Continuity and Change in Relationships with Neighbors: Implications for Psychological Well-being in Middle and Later Life

Comparing Neighbors and Friends in Age-Related Network Changes

OBJECTIVES

To assess how the role of neighbors and friends in people's networks changes with age and how this is affected by cohort, marriage, employment, and socioeconomic status. The hypothesis is that for most aspects of the network, friends lose "importance" as people become older, with neighbors gradually becoming more dominant in the nonkin network.

METHODS

Data are used for people aged 55-90 between 1999 and 2019 from the Swiss Household Panel (N = 5,585). A total of 4 network aspects were measured: size, contact, practical support, and emotional support. Measures for neighbors and friends were compared and analyzed with fixed-effects and hybrid-effects regression models on person-year observations.

RESULTS

The sizes of both network segments declined with age but more strongly for friends than neighbors. Contact with friends was stable but contact with neighbors increased. Support from friends declined whereas support from neighbors was stable. Direct comparisons revealed that the relative share of neighbors vis-à-vis friends increased as people age. Friends were more common and supportive vis-à-vis neighbors for divorced and widowed people than for married people, but this gap declined with age. The share of neighbors increased with retirement, especially for men. The share of neighbors vis-à-vis friends was also larger for people with less income and education and this gap did not change with age.

DISCUSSION

In the nonkin part of older adults' networks, proximity eventually becomes dominant. This finding is interpreted in terms of rising needs, greater opportunity for local contact, and friend mortality risks, all favoring the neighbor segment of the network.

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.

Hospice Caregivers' Perception of Family and Non-Family Social Support and Stress over Time: Associations with Reports of General Support

Social support has been identified as a key factor to protect wellbeing for home hospice cancer caregivers. However, few studies have assessed social support over time in this context, and measures of support are often limited to general assessments of perceived support. Our goal was to (1) describe change in cancer home hospice caregivers' social support over time during care and into bereavement and (2) explore the impact of perceived stress and support from family and non-family members on caregivers' perceived general social support. We conducted a secondary analysis of longitudinal prospective questionnaire data. Forty caregivers completed measures of general perceived support, family and non-family support and stress during hospice enrollment and 2 and 6 months post the patient's death. Linear mixed models were used to determine change in support over time and the contribution of specific support/stress ratings to general support assessments. Caregivers overall had moderate and stable levels of social support over time, though there was significant variation between and within individuals. Family and non-family support and stress from family predicted general perceptions of social support, while no effects were found for non-family stress. This work suggests a need for more specific measures of support and stress, and the need for research to focus on improving baseline levels of caregiver perceived support.

Determining the correlation between old age adaptation, aging in place and depression in older adults: A descriptive correlational study

We conducted this study to determine the correlation between old age adaptation, aging in place, and depression in older adults. We carried out the descriptive correlational study with older adults (n:319) Ağrı Provincial Directorate of Health between October 2021 and April 2022. "SPSS 25 and Amos 23 programs" were used in the analysis of the data. Python 3.11.1, Microsoft Power BI programs were used for machine learning and graphical visualizations. In the study, it was determined that the model for the relationship between aging at a place level, adaptation difficulty in older adults level, and geriatric depression level was significant (F(2,316) = 37.002, p = 0.001). The aging in place level and the adaptation difficulty in older adults level explain 18.5% of the total variance of the level of geriatric depression. In the regression model, it was determined that the increase in the level of aging in place (t = -6.081, p < 0.001) and the decrease in the level of adaptation difficulty in older adults (t = 4.107, p < 0.001) of the participants caused a statistical decrease in the level of "Geriatric Depression." It has been determined that adaptation difficulty in older adults has a moderator role in the relationship between geriatric depression level and aging in place level. In our data set, while the estimate of the presence of depression was 40 % with logistic regression analysis, it was 97 % with Random Forest. The study determined that as the level of aging in -place increased and the adaptation difficulty in older adults decreased, and depression decreased.

