Age differences in stress, social resources, and well-being in middle and older age

Perceived Changes in Social Connectedness Across the Life Course: A Mixed Method Approach

Social connection is important across the life course, but overall levels have been declining. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique context to examine social connectedness and adaptive capacity in times of social adversity. We used a parallel mixed method design to collect online survey data from a representative U.S. sample (N  =  359). Applying an exploratory sequential approach, we used a general linear model multivariate approach to repeated measures to test for differences in participants' perceptions of social connectedness by time and age category and qualitative analysis to gain insights about disrupted social contexts. Results indicated that social connectedness decreased after mitigation restrictions for all age groups, but individuals in emerging and late adulthood felt the greatest impact. Two themes emerged: differing emotional responses to altered communication and intentionality of maintaining and/or creating social connections. Experiences of social connectedness need to be understood as a function of life stage and developmental timing.

Torn Between Valences: Mixed Emotions Predict Poorer Psychological Well-Being and Job Burnout

Conflicting perspectives on whether mixed emotions are adaptive states which promote integrative processes or uncomfortable states which are agonizing make divergent predictions on whether mixed emotions in daily life are conducive towards psychological well-being. We examined this across three studies. Study 1 (N = 335, 135 males; M _age = 41.31) examined associations between state mixed emotions and psychological well-being. Study 2 (N = 389; 160 males; M _age = 40.86) examined associations between workplace-specific mixed emotions and workplace ill-being assessed based on burnout. Both direct measures and indirect measures were examined in Study 1 and 2, allowing some comparison of methodological issues related to their predictive validity. Study 3 (N = 3444; 1587 males; M _age = 55.34) examined bidirectional relationships between an index of emotional ambivalence and psychological well-being about ten years later, controlling for baselines. Demographic covariates, positive emotions, and negative emotions were controlled for in all studies. Analyses were performed using latent variable structural equation modelling. After adjusting for all covariates, the direct measures of mixed emotions predicted poorer psychological well-being (Study 1) and greater burnout (Study 2). However, indirect measures were found to suffer from relatively greater multicollinearity and poorer predictive validity upon controlling for positive and negative emotions. In Study 3, emotional ambivalence predicted poorer long-term psychological well-being, while psychological well-being also predicted lower emotional ambivalence, supporting bidrectionality. The findings provide preliminary evidence that naturalistically experienced mixed emotions may be conflicting and unpleasant, with potentially negative implications for psychological well-being over and above positive and negative emotions.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z.

Association between perceived life stress and subjective well-being among Chinese perimenopausal women: a moderated mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

The impact of perceived life stress on subjective well-being has been well-established; while few studies have explored the mediating and moderating mechanisms of the association between perceived life stress and subjective well-being among perimenopausal women. This study is aimed at exploring the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and the role of interests/hobbies as a moderator in the association between perceived life stress and subjective well-being among perimenopausal women.

METHODS

The participants were 1,104 perimenopausal women at the age of 40 to 60, who were asked to complete a paper-based questionnaire. A single item was used to measure self-perceived life stress and interests/hobbies. The Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Subjective Well-being Scale for Chinese Citizens (SWBS-CC) were applied to assess both depressive symptoms and subjective well-being. Multiple linear regression analysis and the PROCESS macro were adopted to analyse not only the mediating effect of depressive symptoms but also the moderating role of interests/hobbies.

RESULTS

Perceived life stress was negatively associated with subjective well-being (B =  - 1.424, β =  - 0.101, P < 0.001). The impact of perceived life stress on subjective well-being was partially mediated by depressive symptoms (mediation effect = -0.760, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [-1.129, -0.415]). In addition, the interaction term between depressive symptoms and interests/hobbies was significantly related to subjective well-being (β =  - 0.060, P < 0.05), indicating moderating effect. Moderated mediation had a significant index (Index = -0.220, SE = 0.099, 95% CI [-0.460, -0.060]).

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived life stress was negatively related to subjective well-being. The impact of perceived life stress on subjective well-being was mediated by depressive symptoms. Besides, interests/hobbies moderated the indirect effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between perceived life stress and subjective well-being.

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

OBJECTIVE

This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at its early stages is associated with people's perception of their health, the need for health-care services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health.

METHODS

The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

RESULTS

Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services.

CONCLUSIONS

Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic's early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand use patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients' care-seeking behavior.

