Stressful life events, family support and successful ageing in the Biafran War generation

Family Support During Hospitalization Buffers Depressive Symptoms Among Independent Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

Hospitalization is a stressful event that may lead to deterioration in older adults' mental health. Drawing on the stress-buffering hypothesis, we examined whether family support during hospitalization would moderate the relations between level of independence and in-hospital depressive symptoms.

METHOD

This research was a secondary analysis of a cohort study conducted with a sample of 370 hospitalized older adults. Acutely ill older adults reported their level of independence at time of hospitalization and their level of depressive symptoms three days into the hospital stay. Family support was estimated by a daily report of hours family members stayed with the hospitalized older adult.

RESULTS

Independent older adults whose family members stayed longer hours in the hospital had fewer depressive symptoms than independent older adults with shorter family visits. Relations between depressive symptoms and family support were not apparent for dependent older adults, even though their family members stayed more hours.

CONCLUSIONS

This study partially supports the stress-buffering hypothesis, in that social support ameliorated depressive symptoms among hospitalized independent older adults.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Assessing depressive symptoms and functional ability and creating an environment conducive to family support for older adults may be beneficial to hospitalized older adults' mental health.

Stressful life events and subjectively rated sleep quality among older adults in China: the roles of positive and negative attitudes towards ageing

Sleep is an integral part of individuals' health and wellbeing. Despite evidence showing that social stressors are important contributors to older adults' sleep problems, how the accumulative stressful life events (SLEs) and ageing attitudes independently and jointly affect sleep quality among older adults in developing countries remains unclear. This study examined the effects of SLEs on subjectively rated sleep quality among older adults in China, and explored the potential mediating and moderating roles of positive and negative ageing attitudes on the above association. Using data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, we had complete data for 7,780 older adults aged 60 and older. We employed logistic regression models and the Karlson–Holm–Breen decomposition method. Our findings indicated that SLEs significantly increased the risk of poor sleep quality, especially for those who had experienced two or more SLEs during the past year. Positive ageing attitudes were associated with lower odds of poor sleep quality, whereas negative ageing attitudes were related to higher odds of poor sleep quality. Moreover, the mediation analyses suggested that SLEs were associated with poor sleep quality via negative ageing attitudes. The moderating effects further documented that higher levels of positive ageing attitudes can significantly attenuate the deleterious impact of SLEs on sleep quality. The findings highlight the significance of SLEs for older adults' sleep quality and shed light on the importance of ageing attitudes to improve older adults' sleep in China as well as other low- and middle-income countries, where the social safety nets are still underdeveloped.

Effects of Socioeconomic Status, Parental Stress, and Family Support on Children's Physical and Emotional Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the current study, we conduct an exploratory study on children's emotional and physical health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The direct and interactive effects of parental stress, family socioeconomic status (SES), and family support on child adjustment were investigated. A total of 116 children of varied socioeconomic and their parents were interviewed. Parents with low household income perceived greater distress related to uncertainty and health worries compared to those with higher household income. However, it was among high-SES families that parental distress was associated with child difficulties. At a multivariate level, children's health was associated with SES, family support, and parental COVID-19 stress. Among families with low household income, when parents perceived low/average COVID-19 stress, family support worked as a protective factor for children's adjustment. Understanding how COVID-19 relates with children's emotional and physical health within families with low and high household income may help to inform recommendations for best practices, for example through family support interventions.

Do Remittances Enhance Elderly Adults' Healthy Social and Physical Functioning? A Cross-Sectional Study in Nigeria

Existing research demonstrates that the effect of remittances on different health outcomes of elderly adults in low-income countries with inadequate social security is inconclusive. The present study set out to fill this gap by examining the effects of receiving remittances on the healthy social and physical functioning of Nigeria’s elderly adults. We also investigate the nonlinear association between remittances and social and physical functioning to identify the minimum amount required to engender healthy social and physical functioning in Nigerian elderly adults. This study utilized data from the 2018/2019 Nigerian Living Standard Survey (NLSS), which included 55,350 young people aged 12–44 (control group) and 18,937 elderly adults aged 45 and above (treatment group). We addressed our objectives using logistic regression-adjusted predicted probabilities and predictive margins. The results reveal that remittance recipients have higher healthy social functioning probabilities than non-recipients. We also found that the influence that remittances have on social functioning depends on the amount of the remittances received. Quantitatively, receiving more than NGN 1,200,000 in remittances ensures increased social functioning probabilities. Given the disparity between the average remittance amount of NGN 54,306.92 received by elderly adults and the NGN 1,200,000 threshold associated with healthy social functioning, bridging this gap is paramount for promoting social functioning among Nigerian elderly adults. We also discussed policy implications for fostering the healthy aging of the population in the interim.

Moderating Effect of Family Support on the Mediated Relation Between Negative Life Events and Antisocial Behavior Tendencies via Self-Esteem Among Chinese Adolescents

