The relationships among family, friends, and psychological well-being for Thai elderly

Dispositional greed and life satisfaction: the role of social comparison for well-being

There is a lack of studies addressing the psychological mechanisms underlying the association between individual differences in greed and well-being. This study tested the relationship between dispositional greed, and satisfaction with life, as well as the moderating effect of social comparison orientation on this association (N = 373). As expected for hypothesis 1, we found that greed correlated negatively with satisfaction with life, and positively with social comparison orientation, even after controlling for individuals' mental health index (anxiety and depression), supporting the hypothesis 2. Further, the moderating effect of social comparison strengthened the relationship between high levels of dispositional greed and dissatisfaction with life, failing to support hypothesis 3. As such, individuals high on dispositional greed were less satisfied with life if they also showed lower (vs. medium level) levels of social comparison orientation. These findings add to the psychological literature on greed by showing that social comparison is not only positively related to it but can also be a vital mechanism for boosting psychological well-being.

A cross-sectional analysis of gender and psychological well-being among older Taiwanese adults

Background

Psychological well-being (PWB) facilitates good health. Few studies have taken into consideration gender and how it can affect PWB within a sociocultural context. This study aims to determine if relationships between social, health, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors on PWB among older Taiwanese adults are affected by gender.

Methods

Data were obtained from the 2016 Taiwan Mental Health Survey. A representative sample, of 2,286 individuals, was created using multistage proportional probability. Participants were interviewed at their homes using a structured questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were Taiwanese citizenship, age ≥ 55 years, and the ability to provide informed consent. Participants 65 years and above were selected for the study sample n = 1,533. An 18-item version of Ryff's PWB scale was used to determine PWB. The median value was used to categorize low and high PWB. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine predictors of PWB stratified by gender.

Results

Chronic disease, unemployment, and financial dependence negatively impacted men's PWB. Satisfaction with living environment and family relationships positively impacted women's PWB. Unique characteristics of older men, women, and culture account for this.

Conclusion

Gender-specific interventions aimed at promoting PWB in older adults are needed. Recommendations include educational programs, social support workshops, and community engagement initiatives.

Measurement properties of the Thai translation of the Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS) and comparison of recovery experiences between Thai and Australian consumers living with serious mental illness

Personal recovery, a western conceptualisation that focuses on hope and living meaningful lives of choice rather than focusing on symptom reduction, is a more recent concept in many Asian countries including Thailand. One way to promote recovery-oriented service delivery is to use outcome measures that capture self-reported personal recovery. This study aimed to evaluate a Thai translation of a self-report measure of mental health recovery, the Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS). The study also explored the cultural similarities and differences between Thai (n  =  190) and Australian (n  =  301) recovery experiences by comparing Thai and Australian participant responses to RAS-DS items. Data were analysed using Rasch analysis. Analyses revealed that the Thai version of the RAS-DS had adequate measurement properties. Cultural comparisons suggested that most aspects contained within the RAS-DS appear to be applicable across both Thai and Australian contexts. Three findings suggest linguistic or cultural differences in Thai and Australian recovery experiences: (i) a ceiling effect for Thai participants, (ii) some items were "harder" or "easier" for one cultural group to endorse than the other, and (iii) a few items were "misfitting" for Thai participants.

Does emotion regulation network mediate the effect of social network on psychological distress among older adults?

Socio-emotional interactions are integral for regulating emotions and buffering psychological distress. Social neuroscience perspectives on aging suggest that empathetic interpersonal interactions are supported by the activation of brain regions involved in regulating negative affect. The current study tested whether resting state functional connectivity of a network of brain regions activated during cognitive emotion regulation, i.e., emotion regulation network (ERN), statistically mediates the frequency of social contact with friends or family on psychological distress. Here, a 10-min resting-state functional MRI scan was collected along with self-reported anxiety/depressive, somatic, and thought problems and social networking from 90 community-dwelling older adults (aged 65-85 years). The frequency of social interactions with family, but not friends and neighbors, was associated with lower psychological distress. The magnitude of this effect was reduced by 33.34% to non-significant upon adding resting state ERN connectivity as a mediator. Follow-up whole-brain graph network analyses revealed that efficiency and centrality of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right middle temporal gyrus relate to greater family interactions and lower distress. These hubs may help to buffer psychological problems in older adults through interactions involving empathetic and cognitive emotion regulation with close family.

