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Korinek K, Young Y, Schmidt J, Toan TK, Zimmer Z. War-Related Life Course Stress and Late-Life Subjective Age in Northern Vietnam. Innov Aging 2024; 8:igae048. [PMID: 38912425 PMCID: PMC11192863 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igae048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives The role of early life stressors in subjective aging is weakly understood, especially in low- to middle-income countries. This paper investigated how early life stressors encountered in armed conflict influence subjective age among Vietnamese older adults who experienced war over decades of their early life. Research Design and Methods We analyzed survey data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study involving 2,447 Vietnamese older adults who encountered diverse war-related stressors in early adulthood. The analytical sample (N = 2,341) included 50.9% women and 49.1% men, with an average age of 69.8. 41.1% are military veterans. We conducted survey-adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses with mediation to predict the probability of feeling younger or older than one's chronological age. We examined how childhood adversity (i.e., childhood hunger and low parental SES) and wartime stressors (i.e., war-related violence, malevolent environment, and military service) influenced late-life subjective age, both directly and as mediated by late-life mental, functional, and physical health. Results We found significant associations between early adulthood war-related stressors and subjective age. Formal military service significantly lessened the relative risk of feeling subjectively old, and more plentiful wartime violence exposures significantly increased the risk of feeling younger than one's chronological age. Violence exposure's effects were both direct and indirect through functional and mental health. Conversely, greater exposure to wartime malevolent conditions (e.g., shortages of clean water and evacuations) and multiple episodes of severe hunger in childhood increased the risk of feeling older, effects both direct and mediated by late-life functional and mental health. Discussion and Implications Results suggest wartime stressors, especially war's malevolent environments and severe childhood hunger, experienced in many conflict-affected populations globally, have the potential to subjectively "age" survivors. Yet, not all war exposures are equal, and some may yield psychological and socioeconomic resources that support healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Korinek
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Yvette Young
- Laboratory of Migration and Mobility, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jefferson Schmidt
- Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Tran Khanh Toan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Zachary Zimmer
- Department of Family Studies and Gerontology, Center for Global Aging and Community, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Canada
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Greenblatt-Kimron L. The association between looming cognitive style and posttraumatic stress symptoms: The case of older Holocaust survivors. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 171:1-8. [PMID: 38217944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
The looming cognitive style (LCS) refers to a tendency to produce mental illustrations and images of adverse events and potentially threatening situations with perceived accumulating threat and danger. LCS is a well-known cognitive vulnerability for anxiety, nevertheless few studies examined the relationship between LCS and posttraumatic reactions. Among the existing studies, a higher LCS was reported in Holocaust survivors relative to matched comparisons, and directly associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in older Holocaust survivors. The current study aimed to expand the understanding of the relationship between LCS with PTSS in general, and among older Holocaust survivors in particular. Moreover, whether the number of Holocaust experiences encountered by Holocaust survivors moderated this relationship. The sample consisted of 153 older Holocaust survivors (Mage = 82.42, SD = 5.75). Participants were interviewed regarding their background characteristics, PTSS, LCS, and number of Holocaust experiences. Participants reporting higher LCS showed higher PTSS. There was an interaction between LCS and number of Holocaust experiences for predicting PTSS, suggesting that LCS was associated with higher PTSS to a stronger degree among Holocaust survivors who experienced a smaller number of Holocaust experiences. The findings indicate that Holocaust trauma may have influenced the LCS of Holocaust survivors throughout their lives and into old age. The results provide insight for mental health practitioners treating older Holocaust survivors in focusing on reducing schematic processing biases for threat information and anxiety to enhance better mental health for those suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms.
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Zisberg A, Gur-Yaish N, Shadmi E, Shulyaev K, Smichenko J, Rogozinski A, Palgi Y. The Role of Subjective Age in Predicting Post-Hospitalization Outcomes of Older Adults. Gerontology 2024; 70:361-367. [PMID: 38253031 PMCID: PMC11008723 DOI: 10.1159/000536364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Studies of community-dwelling older adults find subjective age affects health and functional outcomes. This study explored whether younger subjective age serves as a protective factor against hospital-associated physical, cognitive, and emotional decline, well-known consequences of hospitalization among the elderly. METHODS This study is a secondary data analysis of a subsample (N = 262; age: 77.5 ± 6.6 years) from the Hospitalization Process Effects on Mobility Outcomes and Recovery (HoPE-MOR) study. Psychological and physical subjective age, measured as participants' reports on the degree to which they felt older or younger than their chronological age, was assessed at the time of hospital admission. Independence in activities of daily living, life-space mobility, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms were assessed at hospital admission and 1 month post-discharge. RESULTS The odds of decline in cognitive status, functional status, and community mobility and the exacerbation of depressive symptoms were significantly lower in those reporting younger vs. older psychological subjective age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46-0.98; OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.36-0.98; OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44-0.93; OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.43-0.96, respectively). Findings were significant after controlling for demographic, functional, cognitive, emotional, chronic, and acute health predictors. Physical subjective age was not significantly related to post-hospitalization outcomes. CONCLUSION Psychological subjective age can identify older adults at risk for poor hospitalization outcomes and should be considered for preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zisberg
- The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Center of Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nurit Gur-Yaish
- The Center of Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Oranim Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tivon, Israel
| | - Efrat Shadmi
- The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ksenya Shulyaev
- The Center of Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Minerva Center on Intersectionality in Aging (MCIA), Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Juliana Smichenko
- The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amos Rogozinski
- The Cheryl Spencer Department of Nursing, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Maccabi Healthcare Services, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- The Center of Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Avidor S, Palgi Y, Solomon Z. The experience of aging before one's time during the coronavirus pandemic among war veterans in Israel. Psychiatry Res 2022; 316:114786. [PMID: 35994865 PMCID: PMC9364942 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Subjective age, the personal sense of how old one feels, is an important concomitant of posttraumatic outcomes in the second half of life. The present study aims to disentangle the interrelationships between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) and subjective age, during the COVID-19 pandemic, among a sample of Israeli older adults who are veterans of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Participants were interviewed in 2015 (T1; N = 259; mean age = 65.23, SD = 5.32) and in 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel (T2). We assessed subjective age, PTSS, fear of COVID-19, self-rated health, and COVID-19 related accelerated subjective aging. A cross-lagged path analysis showed that while higher PTSS at T1 were associated with an increase in subjective age from T1 to T2, subjective age at T1 was not associated with PTSS at T2. PTSS at T1, but not subjective age, were associated with higher COVID-19 related accelerated subjective aging at T2. Older adults with continued PTSS due to past traumas, might be susceptible to the stressors of COVID-19 expressed in the personal subjective experience of having aged quickly in a short period of time. Our findings also suggest that in the context of stress and trauma, subjective age is more appropriately conceived as an outcome variable rather than a predictor of PTSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Avidor
- Faculty of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 402500, Israel.