Adolescents are particularly prone to antisocial behavior. The promoting effect of negative life events on antisocial behavior has been well-documented. However, the internal influence mechanisms between negative life events and antisocial behavior tendencies in adolescents are still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the mediation effect of self-esteem and the moderated mediation effect of family support between negative life events and antisocial behavior tendencies in 8,958 adolescents who were selected from three Chinese provinces. Robust maximum likelihood estimator (MLR) of a structural equation model (SEM) was applied to test the mediation model and the moderated mediation model. The results revealed that negative life events had a positive effect on antisocial behavior tendencies in adolescents, with a direct effect of 0.082 (95% CI: 0.052, 0.111) and an indirect effect via self-esteem of 0.168 (95% CI: 0.146, 0.191). Negative life events had a 67.20% effect on antisocial behavior tendencies, where self-esteem showed mediation. The indirect effect was 2.049-fold greater than the direct effect. Furthermore, the effect of latent interaction of subjective family support and negative life events on self-esteem was negatively significant (β = −0.018, p = 0.032, 95% CI: −0.035, −0.002). The indirect effect of negative life events was greater, where subjective family support was below 1 SD of the mean (conditional indirect effect = 0.227, 95% CI = 0.200, 0.255) than where it was above 1 SD of the mean (conditional indirect effect = 0.203, 95% CI = 0.177, 0.229). The moderated mediation effect index was −0.012, p = 0.033. Moderated mediation showed that the mediated path was less evident in the students who had greater subjective support from family. The results of the current study demonstrated the important role that self-esteem and subjective family support played in minimizing the adverse effect of negative life events on antisocial behavior development of adolescents. These findings have important implications for preventing antisocial behavior in adolescents by developing interventions aimed at enhancing their self-esteem and providing support-skill training to parents aimed at improving subjective family support of adolescents.

Mindfulness and wellbeing in older adults' survivors of herdsmen attack. The mediating effect of positive reappraisal

Objective: The Fulani herdsmen are pastoralists who move from place to place in search of vegetation for their herds cattle. The random movement of cattle has frequently led to the destruction of crops belonging to farmers. This has resulted to violent clashes between the two groups. Such events are capable of impacting on the wellbeing of the older adult survivors and affected individuals may need adequate psychological resources such as mindfulness and positive emotions such as positive appraisal to be able to cope successfully. There is substantial evidence supporting the association of mindfulness and psychological wellbeing, but little is known about the mechanism through which mindfulness exert its influence on wellbeing. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of positive reappraisal in the relation between mindfulness and wellbeing among older adult survivors of Fulani herdsmen attack.Methods: A sample of older adult survivors of Fulani herdsmen attack (N = 308, mean age = 59.72 years) were drawn from a community in southeast, Nigeria. Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness, positive reappraisal, life satisfaction, perceived stress and depression.Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that Mindfulness and positive reappraisal were independently associated with wellbeing (better life satisfaction, lower perceived stress and fewer depressive symptoms), yet this association was fully mediated by positive reappraisal.Conclusion: The findings underscore the potential value of mindfulness meditation intervention programs for the vulnerable as it is capable of promoting positive emotional live and wellbeing in late life.

Domains and Measurements of Healthy Aging in Epidemiological Studies: A Review

Purpose of the Study

Few studies have recommended the essential domains of healthy aging and their relevant measurement to assess healthy aging comprehensively. This review is to fill the gap, by conducting a literature review of domains and measures of healthy aging in epidemiological studies.

Design and Methods

A literature search was conducted up to March 31, 2017, supplemented by a search of references in all relevant articles in English. We made a final selection of 50 studies across 23 countries or regions.

Results

Nineteen studies applied Rowe and Kahn’s three standards to assess healthy aging. Thirty-seven studies measured physical capabilities mainly by (instrumental) activities of daily living. Cognitive functions were included in 33 studies. Nineteen of them applied Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Twenty-six studies considered metabolic and physiological health, but they mainly asked the self-reported absence of diseases. Twenty-four studies assessed psychological well-being by employing diverse scales. Questions about participation in social activities were mainly asked to measure social well-being in 22 studies. Sixteen studies considered individuals’ general health status, which was mainly measured by self-rated health. Security questions were asked in five studies. Health behaviors were taken into account by three studies. Fifteen studies either applied SF-12/36 or developed health indices to assess healthy aging.

Implications

This review summarizes detailed scales or methods that have been used to assess healthy aging in previous epidemiological studies. It also discusses and recommends the essential domains of healthy aging, and the relevant instruments for further epidemiological research to use in the assessment of healthy aging.

Impact of Life Experiences and Use of Web 2.0 Tools in Adults and Older Adults

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between favorable and stressful life experiences and perceived quality of life, practices that promote quality of life, psychological profiles, and the daily use of web 2.0 tools in adults and older adults. An online questionnaire was designed, which was administered to 1,095 Spanish adults and older adults, and conducted descriptive and multivariate analyses using the general linear model. Our results showed that favorable and stressful life experiences alike were associated with differential patterns in psychological profiles, perceived quality of life and daily activities and practices that affect quality of life, including the use of web 2.0 tools. Favorable life experiences mainly affected psychological profiles and the use of web 2.0 tools, whereas stressful life experiences affected the other factors analyzed. Statistically significant differences were not found according to age and gender. These findings have important implications for promoting successful psychological and social interventions.

Event centrality influences posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms via core beliefs in internally displaced older adults

OBJECTIVES

There is substantial evidence regarding the role of event centrality (EC) in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, but little research has examined the explanatory pathways linking EC with PTSD symptoms severity. The present study examined whether core beliefs (CB) mediates the relationship between EC and PTSD symptoms in internally displaced older adults.

METHOD

Internally displaced older adults (N = 279; mean age = 62 years) sheltered in two camps located in north-central Nigeria, completed Tiv language versions of self-report measures, namely, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, the Centrality of Event Scale, Core Beliefs Inventory, and provided relevant demographic information.

RESULTS

Analysis indicated that EC and CB were linked to greater PTSD symptoms as well as re-experiencing/intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal symptoms severity. The mediator path was significant which implies that CB was a pathway through which EC influences PTSD symptoms clusters and overall PTSD symptomatology.

CONCLUSION

A traumatic event becoming more central in a person's identity and life story distorts entrenched beliefs about oneself, others and the world, thereby resulting in greater PTSD symptoms. Our findings suggest that considerations of disrupted world assumptions may be a salient target for prevention and treatment efforts.