When and why telepressure and technostress creators impair employee well-being

Objectives. This article describes the effects of two specific information and communication technology (ICT) demands (telepressure, technostress creators) on employee well-being, and investigates a mediating effect of detachment (Study 1) and moderating effects of technostress inhibitors on the effects of ICT demands on well-being (Study 2) and detachment (Study 3). Methods. Three quantitative studies with employees (Study 1, N = 296; Study 2, N = 142; Study 3, N = 316) were conducted. Results. The results support the negative effect of ICT demands on several well-being indicators. They also show how detachment mediates the effect of telepressure on well-being (Study 1) and how technostress inhibitors moderate the effect of technostress creators on well-being (Study 2). Technostress inhibitors further buffer negative effects of technostress creators on detachment (Study 3). Conclusion. Interventions to reduce negative consequences of ICTs by increasing the level of technostress inhibitors (e.g., technical support) or facilitating employee detachment (e.g., through communication policies) are derived. The findings confirm that general models explaining stress and well-being are applicable to new forms of job demands and extend existing empirical support for the effect of ICT demands on well-being. Future research should investigate the interplay between the studied variables within a moderated mediation model.

Single mothers' subjective well-being: empirical evidence from Malaysia

The authors' purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents of single mothers' subjective well-being. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted using a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling. The main findings are: (1) religiosity and locus of control positively influenced subjective well-being, (2) locus of control negatively influenced financial strain, (3) financial strain negatively influenced subjective well-being, and (4) age moderated the relationship between financial strain and subjective well-being. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Family Strain Predicts Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in Middle-aged Adults: Hope Mediates and Self-compassion Moderates the Relation

INTRODUCTION

Interpersonal strain is linked with depressive symptoms in middle-aged adults. One possible mechanism accounting for this relation is a reduction in hope, defined as the belief in one's capacity both to reach and to generate a variety of ways to obtain goals. The strength of the strain-depressive symptoms relation is not uniform across individuals, however, pointing to the likelihood that individual differences in the ability to successfully navigate relationship strain play a role in mitigating its negative effects. One potential moderator of the strain - depressive symptoms relation is self-compassion, which encompasses the capacity to respond to one's own negative thoughts and experiences in a kind and nonjudgmental way. Although theory and empirical evidence suggest that self-compassion is protective against the impact of stress on mental health outcomes, little research has investigated how self-compassion operates in the context of relationship strain. In addition, few studies have examined psychological mechanisms by which self-compassion protects against mental health outcomes, depression in particular. Thus, this study examined 1) the extent to which hope mediates the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms, and 2) whether these indirect effects are conditional on self-compassion in a community sample of middle-aged adults.

METHODS

Self-reported family strain, self-compassion, hope, and depressive symptoms were assessed in a community sample of 762 middle-aged adults aged 40-65. Follow-up measures of depressive symptoms were assessed approximately 20 months later.

RESULTS

Results from structural equation models indicated that hope mediated the relation between family strain and depressive symptoms and the indirect effect was conditional on levels of self-compassion. For individuals high versus low in self-compassion, strain-related declines in hope predicted smaller increases in depressive symptoms.

DISCUSSION

Taken together, the findings suggest that family strain may lead individuals to experience less hope and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms. However, a self-compassionate attitude may serve as a resilience resource, weakening the hope - depressive symptoms relation, a finding that holds promise for future research on the development and refinement of self-compassion interventions.

Whom Do Centenarians Rely on for Support? Findings From the Second Heidelberg Centenarian Study

This paper provides a detailed picture of the sources and types of informal support available to centenarians, depending on their housing and care arrangements. Participants were 112 centenarians and 96 primary contacts of centenarians enrolled in the population-based Second Heidelberg Centenarian Study. Findings indicate that children of centenarians were their primary source of support in daily life. Those without living children had overall less help. Most frequently reported was help with administrative tasks, regardless of centenarians' residence or living arrangement. All other types of help (e.g., with activities of daily living and housework) were reported by about one-third and were mostly provided by children; centenarians without children were more likely to have friends/neighbors involved in some of these tasks. The one category reported by a third of the centenarians regardless of residence, living arrangements, or presence of a child was help with socializing/companionship. Findings constitute an important step toward identifying and meeting the support needs of centenarians and their families. Policy implications are discussed.