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, The Bob Shappell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Tingvold M, Albert I, Hoffmann M, Murdock E, Nell J, Kornadt AE. Subjective age, worry and risk-related perceptions in older adults in times of a pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274293. [PMID: 36174067 PMCID: PMC9522013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
During the Covid-19 pandemic, older people have been in the spotlight of the public debate. Given their higher risk of severe outcomes of the disease, they have been described as especially vulnerable and as a burden to others and society. We thus wanted to investigate how older people’s perception of their own age, that is their subjective age, as well as their Covid-19 related risks and worries were related during the pandemic and whether these relationships varied according to participants’ subjective health. We used data from the longitudinal CRISIS study which was conducted in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg in June and October 2020. Participants were aged 60–98 and responded on questionnaires regarding their subjective age, worry of falling ill with Covid-19, perceived risk of contracting the virus, perceived risk of falling seriously ill if they contracted Covid-19, as well as their subjective health and covariates. Three cross-lagged panel models were constructed to explore the longitudinal, bidirectional relationships between the variables. Cross-sectionally, a higher subjective age was related to more perceived risk of a serious course of disease. Longitudinally, subjective age and worry did not show any significant association over time, and neither did subjective age and perceived risk of contracting the virus. However, subjective health significantly moderated the relationship of worry and subjective age, showing different trajectories in the relationship depending on whether subjective health was good or bad. Higher perceived risk of falling seriously ill increased subjective age over time. Again, subjective health moderated this relationship: the perceived risk of falling seriously ill affected subjective age only for those with better subjective health. Our findings show the interactive relationship between subjective age and Covid-19 related cognitions and emotions and provide guidance for identifying older people that are most susceptible for negative age-related communication during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiken Tingvold
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- * E-mail:
| | - Isabelle Albert
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | | | - Elke Murdock
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Josepha Nell
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Anna E. Kornadt
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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Avidor S, Zerach G, Solomon Z. Aging together in the aftermath of war: marital adjustment and subjective age of veterans and their spouses. Aging Ment Health 2022; 26:1479-1486. [PMID: 33896297 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2021.1916877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Trauma has long-term effects on those directly exposed to it, but it also impacts those closest to them, particularly one's spouse, as the marital relationship is of central importance for late-life development. Furthermore, traumatic experiences have been shown to be involved in an acceleration of aging, whether through physical health, or via psychological pathways, through an older subjective age. The present work seeks to examine the mutual connections between marital adjustment and the psychological accelerated aging of both spouses among military veterans of the Israeli 1973 Yom Kippur War. METHOD Data from two assessments were drawn from a larger longitudinal study. In 2008 (T1) and again in 2015 (T2), 247 veterans and their wives were interviewed on their subjective age, marital adjustment, and PTSD symptoms. RESULTS An actor-partner interdependence model combined with an autoregressive cross-lagged model, controlling for T1 PTSD symptoms revealed that men's subjective age at T1 was associated with women's subjective age at T2, and women's subjective age at T1 was associated with men's subjective age at T2. Women's marital adjustment at T1 was associated with men's marital adjustment at T2 but not the other way around. CONCLUSION Spousal relationships are an important arena in the lives of older adult veterans. The present study contributes new knowledge regarding the paths that predict subjective age by taking account of the subjective age of one's spouse, as well as levels of marital adjustment. Insights regarding secondary traumatization, as well as gender differences, for the aging process are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Avidor
- Faculty of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - Gadi Zerach
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Kalir DM, Shrira A, Palgi Y, Batz C, Ben-Eliezer A, Heyman N, Lieberman D, Seleznev I, Shugaev I, Zaslavsky O, Zikrin E, Bodner E. Feeling Younger, Rehabilitating Better: Reciprocal and Mediating Effects between Subjective Age and Functional Independence in Osteoporotic Fracture and Stroke Patients. Gerontology 2022; 69:109-117. [PMID: 35613557 PMCID: PMC9808737 DOI: 10.1159/000524885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The current study aimed to find reciprocal effects between subjective age and functional independence during rehabilitation from osteoporotic fractures and stroke and whether these effects can be mediated by indicators of well-being. METHODS Participants were 194 older adults (mean age = 78.32 years, SD = 7.37; 64.8% women) who were hospitalized following an osteoporotic fracture or stroke. Participants completed measures of subjective age and well-being (i.e., optimism, self-esteem, and life satisfaction) several times during rehabilitation. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was completed by nursing personnel at admission and at discharge. RESULTS Younger subjective age at admission predicted higher FIM scores at discharge. The reverse effect, that is, of FIM scores at admission on subjective age at discharge, was nonsignificant. Optimism during hospitalization mediated the effect of subjective age on subsequent FIM scores while self-esteem and life satisfaction did not. Sensitivity analyses further showed that the effect of subjective age on FIM was significant for both fracture and stroke patients. DISCUSSION The findings highlight the effect of subjective age on rehabilitation outcomes among osteoporotic fractures and stroke patients and suggest several potential mechanisms behind this effect. Rehabilitation outcomes following osteoporotic fractures or strokes could improve if subjective age and an optimistic outlook are taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Shrira
