneliness with the affective, motivational, and cognitive aspects of the Meaning in Life (MiL) construct. Different nested linear models were compared including socio-demographic, lifestyles, social-connectedness, and self-rated health variables, to assess the overlapping and non-overlapping explanatory power of each of them. Results: Health status and MiL were found to be the most important predictors of loneliness, followed by social connectedness and, with a much lower weight, lifestyles, and socio-demographic factors. Within the MiL factor, the most cognitive component, sense of coherence, had a greater explanatory power than the more affective and motivational ones. Conclusion: Reduced MiL, the capacity of an individual to attach "value and significance" to life, is a crucial predictor to the feeling of loneliness. These results suggest that programs aiming to combat loneliness should go well beyond situational interventions and include more cognitive, value-centered interventions that enable individuals to define and pursue a meaningful vital plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dídac Macià
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut i Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut i Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriele Cattaneo
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Javier Solana
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - José M. Tormos
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David Bartrés-Faz
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut i Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Oficina de Recerca i Innovació, Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain
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