Social networks and quality of life of elderly persons: a review and critical analysis of literature

Abstract Several studies have documented the importance of social networks for quality of life (QL) in old age. This article presents a review and critical analysis of the literature on the relationship between the social networks of the elderly and their QL/well-being. A survey using interdisciplinary search engines [Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Scholar Google, Science Direct and Online Knowledge Library (b-on)], followed by an in-depth examination of the 37 documents subsequently identified, selected based on content, the geographical context of the study and its publication date, suggested a number of tendencies. In the first place, networks of friends have a greater impact on the QL/well-being of elderly persons than family networks. Secondly, the positive effect of the existence of more than one type of relationship was revealed (such as simultaneous friendships and family relationships). Finally, literature suggests emotional closeness has a positive impact on QL/well-being. The present study exposed the lack of longitudinal studies into the causality between network characteristics and QL/well-being. It also revealed the lack of research on the relationship between social networks and QL/well-being in elderly persons living alone. One problematic aspect relates to the fact that few studies provide a definition of the QL measures they adopt, or the rationale behind the manner of their operationalization of the concept.

Investigating Moderator Hypotheses in Aging Research: Statistical, Methodological, and Conceptual Difficulties with Comparing Separate Regressions

Many topics in aging research address questions about group differences in prediction. Such questions can be viewed in terms of interaction or moderator effects, and use of appropriate methods to test these hypotheses are necessary to arrive at accurate conclusions about age differences. This article discusses the conceptual, methodological, and statistical problems in one approach to investigating moderator hypotheses. The subgroup regression approach, in which separate regression analyses are conducted in two or more groups, is widely used in aging research to examine group differences in prediction, but the approach can lead to erroneous conclusions. The moderated regression approach, involving the test of a product term, is described and recommended as an a alternative approach. The question of whether social support has greater beneficial effects for younger or older adults is investigated in a study of 287 recently-bereaved adults ranging in age from 20 to 91. Using the subgroup approach, findings indicated that social support significantly predicted depressive symptoms among younger adults and did not significantly predict depressive symptoms among older adults. The moderated regression analysis, however, indicated no significant age differences in the effect of social support. These results clearly illustrate that the analysis strategy researchers choose may have important bearing on theory in aging research such as conclusions regarding the role of social support across the life span.

The contribution of adult personality and recalled parent–child relations to friendships in middle and old age

In this study we examined personality traits, in particular openness to experience and agreeableness, and–in an exploratory step – recalled parent–child relations as antecedents of friendship involvement in adulthood. Data from 392 middle-aged (43–46 years) and 345 older participants (61–64 years) in the first wave of the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE) support the hypothesis that openness contributes to friendship involvement in middle age, while agreeableness contributes to friendship involvement in old age. Further, structural equation models showed that the relation between recalled mother–child relationship and friendship involvement in older adults was mediated by agreeableness. Recalled father–child relationship was directly associated with friendships in both age groups, independent of personality traits.

Influence of home care on life satisfaction, loneliness, and perceived life stress

Strong evidence has established the medical and health services utilization benefits of home care services for older adults. However, sparse research has been conducted on potential psychosocial benefits. Older adults (65 and over) receiving home care with their needs met are compared with persons who have unmet needs (whether they received home care or not) on three key indicators of quality of life – life satisfaction, loneliness, and perceived life stress. Data are drawn from the 2008-2009 Canadian Community Health Survey respondents who met the study criteria (n = 3,244). Regression analyses showed that older adults who had their home care needs met reported higher levels of life satisfaction, and lower levels of loneliness and perceived life stress, than those with unmet needs, net of co-variates. The results suggest that filling this home care gap would significantly raise quality of life by increasing social and environmental resilience to age in place.

Longitudinal mediation of processing speed on age-related change in memory and fluid intelligence

Age-related decline in processing speed has long been considered a key driver of cognitive aging. While the majority of empirical evidence for the processing speed hypothesis has been obtained from analyses of between-person age differences, longitudinal studies provide a direct test of within-person change. Using recent developments in longitudinal mediation analysis, we examine the speed-mediation hypothesis at both the within-and between-person levels in two longitudinal studies, Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) and Origins of Variance in the Oldest-Old (OCTO-Twin). We found significant within-person indirect effects of change in age, such that increasing age was related to lower speed, which in turn relates to lower performance across repeated measures on other cognitive outcomes. Although between-person indirect effects were also significant in LASA, they were not in OCTO-Twin which is not unexpected given the age homogeneous nature of the OCTO-Twin data. A more in-depth examination through measures of effect size suggests that, for the LASA study, the within-person indirect effects were small and between-person indirect effects were consistently larger. These differing magnitudes of direct and indirect effects across levels demonstrate the importance of separating between- and within-person effects in evaluating theoretical models of age-related change.