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel,*Amit Shrira,
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Carmel Batz
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Noemi Heyman
- Department of Geriatrics, Shoham Medical Center, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Israel
| | - Devora Lieberman
- Department of Geriatrics, Soroka Medical Center, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Irena Seleznev
- Department of Geriatrics, Shoham Medical Center, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Israel
| | - Inna Shugaev
- Fliman Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital, Haifa, Israel,Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Oleg Zaslavsky
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Evgeniya Zikrin
- Department of Geriatrics, Soroka Medical Center, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel,Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Weissberger GH, Bodner E, Palgi Y, Kavé G, Shmotkin D, Shrira A. The Association Between Views of Aging and Subjective Cognitive Complaints in Older Adults: Findings From Two Samples. Res Aging 2022; 44:531-544. [PMID: 35229687 DOI: 10.1177/01640275211065150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This cross-sectional study examined whether views of aging (VoA) relate to subjective cognitive complaints in two separate cohorts of older adults. Ageist attitudes, attitudes to aging (psychological loss, physical change, and psychological growth), subjective age, and subjective successful aging were examined. A moderating effect of chronological age was also examined. Samples included 572 adults aged 50 or older (Sample 1; mean age = 67.63, SD = 11.39, 49.4% female) and 224 adults aged 65 or older (Sample 2; mean age = 81.50, SD = 6.61, 75.3% female). More negative VoA (higher ageist attitudes, lower psychological growth, lower physical change, older subjective age, and less successful aging) were associated with more subjective cognitive complaints after controlling for covariates. An increase in chronological age strengthened some of these associations. Findings suggest that improving dimensions of VoA may have a complementary positive effect on subjective cognitive complaints in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gali H Weissberger
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, 26731Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, 26731Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- 26748Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - Gitit Kavé
- Department of Education and Psychology, 42715The Open University of Israel, Raanana, Israel
| | - Dov Shmotkin
- School of Psychological Sciences, 26731Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Shrira
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, 26731Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Avidor S, Palgi Y, Solomon Z. The Moderating Role of Views of Aging in the Longitudinal Relationship Between Physical Health and Mental Distress. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 76:871-880. [PMID: 33254236 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Some degree of mental distress is commonly present in old age, and it is often exacerbated in later life following changes in physical health. This work presents in 2 studies among samples that have been exposed to stressful experiences in the past, a prospective examination of how the association between physical health and mental distress is attenuated by 2 forms of views on aging, evaluations of age, and evaluations of one's future. METHOD Study 1 (N = 226) was conducted in 2008 (Time 1) and 2014 (Time 2), among Israeli war veterans (mean age 64.90, SD = 5.04); Study 2 (N = 132) was conducted in 2014 (Time 1) and 2015 (Time 2) among older adults who were exposed to ongoing rocket fire in the south of Israel (mean age 66.44, SD = 9.77). Participants reported on their subjective age, subjective life expectancy (SLE [in Study 1]/distance to death [DtD; in Study 2]), health, and mental distress. RESULTS Both studies showed that after controlling for exposure to trauma and for Time 1 mental distress, Time 1 subjective age, but not SLE/DtD, moderated the association between Time 1 physical health and Time 2 mental distress. DISCUSSION Subjective age and SLE represent distinct features of views of aging. Subjective age may reflect perceptions of one's aging process, associated more directly with health-related outcomes over time. SLE reflects future, death-related perceptions, therefore perhaps less directly associated with such outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Avidor
- Faculty of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, The Bob Shappell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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Greenblatt-Kimron L, Ring L, Hoffman Y, Shrira A, Bodner E, Palgi Y. Subjective accelerated aging moderates the association between COVID-19 health worries and peritraumatic distress among older adults. Glob Ment Health (Camb) 2021; 8:e16. [PMID: 34192002 PMCID: PMC8082123 DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2021.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study examined whether subjective accelerated aging moderated the relationship between COVID-19 health worries and COVID-19 peritraumatic distress among older adults. METHOD The sample consisted of 277 older adults (M = 69.58, s.d. = 6.73, range 60-92) who answered an online questionnaire during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants completed the measures of background characteristics, exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19 health worries, subjective accelerated aging and COVID-19-based peritraumatic distress. RESULTS Higher levels of COVID-19 health worries were correlated with higher levels of peritraumatic distress symptoms among older adults. Moreover, those reporting accelerated aging also reported a higher level of peritraumatic distress. Finally, the interaction between COVID-19 health worries and subjective accelerated aging predicted peritraumatic distress, suggesting that COVID-19 worries were associated with peritraumatic distress to a stronger degree among older adults who felt they were aging faster. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that negative views of aging may serve as an amplifying factor for traumatic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although preliminary, the findings provide insight for potential screening and interventions of older adults at risk of developing peritraumatic distress symptoms during the global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lia Ring