In-home environment and happiness among older adults in Thailand

Background

The fact that housing can play a critical role in maintaining the health and independence related to happiness of the older population has been studied in more developed countries. However, research on the effect of housing conditions on happiness is rare in less developed countries. This study aimed to construct and test a structural equation model describing the structural relationship among personal aspects (living alone and physical disability), in-home environment (sleeping place and toilet/bathroom), and happiness among older adults in Thailand.

Method

The data on the population age 75 years or over were extracted from the 2017 national Survey of Older Persons in Thailand (n = 7,829).

Results

The median age of the sample population was 79. Almost 60 percent were women. The structural equation model showed a good fit with the data. Living alone did not directly influence happiness. Physical disability had a statistically significant negative direct effect on happiness. In-home environment not only had an impact on happiness directly, but also moderated the relationship between physical disability and happiness.

Conclusion

The research suggested that interventions to improve happiness of older adults, particularly those with physical disability, should aim to adapt their housing, including sleeping place and toilet design.

Perceived Support Protects Against Negative Affective Experiences of Momentary Solitude: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

OBJECTIVES

Momentary solitude (the objective state of being alone) has a strong association with negative affective experiences in older people, but little is known about how the role of social relationship characteristics on relationship between momentary solitude and affect. We examined the momentary association between momentary solitude and negative affect (NA), and whether such association was moderated by the structural and functional aspects of social relationships.

METHODS

A sample of 153 late-middle-aged and older adults were recruited and provided a total of 6,742 ecological momentary assessment surveys, of which momentary solitudes were reported for 1,885 (28%) surveys. Hierarchical linear model was used to examine how social networks and social support moderated the association of momentary solitude with NA experiences.

RESULTS

The association of momentary solitude with NA experiences was significant among middle-aged and older adults (b = 0.025, SE = 0.008, p < .01). Family networks had the main effect on NA. Perceived social support buffered against increased NA in momentary solitude: Individuals with a higher level of perceived support reported fewer increases in NA during momentary solitude than those perceiving a lower level of support.

DISCUSSION

Momentary solitude was experienced less negatively for middle-aged and older persons embedded in a context of higher levels of perceived social support. Practitioners need to pay more attention to the promotion of social resources when delivering programs to improve the subjective well-being of late-middle-aged and older adults.

Validation of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) and its association with self-rated health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico

Social isolation is a well-established determinant of late-life well-being, and it may be particularly relevant for older adults in Puerto Rico following Hurricane María. The abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) is a widely used measure of social isolation, but it has not been validated with Spanish-speaking older adults. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language LSNS-6 and (2) examine its association with self-rated health (SRH) and psychological sense of community (PSOC). Data came from face-to-face survey interviews with a nonprobability sample of 154 community-dwelling older adults in Puerto Rico 2 years after Hurricane María. We assessed the LSNS-6's internal consistency reliability and convergent validity. We then conducted structural equational modelling consisting of (1) a measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis to test the factor structure of the LSNS-6 and (2) a structural model using path analysis to examine the direct effect of social isolation on SRH and to test the role of PSOC as a mediator in this relationship. The LSNS-6 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability (α = 0.74) and convergent validity, r(151) = -0.33, p < 0.001. A correlated two-factor model (Family and Friends) provided the best fit (comparative fit index = 0.986, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.975, root mean square error of approximation = 0.082, standardised root mean squared residual = 0.033). Path model results show the Friends factor was negatively associated with SRH (β = -0.31, p = 0.045), whilst the Family factor was nonsignificant. The Friends factor had a statistically significant indirect effect on SRH through PSOC (β = 0.08, 95% CI [0.01, 0.29]). Our findings provide insight into the effect of social isolation on health amongst older adults in Puerto Rico and highlight the potential role of PSOC for assessment and intervention with older adults in post-disaster settings.