Localized social capital in action: How neighborhood relations buffered the negative impact of COVID-19 on subjective well-being and trust

The importance of neighbors is highlighted in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic: they offer support by providing small services and a sense of community. Using panel data from Switzerland, this study investigates how and for whom relations with neighbors changed during the pandemic. In a second step, changes in subjective well-being and trust in other people are linked to changes in neighborly relations. The results show that the negative impact of the pandemic on people's subjective well-being and trust was much less pronounced for those who improved their relations with neighbors. Meanwhile, people with more resources prior to the pandemic were generally more likely to improve neighborly relations. Consequently, the most vulnerable groups in terms of health and socio-economic status saw their subjective well-being and trust negatively impacted through the challenging circumstances of the pandemic as well as indirectly through a relative deterioration of neighborly relations. Robustness analyses further show that the documented effects are attributable to changes induced by the pandemic.

Exploring the longitudinal clustering of lifestyle behaviors, social determinants of health, and depression

Lifestyle behaviors such as exercise, sleep, smoking, diet, and social interaction are associated with depression. This study aimed to model the complex relationships between lifestyle behaviors and depression and among the lifestyle behaviors. Data from three waves of the Midlife in the United States study were used, involving 6898 adults. Network models revealed associations between the lifestyle behaviors and depression, with smoker status being strongly associated with depression. Depression, smoker status, age, time, and exercise were some of the most central components of the networks. Future lifestyle intervention research might prioritize specific behaviors based on these associations and centrality indices.

Social Networks in an Assisted Living Community: Correlates of Acquaintance and Companionship Ties Among Residents

OBJECTIVES

Social relationships are important for older adults' well-being, including those who live in assisted living (AL) communities. This study explores coresident networks within an AL community and identifies factors associated with residents' social ties.

METHODS

Acquaintance and companionship networks within the community are described using cross-sectional survey data (N = 38). We use inferential network statistical methods to estimate parameters for factors associated with residents' acquaintance and companionship ties.

RESULTS

Residents reported an average of 10 acquaintances and almost 4 companionships with other residents in the sample. The likelihood a resident had an acquaintance was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning (p < .05), higher levels of physical limitations (p < .01), living in the AL community for a longer time (p < .01), and less frequent contact with outside family and friends (p < .05). Acquaintances were more likely between residents who moved in around the same time as each other (p < .01), lived on the same floor (p < .001), or had similar levels of physical limitations (p < .05). Companionships were more likely to be reported by male residents (p < .05) and residents with higher levels of cognitive functioning (p < .05) or depressive symptoms (p < .05). Longtime residents were more popular as companions (p < .01). Companionships were more likely between residents who lived on the same floor (p < .001) or were similar in age (p < .01).

DISCUSSION

This research contributes to the literature of older adults' nonkin social relationships by providing detailed descriptions of the acquaintance and companionship networks within an AL community, quantifying correlates of residents' social ties, and distinguishing between acquaintances and companions.

Evidence that loneliness can be reduced by a whole-of-community intervention to increase neighbourhood identification

RATIONALE

Social identification with the people in one's neighbourhood has a wide variety of benefits for individual and community health and wellbeing. In particular, previous research shows that residents' social identification with their neighbourhood is protective of mental health. However, researchers are only just beginning to design and evaluate interventions that directly target social identification on health grounds.

OBJECTIVE

This longitudinal study evaluated a whole-of-community intervention at scale (Neighbour Day, 2019), in which Australian residents were encouraged to build social connections in their local community. Neighbour Day is a campaign that seeks to raise public awareness of the importance of connecting with neighbours and had a reach of approximately 300,000 people in 2019.

METHODS

Participants were 437 hosts of neighbourhood events held across 276 diverse suburbs across Australia. Participants were surveyed at three-time points; before and after Neighbour Day, as well as at six-month follow up.