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yaakov Hoffman
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Amit Shrira
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Terracciano A, Stephan Y, Aschwanden D, Lee JH, Sesker AA, Strickhouser JE, Luchetti M, Sutin AR. Changes in Subjective Age During COVID-19. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2021; 61:13-22. [PMID: 32766780 PMCID: PMC7454556 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaa104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To examine the change in subjective age with the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Two competing hypotheses were tested: (a) people felt increasingly older due to the stress generated by the pandemic and (b) people felt increasingly younger due to psychological distancing from older age, a vulnerability to COVID-19. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS An age- and sex-stratified sample of adults from across the United States (baseline N = 3,738) was assessed on 3 occasions: before the COVID-19 outbreak in late January/early February and during the outbreak in late March and again in late April. Multilevel modeling analysis examined the change in subjective age and tested potential moderators of individual differences in the trajectory of subjective age. RESULTS The average trajectory of subjective age followed a concave curve, with a nadir (feeling younger) during the second assessment in late March. Older age, negative expectations about aging, absence of preexisting conditions, and less stress during COVID-19 were associated with feeling younger but did not predict the rate of change. The only significant predictor of change in subjective age was the belief that the "coronavirus is only a threat to older adults": The more individuals agreed with this statement, the more likely it was that they felt increasingly younger at follow-up. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Subjective age changed during a global health crisis, with people feeling younger with the emergence of COVID-19. The findings support the hypothesis that subjective age partly reflects a coping process of psychological distancing from older age, the age group most vulnerable to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Terracciano
- Department of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | | | - Damaris Aschwanden
- Department of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | - Amanda A Sesker
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | - Jason E Strickhouser
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | - Martina Luchetti
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
| | - Angelina R Sutin
- Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee
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Mitina M, Young S, Zhavoronkov A. Psychological aging, depression, and well-being. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:18765-18777. [PMID: 32950973 PMCID: PMC7585090 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a multifactorial process, which affects the human body on every level and results in both biological and psychological changes. Multiple studies have demonstrated that a lower subjective age is associated with better mental and physical health, cognitive functions, well-being and satisfaction with life. In this work we propose a list of non-modifiable and modifiable factors that may possibly be influenced by subjective age and its changes across an individual's lifespan. These factors can be used for a future development of individual psychological aging clocks, which may be utilized as a sensitive measure for health status and overall life satisfaction. Furthermore, recent progress in artificial intelligence and biomarkers of biological aging have enabled scientists to discover and evaluate the efficacy of potential aging- and disease-modifying drugs and interventions. We propose that biomarkers of psychological age, which are just as important as those for biological age, may likewise be used for these purposes. Indeed, these two types of markers complement one another. We foresee the development of a broad range of parametric and deep psychological and biopsychological aging clocks, which may have implications for drug development and therapeutic interventions, and thus healthcare and other industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mitina
- Deep Longevity, Inc., Three Exchange Square, The Landmark, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Alex Zhavoronkov
- Deep Longevity, Inc., Three Exchange Square, The Landmark, Hong Kong, China,Insilico Medicine, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP), Hong Kong, China,The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA 94945, USA
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Positive mental health moderates the association between PTSD symptoms and subjective accelerated aging among older adults. Int Psychogeriatr 2020; 32:885-889. [PMID: 32690118 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610220001349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are known for predicting accelerated aging. However, it has not been examined whether individuals are subjectively aware of this process. The present study examined whether PTSD symptoms predict subjective accelerated aging and whether positive mental health status moderates this relationship. One hundred and thirty-two community-dwelling older adults (M = 66.85, SD = 9.13) who were sampled through random dialing of Jewish residents in the south of Israel completed the questionnaire twice: At Wave 1 after the flare-up of an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and at Wave 2, a year later. Participants reported their PTSD symptoms, positive mental health, and on their subjective accelerated aging a year later. Higher levels of PTSD symptoms and lower levels of positive mental health were separately related to increased subjective accelerated aging. Participants with a lower level of positive mental health demonstrated a stronger association between PTSD symptoms and subjective accelerated aging. These findings emphasize that individuals who suffer from higher levels of PTSD symptoms and specifically those with lower levels of positive mental health status tend to feel they are aging faster. This finding adds to previous research suggesting that alongside the physiological process of accelerated aging there is also a subjective similar process.
