Psychological benefits of attending the theatre associated with positive affect and well-being for subscribers over age 60

Positive impact of social relationships fostered by physical and/or cognitive group activity on older people's quality of life: PRISMA systematic review

Introduction

This review identified and examined the research literature on the effect of participating in physical and/or cognitive activities on older people's quality of life, to establish whether the social relationships fostered by these activities can be a vector of better physical, mental and social quality of life.

Method

A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched four databases (MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles/PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science) for articles published between 1975 and 2022 using search terms related to psychosocial, population, and intervention topics. Studies were eligible if they involved older adults, participation in at least one activity (physical or cognitive), and at least one quality of life related outcome measure.

Results

We selected 20 articles published between 1990 and 2021, the majority concerning studies conducted in English-speaking countries. Ten studies were interventional (introduction of program of activities), and 10 studies were observational (60% quantitative, 40% qualitative). Overall, results revealed a positive impact of the activities on every aspect of quality of life (i.e., cognitive, physical, social, psychological, and quality of life in general).

Conclusion

The present review confirmed the beneficial impact of practicing physical and/or cognitive group activities on older people's quality of life, but the contribution of social factors and social relationships remains underestimated and not well defined in researches.

Examining the Flourishing Impacts of Repeated Visits to a Virtual Art Museum and the Role of Immersion

Visiting art museums has been associated with a range of flourishing outcomes. However, there have been recent shifts towards increasing digital engagement with art, leading to a radical change in how people experience visual art. Given the now expansive virtual art viewing options, it is important to understand whether digital engagement can also lead to greater flourishing, and, if so, under what conditions. We examined the flourishing effects of viewing art in a virtual gallery in a pre-registered experiment comprising four sessions over four weeks, with varying viewing instructions designed to increase immersion. Participants were recruited from a USA representative sample on Prolific, resulting in a final sample of 687 participants. People were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental conditions. Eight art viewing conditions involved four 15 min virtual gallery visits with viewing instructions varying on two factors: slow-looking and immersive mindset framing. An active control condition involved reading about (but not viewing) art. Participants completed a battery of baseline flourishing measures in week 1, completed experimental art engagement sessions during weeks 1-4, and completed the battery again in week 5. While immersion levels were greater in the viewing conditions than the reading condition, growth in flourishing did not differ across condition. Exploratory analyses, however, showed that immersion during the gallery visits did predict some changes in specific facets of flourishing (e.g., engagement, meaning, autonomy satisfaction). We suggest a number of possible explanations for these null results and point to what is needed in future research.

Activity, Activity Personalization, and Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents With and Without Cognitive Impairment: An Integrative Review

OBJECTIVES

Engagement in personally relevant and pleasant activity is a facet of many theories of well-being. This integrated review and narrative synthesis explored the hypothesis that activity participation improves well-being for nursing home residents.

METHODS

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Embase, and CINAHL for research published between 2006 and 2018. We included peer-reviewed, English-language studies of nursing-home residents, with interventions focused on activities and on well-being or affect outcomes.

RESULTS

After screening, the search yielded 45 studies: 15 reviews of specific activities and 30 empirical articles. We found consistent support for tailored activity interventions and less consistent support for specific or generic activity interventions with the possible exception of music therapy. Research focused on specific activity types had methodological limitations and confounds with activity preferences.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in activities may improve well-being in residents of nursing homes. Tailored activities are likely to be superior to those provided indiscriminately to all residents.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Improving quality of life in long-term care should include opportunities to engage in activities; those most effective will be tailored to individuals and no single activity will be effective for everyone.

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.

Social relationships and the importance of community-based fitness programs (CBFP)

Identifying opportunities for social interaction is key in addressing those at risk of social isolation. Drawing from focus groups with 55 women over the age of 60, this brief report outlines how this community-based fitness program (CBFP) acts as a conduit for social relationships, fosters a sense of belonging, and has social benefit for both active and passive participants. Study participants expressed feelings of kinship within the routine of scheduled classes and group culture. The need to further explore the social impact of CBFPs and other activities without a primary social focus play in ameliorating social isolation are discussed.