Envolvimento social e suporte social percebido na velhice

OBJETIVOS: Analisar relações entre envolvimento social e suporte social percebido em idosos comunitários, considerando as variáveis gênero, idade, escolaridade e localidade de residência. MÉTODO: 1.451 idosos sem déficit cognitivo sugestivo de demência, integrantes de amostras probabilísticas de um estudo multicêntrico sobre fragilidade realizado em quatro localidades com níveis socioeconômicos contrastantes foram entrevistados sobre seu envolvimento em atividades avançadas de vida diária de natureza social, produtiva, de lazer, cultural, organizacional e política, suporte social percebido e características sociodemográficas. RESULTADOS: 65,5% dos idosos eram mulheres e 69,7% tinham entre 65 e 74 anos. A média de idade foi 72,2 ± 5,4 e a média de anos escolaridade, 4,23±3,8. As atividades avançadas de vida diária desempenhadas com maior frequência foram ir à igreja, fazer viagens curtas e ir a reuniões sociais; as interrompidas por mais idosos foram realizar trabalho remunerado, fazer viagens longas e ir a eventos culturais. O envolvimento social foi maior entre as mulheres, os idosos mais jovens, os com nível mais alto de escolaridade e os residentes nas localidades economicamente mais desenvolvidas. Foram observadas correlações positivas e significativas entre envolvimento social e suporte social percebido e correlações negativas entre envolvimento social e idade. CONCLUSÕES: A manutenção de atividades avançadas de vida diária de natureza social, de lazer, cultural, organizacional e política indica motivação para relações sociais, integração social e produtividade, elementos que integram o conceito de velhice bem-sucedida.

Dyadic Coping and Marital Satisfaction of Older Spouses in Long-Term Marriage

The present study examines the association between coping behavior and their relationship satisfaction in older spousal dyads. We examined N = 132 couples (M age = 68 years) and found that their dyadic coping strategies – a prime indicator of functional adaptation to daily stress in marital context – were significantly linked to relationship satisfaction. Our findings suggest that the partners’ subjective perception of their spouses’ supportive behavior was more strongly linked to their relationship satisfaction than self-reported support. Furthermore, individual support perception was more important for marital satisfaction than coping congruency. Overall, the dyadic coping of older adults may serve as an effective tool to stabilize relationship satisfaction when facing the challenges of older age and long-term marriage.

Stress associated with hospitalization in patients with COPD: the role of social support and health related quality of life

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine stress levels during hospitalization in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). We wanted to relate stress to previous level of quality of life and patients' Social Support.

METHODS

80 patients (70.43; SD = 8.13 years old) with COPD were assessed by means of: Hospital Stress Rating Scale, Nottingham Health Profile, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and Social Support Scale.

RESULTS

COPD patients' stress levels are lower than expected independently from the severity or number of previous hospitalizations. Linear regression analysis shows the predictive value of Quality of Life and Social Support on stress level during hospitalization (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

HRQOL and social support can be associated with stress during hospitalization.

The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults

BACKGROUND

Attitudes are known to exert a powerful influence on a range of behaviors. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of attitudes toward one's own aging to satisfaction with life and physical and mental health measured in a sample of community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

Adults who were part of a larger study of health and well-being in rural and regional Australia aged ≥60 years (N = 421) completed a cross-sectional postal survey comprising the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.

RESULTS

Overall, attitudes to aging were positive in this sample. More positive attitudes to aging were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life, better self-report physical and mental health on the SF-12, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, after controlling for confounding variables. Better financial status and being employed were both associated with more positive attitudes to aging and better self-reported physical health. Relationship status was also significantly associated with mental health and satisfaction with life, but not physical health.

CONCLUSION

The promotion of successful aging is increasingly becoming important in aging societies. Having positive attitudes to aging may contribute to healthier mental and physical outcomes in older adults. Overcoming negative stereotypes of aging through change at the societal and individual level may help to promote more successful aging.

Social Resources and Change in Functional Health: Comparing Three Age Groups

This study examined the mediating and moderating role of social resources on the association between age and change in functional health for three age groups of older adults. Data were provided by those in their 60s, 80s, and 100s who participated in the first two phases of the Georgia Centenarian study. Analyses confirmed the study's hypothesis that social resources moderated the relationship between age group and change in functional health; in particular, centenarians who experienced the greatest decline in IADLs scored the highest on social resources at time 1. No evidence was found for mediation by social resources or a directional influence by either level of social resources or functional health on change in the other resource. Evidence from this study challenges researchers and service providers to consider the heterogeneity in resources among older adults.