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Shrira A, Segel-Karpas D, Bodner E, Palgi Y. Subjective Age and Emotion Covariation: Findings From Two Daily Experience Studies. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:991-1000. [PMID: 30346582 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This article focuses on an aspect of emotional complexity as seen in the covariation between positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Lifespan theories predict distinctive patterns of change in emotion covariation with chronological age. Nevertheless, research shows mixed evidence with most studies failing to find a significant connection between chronological age and emotion covariation. We propose to look beyond chronological age and assess the relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation. Subjective age refers to how old one perceives oneself to be, and therefore may be more pertinent to one's emotional experience than chronological age. We further explored whether the relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation is modified by chronological age. METHOD We used data from 2 daily diary study samples (N = 188, mean age = 57.84, range = 29-100, and N = 334, mean age = 58.15, range = 30-90). RESULTS Multilevel models showed that individuals who perceived themselves as older showed stronger inverse PA-NA relationship, reflecting lower emotional complexity. Chronological age (net of subjective age) and emotion covariation were unrelated in both samples. Moreover, in Study 2 there was a 3-way interaction between PA, subjective age and chronological age, suggesting that subjective age is more strongly related to emotion covariation among older adults than among younger adults. DISCUSSION The relationship between subjective age and emotion covariation is discussed in light of lifespan theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrira
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Dikla Segel-Karpas
- Department of Gerontology and the Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences and the Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology and the Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Israel
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15
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Bergman YS, Bodner E, Koren E, Haber Y. The mediating role of will-to-live in the connection between subjective age and depressive symptoms in late life. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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16
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Hoffman Y, Shrira A. Variables Connecting Parental PTSD to Offspring Successful Aging: Parent-Child Role Reversal, Secondary Traumatization, and Depressive Symptoms. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:718. [PMID: 31681033 PMCID: PMC6803468 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of parental trauma on offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) are debated in the literature. Recently, scholars suggested that it may be more productive to ask when and via which mechanisms such effects are observed. Following, the current study examines if parental Holocaust-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are linked with the aging processes of their middle-aged offspring. Beyond this association, we also suggested a putative mediation path, indicating three underlying mechanisms by which parental trauma lingers on: perceived parent-child role reversal, secondary traumatization, and depressive symptoms. Using a convenience sample of 682 community-dwelling participants, comprising 341 older adult parent-middle-aged offspring dyads (M age = 81.71 and 54.58 for parents and offspring, respectively) to address this issue. Parents reported PTSD with the valid measure of PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition. OHS reported perceived parent-child role reversal, secondary traumatization, depressive symptoms, and completed indices of successful aging. Based on parents' reports, we divided the parent-offspring dyads into three groups: OHS whose parents had probable PTSD (n dyads = 43), OHS whose parents did not have PTSD (n dyads = 161), and comparison with parents who did not undergo the Holocaust (n dyads = 137). Findings reveal that OHS with parents suffering from probable PTSD aged less successfully than comparisons. Serial mediation analyses validated the aforementioned putative pathway (perceived parent-child role reversal, secondary traumatization, and depression) linking parental PTSD with offspring successful aging. Our findings are discussed through a vignette depicting a fictional OHS character. These underlying mechanisms suggest that different types of interventions, each geared towards a specific mechanism, may mitigate the lingering effect of parental PTSD on diminished OHS successful aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaakov Hoffman
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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17
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Greenblatt-Kimron L, Cohen M. The role of cognitive processing in the relationship of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression among older Holocaust survivors: a moderated-mediation model. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2019; 33:59-74. [DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2019.1669787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Greenblatt-Kimron
- School of Social Work, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Miri Cohen
- School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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18
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Abstract
Objectives: We provide a review of the literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in older adults, focusing largely on older U.S. military veterans in two primary areas: 1) assessment and diagnosis and 2) non-pharmacological treatment of PTSD in late life. Methods: We performed a search using PubMed and Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) databases and reviewed reference sections of selected papers. We also drew on our own clinical perspectives and reflections of seven expert mental health practitioners. Results: Rates of PTSD are lower in older compared with younger adults. The presence of sub-syndromal/partial PTSD is important and may impact patient functioning. Assessment requires awareness and adaptation for potential differences in PTSD experience and expression in older adults. Psychotherapies for late-life PTSD appear safe, acceptable and efficacious with cognitively intact older adults, although there are relatively few controlled studies. Treatment adaptations are likely warranted for older adults with PTSD and co-morbidities (e.g., chronic illness, pain, sensory, or cognitive changes). Conclusions: PTSD is an important clinical consideration in older adults, although the empirical database, particularly regarding psychotherapy, is limited. Clinical Implications: Assessment for trauma history and PTSD symptoms in older adults is essential, and may lead to increased recognition and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anica Pless Kaiser
- National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joan M. Cook
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Moye
- New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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19
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Dekel R, Shaked O, Ben-Porat A, Itzhaky H. The Interrelations of Physical and Mental Health: Self-Rated Health, Depression, and PTSD Among Female IPV Survivors. Violence Against Women 2019; 26:379-394. [PMID: 30940066 DOI: 10.1177/1077801219832916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have found that intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with low self-rated health (SRH), which is correlated with increased medication usage, and has tremendous social consequences. IPV and low SRH are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and the current study examined the interrelations between these variables among 505 Israeli women in shelters. To assess mediation, three regressions were designed. Traumatic events, Russian ethnicity, and chronic illness all contributed to low SRH. The direct effect of depression on SRH was insignificant when PTSD entered the regression. Our findings suggest that PTSD is a more fundamental factor than depression when predicting SRH among IPV survivors.