RESULTS

Hosting a Neighbour Day event led to a significant increase in neighbourhood social identification, which was sustained six months later. This increase in social identification predicted increased social cohesion, reduced loneliness and improved wellbeing.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that neighbourhood identification is an effective target mechanism to curb loneliness and social fragmentation in the community. Implications are discussed with a focus on how social identity-building interventions can be effectively implemented in community settings to benefit public health.

Does Facilitating Human–Place Bonds Alleviate the Negative Effects of Incivilities on Health?

The present study has two purposes—methodological and theoretical. The methodological purpose is to examine a method for the analysis of perceived incivilities and health in urban neighbourhoods. The current study investigates the direct and indirect relationships between the two variables. The theoretical purpose is to measure neighbourhood incivility as a second-order latent variable that represents physical and social incivilities, and investigates place identity and place attachment as mediators in the relationship between incivilities and health. Previous research has focused on a single dimension of incivility. By contrast, the current study considers a multidimensional form of incivility. This quantitative study comprises 265 residents from an urban neighbourhood in Penang, Malaysia. The results of the structural equation modelling suggest that perceptions towards neighbourhood play a mediating role in the relationship between incivility and health. The mediation roles of place identity and place attachment in the relationship between incivilities and health are also supported. Thus, facilitating human–place bonds alleviates the negative effects of incivilities on health in the study neighbourhood. Residents are less attached to neighbourhoods that are perceived as socially and physically deteriorated. Thus, reducing incivilities and improving place attachment may enhance neighbourhood health.

Implications of relationships with family, friends, and neighbors for changes in women's well-being in late life

This study examined whether relationships with family, friends, and neighbors (both satisfaction and number in the social network) were associated with older women's well-being concurrently and over two years. Additionally, age differences among older women were explored. Women aged 60+ (N = 224, M_age = 80) were sampled from the Social Integration and Aging Study. Greater family and friend satisfaction were positively associated with well-being; number in network was not. Age-related effects for family and friend relationships suggested potential protective effects for the oldest women. Findings highlight unique facets of older women's relationships, suggesting future directions addressing age and support source.

An Inclusive Approach to Partnerships for the SDGs: Using a Relationship Lens to Explore the Potential for Transformational Collaboration

Partnerships are positioned as critical for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations transformational agenda for 2030. The widespread use of terms such as ‘collaboration’, ‘partnership’ and ‘cooperation’ has, however, led to debates about the expectations of such relationships and calls have been made for more rigorous clarification and classification of these related concepts. Drawing upon a comprehensive literature review, we argue in this conceptual paper that the broad spectrum of personal and organizational interactions within, between and across different sectors, domains, disciplines and contexts makes the quest to delineate and categorize these diverse forms of collaboration a seemingly impossible task. We further suggest that such efforts advance a narrow view of partnership as little more than a means to an end, thus limiting understanding of the integrative and intrinsic value of working in this way. We believe that a more inclusive understanding of partnerships may be achieved by exploring them through a relationship lens that acknowledges the importance of inter-personal connections in partnerships more deeply. In doing so, the capacity of partnerships to generate the systemic change that is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development may be enhanced and ultimately realized.

Community Gerontology: A Framework for Research, Policy, and Practice on Communities and Aging

We introduce "community gerontology" as an area of research, policy, and practice that aims to advance understanding of communities as fundamental contexts for aging and its diversity, and to leverage this understanding for change. We present a foundational framework for community gerontology in three parts. First, we discuss the mesolevel as the unifying construct for community gerontology. Second, we describe community gerontology's focus on pathways of mutual influence between the mesolevel with more micro and macro contexts over time. Third, we put forth community gerontology's emphasis on gerontologists' participation in community change processes to facilitate more optimal experiences of aging among diverse population subgroups. We conclude by describing the integrative nature of community gerontology and the ways that this framework can advance research on particular substantive areas, as well as gerontology as a whole.