Organizational participation in community and life satisfaction of retirees: The mediating roles of positive and negative affect and moderating role of family relation

This study examined the association between participation in community organizations and life satisfaction, and relevant mediating and moderating mechanisms among retirees. Positive and negative affect were considered as mediating variables, and family relation as a moderating variable. A total of 1132 community-dwelling retirees aged 50 years or more were investigated. A self-developed questionnaire with five items measured the level of organizational participation (OP) based on residential community. The Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Family Cohesion sub-scale of Family Environment Scale (FES) were used to assess life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, and family relation, respectively. Mplus was used to conduct mediating and moderating analyses after controlling for six demographic and socioeconomic factors. First, the results indicated that OP was positively associated with life satisfaction. Second, positive and negative affect partly mediated the relationship between OP and life satisfaction. Third, family relation negatively moderated the relationship between OP and life satisfaction; that is, compared with those retirees with good family relation, the beneficial role of OP in enhancing one's satisfaction was more significant for those retirees with poor family relation; furthermore, family relation also moderated the links of OP-negative affect. These findings suggested that OP related to life satisfaction of retirees through mediating roles of positive and negative affect, and family relation partly moderated the above direct and indirect processes. In a word, OP based on residential community had a positive role in buffering adverse influence of poor family relation.

Influencing Factors of Acute Stress Disorder Among Frontline Nurses in Wuhan, China

The current study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of acute stress disorder (ASD) in frontline nurses delivering care in a hospital for COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. In this cross-sectional study, 298 frontline nurses were surveyed during the first month of direct care delivery for patients with COVID-19 via the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Through logistic regression analysis, we identified the influencing factors of ASD. Our results showed that 13.8% of participants had ASD; frontline nurses were affected by ASD symptoms in different degrees; higher perceived social support from friends and colleagues were the major protective factors of ASD; and a negative coping style was a risk factor for ASD. Psychological crisis management interventions aimed at frontline nurses may be essential to prevent ASD during public health crisis events. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59(9), 38-47.].

Internal and external resources, tiredness and the subjective well-being of family caregivers of older adults: a case study from western Thailand, Southeast Asia

This study examined the effects of several aspects of care-giving on the subjective well-being (SWB) of family caregivers of older adults. These aspects were comprised of external resources including social support, affection, and internal resources including confidence, positive appraisal and coping strategies, and tiredness. The level of happiness (0-10) was used as the gauge of SWB. The data were from a cross-sectional study of 270 primary family caregivers in western Thailand. Multiple regression models controlling for age, gender, kinship to care for recipients, self-rated health, duration and hours of care-giving were estimated. Both social support in terms of appreciation and admiration for care-giving, as opposed to such care being considered a caregivers' duty, as well as inner strength derived from a positive attitude and self-perceived ability in care-giving were positively associated with SWB. Tiredness had a significant negative association with SWB. The implications of these findings for policy and intervention programs are discussed.

Nature of Retirement and Loneliness: The Moderating Roles of Social Support

Drawing from the social convoy model, this study investigates whether the nature of retirement (voluntary or involuntary) influences loneliness among retirees, and how different social support types may affect this association. Data come from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,055). Five social support types were identified: weak, ambivalent, strong positive, children strain, and family strain. Involuntary retirement was associated with a higher level of loneliness; however, involuntarily retired individuals with strong positive social support had a relatively lower level of loneliness. Findings from this study suggest that social support may alleviate the negative impacts of involuntary retirement. Our research provides a theoretical basis for developing a practical program to reduce the negative impacts of involuntary retirement on well-being.

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

Objectives Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define and measure. This means that research on social participation is difficult to compare directly. The aim of the present study was to draw the literature on social participation in older adults together to inform health services researchers seeking to investigate social participation as an indicator of successful aging. Methods A narrative review of studies investigating the association between social participation and health in adults aged 65 years and older was conducted. Results Three concepts of social participation (i.e. social connections, informal social participation and volunteering) were defined, their measurement instruments described and evidence of their associations with health explored. All three concepts have demonstrated associations with an array of health indicators. Prospective studies reveal that social participation at baseline is positively associated with mental and physical health. Conclusion A model of social participation on health is presented, showing the evidence that all three concepts contribute to the association between social participation and health through their shared mechanisms of social support and social cohesion with the wider community. Using an instrument that can be separated into these three distinct concepts will assist health services researchers to determine the relative effect of each form of participation on the health of older adults. What is known about the topic? Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology. The scope of the literature on social participation is broad and the concepts diverse. For this reason, most previous systematic reviews have been unable to comprehensively assess the effect of all concepts of social participation on health. This means the research on social participation is difficult to compare directly, and indicators of social participation in older adults are difficult for policy makers to select. What does this paper add? This paper overviews the three concepts of social participation, their methods of measurement and their associations with health in older adults. We present a model of social participation that incorporates all three concepts of social participation and their effects on health. We argue that the use of a measure that can be segmented into each of the three forms of social participation will predict more of the variance in health outcomes than any measure on its own. What are the implications for practitioners? Enhancing the social participation of older adults is a key factor in successful aging that many older adults value. However, many service provision organisations tend to focus on meeting the specific physical needs of clients, rather than targeting services that connect older adults with their community. Targeting social participation may present one of the greatest opportunities to improve older adults' general health, and will also generate societal benefits by increasing community contributions from this group. Selecting an indicator of social participation that measures each of the three concepts overviewed in this paper will enable policy makers to identify the areas in which social interventions for older adults will have the most effect.