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20
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Bachem R, Scherf J, Levin Y, Solomon Z. Double Jeopardy: The Effect of Multiple Secondary Trauma Exposure on Subjective Age. JOURNAL OF LOSS & TRAUMA 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/15325024.2018.1560663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Bachem
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Johanna Scherf
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Yafit Levin
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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21
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Bachem R, Stein JY, Levin Y, Solomon Z. What doesn't kill you makes you feel older: lifespan adversity and its association with subjective age among former prisoners of war. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1583522. [PMID: 33235665 PMCID: PMC7671601 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1583522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Subjective age (SA) is an indicator of aging that has been empirically associated with health impediments and hindered longevity. Studies show that adverse life events may result in relatively older SA, but have not addressed the differential contribution of life events across the lifespan and the course of posttraumatic psychopathology on the SA of aging survivors of extreme trauma. Objective: Filling this gap, the current study explored the differential contribution of (1) adverse experiences in various life-stages and (2) trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the prediction of SA in a sample of former prisoners-of-war as they enter old age. Method: A cohort of Israeli former prisoners-of-war of the 1973 Yom Kippur War (N = 103) was assessed at four points throughout four decades after the war. A linear hierarchical regression was utilized to assess the contribution of negative life events during childhood, participation in other wars, combat exposure, suffering in captivity, life events since the war and the trajectories of PTSD for predicting SA 42-years post-repatriation. Results: Lifespan adversity explained 50% of the variance in SA, with trajectories of PTSD making the largest contribution, followed by life events since the war. Negative life events in childhood added to the explained variance only when PTSD trajectories were accounted for. Exposure to combat, participation in additional wars and the severity of specific experiences during captivity did not reach significance, though the latter marginally contributed to the explained variance (p = .069). Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of considering the prolongation of posttraumatic psychopathology together with life adversities and their differential implications when addressing SA after extreme trauma. The findings suggest that early life adversity may be a latent factor that increases vulnerability to posttraumatic premature aging processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Bachem
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jacob Y Stein
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yafit Levin
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Nagy N, Johnston CS, Hirschi A. Do we act as old as we feel? An examination of subjective age and job crafting behaviour of late career employees. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WORK AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/1359432x.2019.1584183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Nagy
- Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claire S. Johnston
- Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hirschi
- Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Shrira A. Parental Holocaust Exposure, Related PTSD Symptoms and Subjective Aging Across the Generations. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2019; 75:30-41. [DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are related to less favorable perceptions of aging. The current study examined parental PTSD and perceptions of aging among old Holocaust survivor (HS) parents and their middle-aged offspring.
Method
Parents (mean age = 81.79) and their offspring (mean age = 55.41) reported PTSD symptoms, attitudes toward aging and subjective age. Offspring also rated how they perceive both their parents’ aging and subjective age. Dyads were divided into three groups: HS with probable PTSD (n = 21 dyads), HS without probable PTSD (n = 65 dyads), and comparison parents without probable PTSD (n = 57 dyads).
Results
Relative to parents and offspring from other groups, HS parents with probable PTSD and their offspring had both less favorable attitudes toward their own aging as well as reporting feeling older. Offspring of posttraumatic HS also held less favorable attitudes toward parents’ aging and perceived their own parents as being older. Serial mediation models showed that the effect of parental PTSD on offspring’s subjective aging was serially mediated by parental subjective aging and offspring’s perception of parents’ aging.
Discussion
The study provides the first evidence that posttraumatic distress is related to less favorable perceptions of aging across generations in HS families. Possible mechanisms for such intergenerational effect and the implication for interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrira
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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24
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Palgi Y, Shrira A, Avidor S, Hoffman Y, Bodner E, Ben-Ezra M. Understanding the long-term connections between posttraumatic stress, subjective age, and successful aging among midlife and older adults. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1583523. [PMID: 30949302 PMCID: PMC6442195 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1583523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The nature of the reciprocal relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, proportional subjective age, and their effects on successful aging are important issues that have been so far under-studied. Clarifying the relationships between these variables has many theoretical and practical implications for the understanding of how individuals age in the shadow of traumatic exposure. Objective: The present study examined the reciprocal relationships between PTSD symptoms and proportional subjective age in a longitudinal design, and how these variables predict successful aging. Method: Using in-region random digit dialling, we collected a stratified sample of community-dwelling older adults residing in the south of Israel. Of that sample, 132 midlife and older adults (T1 age range = 50-87, mean age = 65.84, SD = 9.12) were interviewed three times across a period of two years and four months (2014-2016). Participants completed measures of PTSD symptoms and proportional subjective age in the first two interviews (T1 and T2) and successful aging indices in the third interview (T3). PTSD symptoms and proportional subjective age measured at both T1 and T2 served as predictors and outcomes in a cross-lagged model and as predictors of successful aging at T3. Results: T1 PTSD symptoms predicted an older proportional subjective age at T2, whereas the reverse relationship (i.e. T1 proportional subjective age to T2 PTSD symptoms) was non-significant. Moreover, higher PTSD symptoms and an older proportional subjective age at T2 predicted lower successful aging at T3. Conclusions: In addition to clarifying the temporal sequencing of PTSD and proportional subjective age, the study further suggests that PTSD and proportional subjective age identity could each render midlife and older adults more susceptible to less successful aging. Accordingly, we advocate to further explore the mechanisms underlining these complicated relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, and the Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amit Shrira
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Avidor
- School of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - Yaakov Hoffman
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Palgi Y, Ayalon L, Avidor S, Segel-Karpas D, Bodner E. On the edge: The association between extreme values of proportional felt-age and functioning. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:538-543. [PMID: 30343238 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined whether endorsing a felt-age that is extremely divergent from one's actual age (whether older or younger) is related to worse functioning four years later. Data were drawn from 4938 participants, who completed the 2008 and 2012 questionnaires of the Health-and-Retirement-Study (HRS). Participants were divided into four groups according to their reported proportional-felt-age: the normative-young (N = 2229), reported a normative felt-age at the median or younger; normative-old (N = 2226), reported normative felt-age at the median and older; and the extremely young and extremely old proportional-felt-age (upper and lower 5% of felt-age; N's = 242 and 241, respectively). These groups were compared on chronic medical conditions, depressive symptoms, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), functional limitations, and loneliness. While extremely younger proportional-felt-age participants did not reveal worse (or better) outcomes compared with the normative-young group, extremely old proportional-felt-age participants reported worse physical health, mental health, and functioning in cross-sectional, as well as longitudinal comparisons. Extreme values of older proportional-felt-age are usually not reported randomly and reflect less adaptive adjustment. The findings underscore the importance of studying participants at the extreme values of felt-age, especially extreme old proportional-felt-age, and the need for further inspection of the mechanisms underlying these evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology and the Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel.