Successful aging: a psychosocial resources model for very old adults

Objectives. Using data from the first two phases of the Georgia Centenarian Study, we proposed a latent factor structure for the Duke OARS domains: Economic Resources, Mental Health, Activities of Daily Living, Physical Health, and Social Resources. Methods. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on two waves of the Georgia Centenarian Study to test a latent variable measurement model of the five resources; nested model testing was employed to assess the final measurement model for equivalency of factor structure over time. Results. The specified measurement model fit the data well at Time 1. However, at Time 2, Social Resources only had one indicator load significantly and substantively. Supplemental analyses demonstrated that a model without Social Resources adequately fit the data. Factorial invariance over time was confirmed for the remaining four latent variables. Discussion. This study's findings allow researchers and clinicians to reduce the number of OARS questions asked of participants. This has practical implications because increased difficulties with hearing, vision, and fatigue in older adults may require extended time or multiple interviewer sessions to complete the battery of OARS questions.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the trier inventory for chronic stress (TICS) in a representative German sample

Background

Chronic stress results from an imbalance of personal traits, resources and the demands placed upon an individual by social and occupational situations. This chronic stress can be measured using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS). Aims of the present study are to test the factorial structure of the TICS, report its psychometric properties, and evaluate the influence of gender and age on chronic stress.

Methods

The TICS was answered by N = 2,339 healthy participants aged 14 to 99. The sample was selected by random-route sampling. Exploratory factor analyses with Oblimin-rotated Principal Axis extraction were calculated. Confirmatory factor analyses applying Robust Maximum Likelihood estimations (MLM) tested model fit and configural invariance as well as the measurement invariance for gender and age. Reliability estimations and effect sizes are reported.

Results

In the exploratory factor analyses, both a two-factor and a nine-factor model emerged. Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in acceptable model fit (RMSEA), with model comparison fit statistics corroborating the superiority of the nine-factor model. Most factors were moderately to highly intercorrelated. Reliabilities were good to very good. Measurement invariance tests gave evidence for differential effects of gender and age on the factor structure. Furthermore, women and younger individuals, especially those aged 35 to 44, tended to report more chronic stress than men and older individuals.

Conclusions

The proposed nine-factor structure could be factorially validated, results in good scale reliability, and heuristically can be grouped by two higher-order factors: "High Demands" and "Lack of Satisfaction". Age and gender represent differentiable and meaningful contributors to the perception of chronic stress.

Age Identity in Context

The passage of time is fundamentally experienced through people’s interaction with their social worlds. Life-course scholars acknowledge the multiple aspects of time-based experience but have given little attention to age identity in a dynamic context. Drawing from a stress-process model, we expected that turbulence within people’s family relations and health declines would produce increases in subjective age. Family role transitions were also examined as potential factors that would hasten subjective aging, but only to the extent that they produced stress. We used the Midlife Development in the United States study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey. Regression results show that turbulence within one’s family accelerated age identity and that the effect of diminishing psychosocial resources explained this relationship. For the most part, however, changes within family roles did not affect age identity. On the other hand, the incidence of chronic health problems increased subjective ages, and this relationship too was mediated by the depletion of psychosocial resources. The findings demonstrate an interconnection between the stress process and age identity. Broadening our conception of time-based experience with attention to the stress process offers exciting directions for future theory and research in life course sociology.

Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im mittleren Erwachsenenalter

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkeit im mittleren Erwachsenenalter verändert. Mit Daten der Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters (ILSE) wurden die differenzielle Stabilität, Mittelwertsveränderungen und individuelle Veränderungen von Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu drei Messzeitpunkten über einen Zeitraum von 12 Jahren untersucht. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 323 Erwachsenen mit einer Alterspanne von 42 bis 46 Jahren zu Beginn der Studie. Die Resultate weisen bei Neurotizismus und Extraversion auf kleine Mittelwertsveränderungen hin. Die längsschnittlichen Stabilitätskoeffizienten bewegten sich um den Wert .70, was auf eine hohe differenzielle Stabilität hinweist. Schließlich findet sich bei 67% der Erwachsenen mittleren Alters mindestens eine reliable Veränderung in einer Persönlichkeitsdimension innerhalb eines Messzeitraums. Insgesamt legen die längsschnittlichen Ergebnisse nahe, dass die Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im mittleren Erwachsenenalter sowohl von Stabilität auf der Populationsebene wie auch von Veränderung auf der individuellen Ebene gekennzeichnet ist.