Day-to-Day Contact and Help Among Neighbors Measured in the Natural Environment

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Empirical evidence suggests that the concept of "neighboring" (i.e., social contact and social support within a neighborhood) is related to between-person differences in well-being among older adults. However, little is known about the within-person differences in older adults' everyday lives, which limits the ecological validity of prior findings. This study examined within-person associations between neighboring and the existence of positive valence, loneliness, and attachment to one's neighborhood.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 4,620 observations of 20 days, drawn from 77 adults aged between 61 and 90 years. A mobile application on a smartphone was used for data collection.

RESULTS

The results of the multilevel analysis suggest that daily contact with one's neighbors was not significantly associated with daily positive valence, but it was positively related to daily feelings of not being alone and daily attachment to one's neighborhood.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

The study makes noteworthy contributions to the field of gerontology by applying a micro-longitudinal research design to assess real-life within-person information.

Social Interactions among Older Adults Who Wish for Death

Objectives: When the need for relatedness is frustrated, some older adults feel that life is not worth living and wish for death (WD). The aim of this study was to look at the perception of social interactions among older adults who express the WD.Methods: A probabilistic sample of 2787 French-speaking community-dwelling older adults aged 65 to 96 years (M = 73.8) took part in the Seniors Health Survey, a study on the prevalence of mental disorders which also collected information on various demographic and social variables.Results: Results showed that 5% of participants expressed WD. Participants who WD felt significantly more isolated and in conflict with their children than participants without WD. When sociodemographic variables, self-rated physical health, and depression were controlled, three social variables predicted WD in a logistic regression: being distant toward others, dissatisfaction with social life, and a lack of participation in organizations.Conclusions: Results of the present study support the interpersonal theory of suicide, which suggests that self-reported thwarted belongingness can foster WD.Clinical implications: Clinicians should consider social dissatisfaction and withdrawal as risk factors for WD and design interventions that foster social skills or meaningful connections.

Reprint of: Positive Psychological Well-Being and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Health Promotion Series

Facets of positive psychological well-being, such as optimism, have been identified as positive health assets because they are prospectively associated with the 7 metrics of cardiovascular health (CVH) and improved outcomes related to cardiovascular disease. Connections between psychological well-being and cardiovascular conditions may be mediated through biological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. Individual-level interventions, such as mindfulness-based programs and positive psychological interventions, have shown promise for modifying psychological well-being. Further, workplaces are using well-being-focused interventions to promote employee CVH, and these interventions represent a potential model for expanding psychological well-being programs to communities and societies. Given the relevance of psychological well-being to promoting CVH, this review outlines clinical recommendations to assess and promote well-being in encounters with patients. Finally, a research agenda is proposed. Additional prospective observational studies are needed to understand mechanisms underlying the connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, rigorous intervention trials are needed to assess whether psychological well-being-promoting programs can improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Positive Psychological Well-Being and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Health Promotion Series

Facets of positive psychological well-being, such as optimism, have been identified as positive health assets because they are prospectively associated with the 7 metrics of cardiovascular health (CVH) and improved outcomes related to cardiovascular disease. Connections between psychological well-being and cardiovascular conditions may be mediated through biological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. Individual-level interventions, such as mindfulness-based programs and positive psychological interventions, have shown promise for modifying psychological well-being. Further, workplaces are using well-being-focused interventions to promote employee CVH, and these interventions represent a potential model for expanding psychological well-being programs to communities and societies. Given the relevance of psychological well-being to promoting CVH, this review outlines clinical recommendations to assess and promote well-being in encounters with patients. Finally, a research agenda is proposed. Additional prospective observational studies are needed to understand mechanisms underlying the connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, rigorous intervention trials are needed to assess whether psychological well-being-promoting programs can improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Live-in "strangers": An experiential account of gerontology educational immersion in senior housing

Gerontology education programs that combine elements of experiential service-learning, community participation, and residential immersion have been emerging in the United States and internationally. Combining fieldwork, interviews, and immersion methods, this study draws on qualitative ethnographic and phenomenologic design, whereby a student lived in senior housing for 3.5 years. The study is among the longest and most intensive gerontological field experiences ever reported. It is based on more than 2,000 hours of observations and conversational interviews with 14 residents. Major patterns based on observational data show the importance of shared history, support for one another, negotiating environmental tensions, and demand for attention on the part of residents. Major themes derived from interviews elaborate on family conflict, conflict between residents, and life decisions. Results show that a unique combination of physical and social proximity in an intergenerational alliance enables life enhancement for older adults and learning opportunities for students. A recommendation is made to implement a live-in role more formally.