The social network index and its relation to later-life depression among the elderly aged ≥80 years in Northern Thailand

Background

Having a diverse social network is considered to be beneficial to a person’s well-being. The significance, however, of social network diversity in the geriatric assessment of people aged ≥80 years has not been adequately investigated within the Southeast Asian context. This study explored the social networks belonging to the elderly aged ≥80 years and assessed the relation of social network and geriatric depression.

Methods

This study was a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand. A representative sample of 435 community residents, aged ≥80 years, were included in a multistage sample. The participants’ social network diversity was assessed by applying Cohen’s social network index (SNI). The geriatric depression scale and activities of daily living measures were carried out during home visits. Descriptive analyses revealed the distribution of SNI, while the relationship between the SNI and the geriatric depression scale was examined by ordinal logistic regression models controlling possible covariants such as age, sex, and educational attainment.

Results

The median age of the sample was 83 years, with females comprising of 54.94% of the sample. The participants’ children, their neighbors, and members of Buddhist temples were reported as the most frequent contacts of the study participants. Among the 435 participants, 25% were at risk of social isolation due to having a “limited” social network group (SNI 0–3), whereas 37% had a “medium” social network (SNI 4–5), and 38% had a “diverse” social network (SNI ≥6). The SNI was not different among the two sexes. Activities of daily living scores in the diverse social network group were significantly higher than those in the limited social network group. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis models revealed a significant negative association between social network diversity and geriatric depression.

Conclusion

Regular and frequent contact with various social contacts may safeguard common geriatric depression among persons aged ≥80 years. As a result, screening those at risk of social isolation is recommended to be integrated into routine primary health care-based geriatric assessment and intervention programs.

Health Blief Model-based intervention to improve nutritional behavior among elderly women

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Nutrition is a determinant factor of health in elderly people. Independent living in elderly people can be maintained or enhanced by improvement of nutritional behavior. Hence, the present study was conducted to determine the impact of Health Belief Model (HBM)-based intervention on the nutritional behavior of elderly women.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Cluster-random sampling was used to assess the sample of this clinical trial study. The participants of this study attended a 12-week nutrition education program consisting of two (2) sessions per week. There was also a follow-up for another three (3) months. Smart PLS 3.5 and SPSS 19 were used for structural equation modeling, determination of model fitness, and hypotheses testing.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that intervention had a significant effect on knowledge improvement as well as the behavior of elderly women. The model explained 5 to 70% of the variance in nutritional behavior. In addition, nutritional behavior was positively affected by the HBM constructs comprised of perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, perceived benefits, and barriers after the intervention program.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study show that HBM-based educational intervention has a significant effect in improving nutritional knowledge and behavior among elderly women.

Family support, anticipated support, negative interaction, and psychological well-being of older parents in Thailand

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have consistently indicated that family support has a powerful impact on older parents' well-being, but little is known about the effects of anticipated support and negative interaction on psychological well-being. The present study attempted to examine the relationships between family support, negative interaction, and psychological well-being in older Thai parents.

METHODS

The sample included 578 elderly parents aged 60 years and older. Multiple regression models were employed to determine whether received support, anticipated support, and negative interaction influence older parents' well-being.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that greater emotional and instrumental support received from family members and anticipated support were significantly associated with a greater sense of older parents' psychological well-being. However, psychological well-being was lower for those with more negative family interactions.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that filial piety and family solidarity should be considered when developing elder care policy and interventions to promote psychological well-being.