Resources, stressors and psychological distress among older adults in Chennai, India

Scant information exists on the complex interaction between resources and stressors and their subsequent influence on the psychological distress of older adults in India. Within the framework of resource theory, the present study examined the various pathways through which resources and stressors influence psychological distress by testing four models - the independence model, the stress-suppression model, the counteractive model and the resource-deterioration model. The independence model posits that resources and stressors have a direct relationship with psychological distress. The stress-suppression model hypothesizes that stressors mediate the influence of resources on psychological distress. The counteractive model postulates that stressors mobilize resources, which in turn influence psychological distress. The resource-deterioration model states that stressors deplete resources and subsequently exacerbate distress. In the present study, resources include social support, religiosity and mastery; stressors include life events, abuse and health problems. Psychological distress was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale and Geriatric Depression Scale. Interviews were conducted among 400 adults aged 65 years and above, randomly selected from the electoral list of urban Chennai, India. The battery of instruments was translated into Tamil (local language) by back-translation. Structural Equation Modeling was conducted to test the three models. The results supported the stress-suppressor model. Resources had an indirect, negative relationship with psychological distress, and stressors had a direct, positive effect on distress. As such there is a need to identify and strengthen the resources available to older adults in India.

Evaluation of disk position and prevalence of internal derangement, in a sample of the elderly, by gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

OBJECTIVES

To assess disk position and the prevalence of disk displacement (DD) in a sample of the elderly by use of contrast agent-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

STUDY DESIGN

Thirty subjects (73-75 years old) were drawn from a representative sample and examined clinically. The position and contours of the temporomandibular disk was assessed by using gadolinium-enhanced MR images which were evaluated by 2 independent raters. Statistical assessment was performed by using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests.

RESULTS

Agreement between raters with respect to disk position was excellent. The MRI showed that 8 subjects (27%; 2 men, 6 women) had DD.

CONCLUSION

Gadolinum-enhanced MRI showed that DD is common in the elderly (27%) and that DD occurs more frequently in women than in men. In women without DD the disk is positioned more anteriorly than in men.

Marital interaction in middle and old age: a predictor of marital satisfaction?

Many studies point out the importance of marital satisfaction for well-being. However, although being married is still the norm in middle and old age, research on the determinants of marital satisfaction has neglected long-term marriages. While research on short-term marriages mainly focuses on partner fit (e.g., in personality traits and socio-economic status), marital interactions should be more important for marital satisfaction in long-term marriages. In this article we examine the role of both stable, dispositional factors and of marital interaction in predicting marital satisfaction in long-term marriages in middle and old age. With data from 588 married women and men in middle and old age who participated in the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE), we examined age and gender differences in the role of socio-economic status, personality, and marital interaction as predictors of marital satisfaction. Results showed a) that socio-economic factors and personality played a minor role in predicting marital satisfaction, and b) that a high quality of dyadic interaction was particularly important for the marital satisfaction of women. The implications of these findings for future research and interventions on marital interaction in middle and old age are discussed.

Predicting tooth color from facial features and gender: results from a white elderly cohort

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Clinicians providing edentulous patients with complete dentures are often confronted with the problem of not knowing the patient's natural tooth color. It would be valuable to be able to determine this from other facial features.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to assess the possibility of predicting tooth color in the elderly from hair and eye color, facial skin complexion, and gender.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (h*) of the color of 541 natural teeth were measured for a white study population (94 subjects, 75 to 77 years old, 55.3% male) by means of a single measurement with a clinically applicable spectrophotometer. Hair and eye color and facial skin complexion were recorded in categories. Mixed-effects regression models were calculated for each L*, C*, and h* value with hair and eye color, facial skin complexion, and gender as independent variables (alpha=.05).

RESULTS

Only gender and hair color in univariate analysis and, additionally, eye color in multivariate analysis, were significant predictors of tooth color. Higher L* values (lighter color) were associated with lighter eye color and with female gender. The C* value was lower (less saturated) for women. More yellow/green than yellow/red h* values were associated with hair colors other than black and with female gender. However, the parameter estimates of the variables were rather low.

CONCLUSIONS

Determination of tooth color from hair and eye color and from gender in the white elderly was only partially possible.

Cross-Sectional Age Differences and Longitudinal Age Changes of Personality in Middle Adulthood and Old Age

The present study examines different aspects of personality continuity (or change) in middle adulthood and old age both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The sample comprised 445 middle-aged (42-46 years) and 420 older (60-64 years) participants, reassessed after a 4-year interval. Personality was measured using the NEO-FFI personality inventory. After having established strict factorial invariance, factor covariances were found to be equal for both age groups and at both testing occasions, indicating perfect structural continuity of personality. A number of age differences in personality emerged at both measurement occasions. Longitudinally, in both age groups, an average decline in Neuroticism was observed. Longitudinal stability coefficients were around .80 in middle-aged and old participants, implying high, but not perfect, differential continuity. With respect to continuity of divergence, statistically significant cross-sectional age differences were found for the variance of Openness at both measurement occasions. Eventually, concerning specific versus general continuity, a variety of medium effect-sized correlated changes in the Big Five personality domains across the 4-year period was established, implying that personality changes share a certain amount of commonality.