| | - Liat Ayalon
- Louis and Gabi Weisfeld, School of Social Work, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Sharon Avidor
- School of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek Hefer 4025000, Israel
| | - Dikla Segel-Karpas
- Department of Gerontology and the Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel; The Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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Traumatic stress and cellular senescence: The role of war-captivity and homecoming stressors in later life telomere length. J Affect Disord 2018; 238:129-135. [PMID: 29879607 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length (TL) serves as a biomarker of cellular senescence and is a robust predictor of mortality. The association between traumatic stress and TL erosion is rapidly realized, as are the complexities of this relation that include links to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and psychosocial factors. Nevertheless, the relation between specific stressors in early adulthood and TL in later life, specifically among populations that have undergone extreme stress in early adulthood are largely uninvestigated. METHOD Examining 99 Israeli former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) 18 and 42 years after repatriation, the current study investigated the role that specific stressors during captivity (i.e., physical abuse, nourishment deprivation and solitary confinement) and homecoming (i.e., received social-support, loss of place in the family, loneliness and sense of being accused) play in predicting TL 42 years post-repatriation. Intercorrelations analysis and a hierarchical linear regression were utilized. Variables that have been empirically associated with TL: age, BMI, physical activity, smoking, substance abuse, negative life events since repatriation, depression and PTSD symptoms were controlled for in the regression. RESULTS Solitary confinement during captivity, and loss of place in the family, loneliness and being accused at homecoming predicted shorter telomeres in later life. The remaining stressors did not significantly predict TL. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that an adequate understanding of TL after trauma must consider the unique contributions of specific types of stressors across the lifespan, and particularly account for interpersonal deficits. The findings may inform preventive interventions aimed at improving ex-POWs' longevity and well-being.
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Shrira A, Palgi Y, Hoffman Y, Avidor S, Bodner E, Ben-Ezra M, Bensimon M. Subjective Age as a Moderator in the Reciprocal Effects Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Self-Rated Physical Functioning. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1746. [PMID: 30271367 PMCID: PMC6146298 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now widely acknowledged that physical decline may increase among middle-aged and older adults who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Much less is known about the temporal sequencing of PTSD and physical decline relationship over time. While PTSD can lead to physical decline, physical decline may preserve or augment existing PTSD symptoms. Both problems can also mutually affect each other forming a vicious cycle. Additionally, it is important to address variables that can mitigate these longitudinal effects. Following the recovery capital framework, we consider how the existence or lack of capital in the form of young age identity may affect the recovery process. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the reciprocal effects of PTSD symptoms and self-rated physical functioning and further test whether one's subjective age moderates these effects. Using in-region random digit dialing, we collected a stratified sample of community dwelling older adult residing in south Israel. Of that sample (N at T1 = 339), 132 older adults (age range = 51-88, mean age = 66.90, SD = 9.14) were interviewed 4 months after the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict (T2) and 1 year later (T3). Participants responded to PTSD symptoms scale, and reported their physical functioning and subjective age. PTSD symptoms and self-rated physical functioning were tested as both predictors and outcomes in a cross-lagged model. The moderating effect of subjective age was assessed by examining whether T2 variables interacted with subjective age in predicting T3 outcomes. Results showed that higher PTSD symptoms at T2 were associated with subsequent lower self-rated physical functioning at T3, yet self-rated physical functioning at T2 did not predict PTSD symptoms at T3, thereby highlighting the PTSD self-rated physical function direction. Moreover, subjective age moderated this latter association, so that this relationship was significant only for those who felt relatively older. In addition to clarifying the temporal sequencing of the PTSD self-rated physical functioning association, the study further suggests that an older subjective age (i.e., lack of recovery capital) could render middle-aged and older adults more susceptible to physical decline following PTSD symptoms. We therefore propose to develop interventions aimed at coping with an older age identity and facilitating a younger age identity among traumatized older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrira
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- Department of Gerontology, The Center for Research and Study of Aging, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yaakov Hoffman
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Avidor
- Department of Social and Community Sciences, Ruppin Academic College, Emek Hefer, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Moshe Bensimon
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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Bodner E, Hoffman Y, Palgi Y, Shrira A. A light in a sea of darkness: the moderating role of emotional complexity in the PTSD symptoms-successful aging association. Aging Ment Health 2018; 22:826-833. [PMID: 28466647 DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2017.1317332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess the underexplored effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on objective and subjective successful aging and to inquire whether emotional complexity moderates these effects. METHODS Community-dwelling older adults (N = 127, mean age = 67.86, SD = 11.07) rated their PTSD symptoms and completed measures of objective and subjective successful aging. They further reported their emotions on a daily basis over 14 days. RESULTS After controlling for background characteristics, self-rated health and cumulative lifetime adversity, results showed that higher PTSD symptoms were related to less successful aging, both objective and subjective. However, this relationship existed only amongst older adults with low emotional complexity, but not amongst those with high emotional complexity. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that high emotional complexity buffers against the negative effects of PTSD symptoms on successful aging. Interventions that empower emotional complexity amongst traumatized older adults may attenuate these negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehud Bodner
- a The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences , Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel.,b Department of Music , Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel
| | - Yaakov Hoffman
- a The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences , Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel
| | - Yuval Palgi
- c Department of Gerontology , University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
| | - Amit Shrira
- a The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences , Bar-Ilan University , Ramat-Gan , Israel
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29
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Psychological vulnerability and resilience of Holocaust survivors engaged in creative art. Psychiatry Res 2018; 264:236-243. [PMID: 29655117 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Although evidence demonstrates that engagement in art promotes favorable coping with trauma, this subject is underexplored among Holocaust survivors. Thus, the present study explored whether Holocaust survivors engaged in art differed from survivors not engaged in art in various markers of psychological vulnerability and resilience. The study further included non-Holocaust survivor comparisons, some engaged in art and some not, in order to assess whether engagement in art among Holocaust survivors relates to a unique psychological profile beyond art engagement in general. A sample of 154 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 81.67, SD = 5.33, range = 73-97) reported exposure to the Holocaust, current engagement in art, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general psychological distress, resilience and subjective perceptions of age and aging. Holocaust survivors (regardless of whether they engaged in art or not) reported higher PTSD symptoms relative to comparisons. However, Holocaust survivors who engaged in art reported higher resilience than all other groups (survivors not engaged in art and comparisons engaged and not engaged in art). To the best of our knowledge, these findings are the first quantitative evidence pointing toward a link between engagement in art and positive coping with the Holocaust. These findings have important implications for clinicians working with Holocaust survivors.