The mediating effect of neighbor relationship between community social support and elderly's subjective well-being in China

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between community social support, neighbor relationship, and the subjective well-being of the elderly in China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model based on a sample of 2732 senior adults from 2010 Chinese General Social Survey. Results showed that community social support could indirectly affect the subjective well-being of the elderly through the complete mediating effect of neighbor relationship, although there was no significant correlation between community social support and the elderly's subjective well-being. Implications for theory, social work, and social policy were discussed.

Purpose in life predicts allostatic load ten years later

OBJECTIVE

Living a purposeful life is associated with better mental and physical health, including longevity. Accumulating evidence shows that these associations might be explained by the association between life purpose and regulation of physiological systems involved in the stress response. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between life purpose and allostatic load over a 10-year period.

METHODS

Analyses were conducted using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey. Assessment of life purpose, psychological covariates and demographics were obtained at baseline, while biomarkers of allostatic load were assessed at the 10-year follow-up.

RESULTS

We found that greater life purpose predicted lower levels of allostatic load at follow-up, even when controlling for other aspects of psychological well-being potentially associated with allostatic load. Further, life purpose was also a strong predictor of individual differences in self-health locus of control-i.e., beliefs about how much influence individuals can exert on their own health-which, in turn, partially mediated the association between purpose and allostatic load. Although life purpose was also negatively linked to other-health locus of control-i.e., the extent to which individuals believe their health is controlled by others/chance-this association did not mediate the impact of life purpose on allostatic load.

CONCLUSION

The current study provides the first empirical evidence for the long-term physiological correlates of life purpose and supports the hypothesis that self-health locus of control acts as one proximal psychological mechanism through which life purpose may be linked to positive biological outcomes.

Support from Neighbors and Aging in Place: Can NORC Programs Make a Difference?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

There is growing enthusiasm for community-level efforts to strengthen supportive relationships among neighbors to enhance aging in place. However, there is little research on how older adults perceive support from neighbors in terms of helping them to remain in their own homes and communities safely and comfortably, particularly in the face of later life challenges. There also is little systematic study of ways in which community initiatives might influence these relationships.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 41 older adults from seven Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Supportive Service Program (NORC program) catchment areas in the greater New York City area. A grounded theory approach was used to identify themes and develop an empirically grounded account of NORC programs, support among neighbors, and aging in place.

RESULTS

Participants identified several ways in which NORC programs influenced support among neighbors, such as by serving as a conduit for information sharing and helping older adults to broaden their private networks of social relationships. Overall, however, participants more consistently described limitations of the NORC programs' influence on support within these relationships. Participants also described how other sources of support were necessary in addition to support from neighbors to help people overcome major challenges to aging in place.

IMPLICATIONS

Results suggest the importance of neighbors-helping-neighbors approaches to promote aging in place as a complement, rather than substitute, to other efforts, such as those that focus on enhancing access to formal providers and strengthening care within families.

Wellbeing impacts of city policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions

To mitigate climate change, city authorities are developing policies in areas such as transportation, housing and energy use, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to their effects on greenhouse gas emissions, these policies are likely to have consequences for the wellbeing of their populations for example through changes in opportunities to take physical exercise. In order to explore the potential consequences for wellbeing, we first explore what ‘wellbeing’ is and how it can be operationalized for urban planners. In this paper, we illustrate how wellbeing can be divided into objective and subjective aspects which can be measured quantitatively; our review of measures informs the development of a theoretical model linking wellbeing to policies which cities use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, we discuss the extent to which the links proposed in the conceptual model are supported by the literature and how cities can assess wellbeing implications of policies.