Personality, aging self-perceptions, and subjective health: a mediation model

Since the global item of subjective health has emerged as a strong predictor of important health outcomes such as mortality, there have been many attempts to uncover its correlates. In this study, we tested whether personality as assessed via the five-factor model of personality predicted subjective health when physician-rated health and depression were controlled for. We analyzed a cohort of 362 German community-dwelling 60-year-olds from the first wave of the ongoing Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Aging. We found that neuroticism, but none of the other four personality factors, predicted subjective health. However, the association between neuroticism and subjective health was mediated by aging self-stereotypes (attitudes toward oneself as an aging person), which in recent studies have been shown to influence older individuals' health behaviors and functional health. The results indicate that those high in neuroticism tend to have more negative aging self-stereotypes; these aging self-stereotypes, in turn, seem to affect how those individuals globally perceive their own health. Unlike many predictors of subjective health, such as age, gender, socio-cultural differences, actual health, or personality traits, negative attitudes about one's own aging may be modified through adequate intervention.

Management of Diabetes in Older Adults

Enhanced life expectancy and the aging of society have conspired with rising rates of obesity and physical inactivity to cause an unprecedented increase in diabetes prevalence worldwide. The disease and its chronic complications have unique presentations and challenges in the elderly. Postprandial hyperglycemia may be the predominant manifestation, comorbid health conditions are often present, and the risk of cardiovascular disease is vastly increased. Periodic screening is essential for early diagnosis and proper treatment. The principles of multidisciplinary management emphasizing nutrition, exercise, education, psychosocial care, attention to concomitant metabolic risk factors, and prudent use of pharmacologic agents are the mainstay of therapy for older adults. Treatment should be tailored to the individual patient, and the assistance of family and caregivers should be combined with rational utilization of community resources. An evidence-based, comprehensive, and proactive approach is needed to reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality from diabetes in the elderly.

Predictors of cognitive complaints in older adults: a mixture regression approach

The present paper examined four hypotheses regarding the nature of cognitive complaints in older adults. Analyzing data from 607 participants (mean age=62.9 years, SD=0.92 years, 59-65 years), we tested the influence of actual cognitive test performance, negative age stereotypes, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and conscientiousness on cognitive complaints. Bivariate correlations confirmed relations of all hypothesized predictors with cognitive complaints. However, considering all predictors simultaneously in an OLS regression analysis, particularly depressive symptoms and neuroticism were revealed as accounting for large proportions of variance in cognitive complaints. Utilizing mixture regression analyses, evidence for distinct subgroups was obtained in which cognitive complaints were explained by different predictor patterns.

Diagnostik von Ressourcen im Alter

Zusammenfassung: Als Ergänzung zur psychopathologisch orientierten Diagnostik zieht seit einiger Zeit die Beschäftigung mit Stärken, Kompetenzen und Ressourcen einer Person Aufmerksamkeit auf sich, zuletzt unter den Bemühungen der Positiven Psychologie. Gerade die Alterspsychotherapie kann von einer Ressourcenorientierung profitieren. Dieser Artikel verfolgt zum einen das Ziel, Instrumente zur Diagnostik verschiedener Ressourcen darzustellen, zum anderen Befunde zu positiven Konsequenzen dieser Ressourcen im Alter zusammenzufassen. Berücksichtigt werden emotionale Ressourcen (positiver Affekt, Lebenszufriedenheit, Selbstwerterleben), motivationale Ressourcen (Kontrollüberzeugung, Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung, dispositionaler Optimismus, optimistischer Attributionsstil, Hoffnung, intrinsische Lebensziele), volitionale Ressourcen (Handlungsorientierung, Selbstregulation und Selbstkontrolle, Aufmerksamkeitsregulation, Emotionsregulation), interpersonale Ressourcen (Bindung, Altruismus, soziale Verantwortung, Vergebung, Humor) und soziale Ressourcen (soziales Netzwerk, soziale Unterstützung, Partnerbeziehung). Diskutiert wird die Notwendigkeit einer Diagnostik der Ressourcen in der Psychotherapie, vorgeschlagene Änderungen am DSM-IV und Schlussfolgerungen für geplante Forschungsprojekte.

Subjective cognitive complaints, memory performance, and depressive affect in old age: a change-oriented approach

The question of whether and how subjective cognitive complaints are related to actual cognitive performance represents a central issue in applied cognitive aging research. Until recently, however, many studies have failed to find a strong association between subjective cognitive complaints and actual cognitive performance. In our study, we examine two alternative explanations: a) for methodological reasons, strong associations exist only when latent changes rather than differences are examined, and b) strong associations exist only between changes in depression and complaints, not between changes in cognitive performance and complaints. With 427 participants (M = 63 years) and two measurements, we examine both the relation between functioning, complaints, and depressive affect at each measurement point, and the relation between changes in functioning, changes in complaints, and changes in depressive affect between the measurement points with latent difference variables. The results indicate that there are substantial relations between changes in functioning, changes in depression, and changes in complaints.

The German Center for Research on Aging at the University of Heidelberg: an interdisciplinary approach

In September 1995, the German Center for Research on Aging at the University of Heidelberg had been founded to become a leading national center of excellence with a clear interdisciplinary scope of ageing research activities. So far, three departments have been built up successively: the Department of Social and Environmental Gerontology (established in 1997, chair: Prof. Hans-Werner Wahl), the Department of Adult Development (established in 1998, provisional chair: Prof. Andreas Kruse), and the Department of Epidemiology (established in 2000, chair: Prof. Hermann Brenner). As one of the next steps, the disciplinary spectrum of the Center will be complemented by setting up several junior research groups in molecular ageing research. Within the few years of its existence, the Center has set up multiple large-scale, extramurally funded cross-sectional, case-control and longitudinal studies. These studies provide a unique common basis for interdisciplinary collaboration both within the Center and with the Center's numerous national and international research partners.

The effect of social relations with children on the education-health link in men and women aged 40 and over

Accumulated evidence demonstrates a strong relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. Our examination of this relationship focuses on education, an established indicator of SES, and tests whether social relations, particularly with children, mediate and/or moderate the education-health link for middle-aged and older parents. The data are drawn from a regionally representative sample of adults (aged 40-93) in the Detroit area, USA. All analyses are stratified by gender (N=males: 330; females: 468). A series of multiple regression analyses were performed to test whether social relations mediate the association between education and health. Although analyses revealed no mediation effect, both men and women with less education were found to have smaller social networks. Women with more education confided less in their children than women with less education did. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were performed to test whether social relations variables moderate the relationship between education and health. Separate analyses by gender indicated that men, but not women, with less education who had larger networks and who perceived emotional, financial and sick care support to be available from a child had lower scores on a health problems index. Findings indicate that the health of lower-educated men in the presence of key social supports parallels the advantaged health status of men with higher levels of education. These findings suggest that social relationships may be a protective factor for the health of men in the lower socioeconomic strata.

The Martin and Park Environmental Demands (MPED) Questionnaire: psychometric properties of a brief instrument to measure self-reported environmental demands

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The present study examines the usefulness of a newly developed instrument, the Martin and Park Environmental Demands (MPED) Questionnaire, to measure the level of self-reported environmental demands of day-to-day events faced by adults aged 35 to 84 years, particularly as these demands influence forgetfulness in taking medications.

METHODS

The MPED has two scales including Busyness, which addresses the density or pace of daily events to which an individual attends; and Routine, addressing the predictability or routinization of events independent of density. The MPED was administered to a sample of 121 rheumatoid arthritis patients, along with a baseline assessment battery measuring age, education, employment status, household size and other factors that might influence self-perception of Busyness and Routine.

RESULTS

The scale showed good internal consistency and external validity. Higher levels of environmental demand were negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with employment, household size and medication-taking errors. There was a significant independent association between Busyness and adherence errors even after controlling for the effects of these sociodemographic variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The MPED is recommended when trying to assess the general daily level of environmental demands.

Can longitudinal changes in processing speed explain longitudinal age changes in fluid intelligence?

The processing-speed theory of cognitive aging contends tha age-related declines in intellectual function reflect the consequences of age-related slowing of processing speed. Cross-sectional data support this assumption. The association between 4-year changes in processing speed and 4-year changes in fluid intelligence was examined with a sample of 417 older adults. Changes in processing speed correlated .53 with changes in fluid intelligence. The difference in the explanatory power of processing speed regarding age-related differences and age-related changes is discussed with reference to other longitudinal studies and methodological considerations.