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Lahav Y, Avidor S, Stein JY, Zhou X, Solomon Z. Telomere Length and Depression Among Ex-Prisoners of War: The Role of Subjective Age. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2018; 75:21-29. [DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
Exposure to captivity increases the risk for multiple disturbances that may intensify during old age. In later phases of life, former-prisoners-of-war (ex-POWs) may suffer from depression as well as from accelerated aging, manifested in older subjective age and leukocyte telomere shortening. The current study assesses the link between these varied facets of increased vulnerability during old age and explores (a) the associations between subjective age and telomere length; (b) the mediating role of changes in subjective age over time within the associations between depression and telomere length.
Methods
Eighty-eight ex-POWs were assessed prospectively 30 (T1), 35 (T2), and 45 (T3) years after the 1973 Israeli Yom-Kippur War. Depression was assessed at T1; subjective age was assessed at T2 and T3; and telomere length and control variables were assessed at T3.
Results
Older subjective age at T3 was associated with concurrent shorter telomeres, beyond the effect of chronological age. Change in subjective age between T2 and T3 mediated the relations between depression at T1 and shorter telomeres at T3 beyond the effects of control variables.
Discussion
Findings suggest that the detrimental ramifications of accelerated subjective age involve premature cellular senesces, and may explain the relation between depression and accelerated aging processes among trauma victims. Hence, clinical interventions may seek to address accelerated subjective age among trauma survivors who suffer from depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Lahav
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | | | - Jacob Y Stein
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
- Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Xiao Zhou
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
- Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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Nielsen DS, Minet L, Zeraig L, Rasmussen DN, Sodemann M. “Caught in a Generation Gap”: A Generation Perspective on Refugees Getting Old in Denmark—A Qualitative Study. J Transcult Nurs 2017; 29:265-273. [DOI: 10.1177/1043659617718064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Older non-Western migrants in Europe are a vulnerable population, due to old age and multiple disadvantages related to language barriers and different understandings of care, health, and disease. Our aim was to gain a better understanding and insight into the care needs of families with refugee background Method: The study was designed as a qualitative exploration using semistructured individual interviews and family group interviews. Results: The results illustrate how vulnerability can “transmit” from one family member to another. Discrepancies between the older person’s expectations and needs and society’s expectations trap family members in ethical and moral dilemmas. This divides and stresses the family and results in difficult decision making, increased stress, and vulnerability. Conclusion and Implication: Migration and displacement can lead to ambivalent feelings among younger relatives regarding their role in caring for older relatives. Health professionals need to address and acknowledge this to be able to provide culturally congruent health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorthe S. Nielsen
- Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- University College Lillebaelt, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth Minet
- Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- University College Lillebaelt, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Dlama Nggida Rasmussen
- Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten Sodemann
- Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Shrira A, Ayalon L, Bensimon M, Bodner E, Rosenbloom T, Yadid G. Parental Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Are Related to Successful Aging in Offspring of Holocaust Survivors. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1099. [PMID: 28706503 PMCID: PMC5489676 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A fascinating, yet underexplored, question is whether traumatic events experienced by previous generations affect the aging process of subsequent generations. This question is especially relevant for offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS), who begin to face the aging process. Some preliminary findings point to greater physical dysfunction among middle-aged OHS, yet the mechanisms behind this dysfunction need further clarification. Therefore, the current studies assess aging OHS using the broad-scoped conceptualization of successful aging, while examining whether offspring successful aging relates to parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and offspring’s secondary traumatization symptoms. In Study 1, 101 adult offspring (mean age = 62.31) completed measures of parental PTSD, secondary traumatization, as well as successful aging indices – objective (medical conditions, disability and somatic symptoms) and subjective (perceptions of one’s aging). Relative to comparisons and OHS who reported that none of their parents suffered from probable PTSD, OHS who reported that their parents suffered from probable PTSD had lower scores in objective and subjective measures of successful aging. Mediation analyses showed that higher level of secondary traumatization mediated the relationship between parental PTSD and less successful aging in the offspring. Study 2 included 154 dyads of parents (mean age = 81.86) and their adult offspring (mean age = 54.48). Parents reported PTSD symptoms and offspring reported secondary traumatization and completed measures of objective successful aging. Relative to comparisons, OHS whose parent had probable PTSD have aged less successfully. Once again, offspring secondary traumatization mediated the effect. The findings suggest that parental post-traumatic reactions assessed both by offspring (Study 1) and by parents themselves (Study 2) take part in shaping the aging of the subsequent generation via reactions of secondary traumatization in the offspring. The studies also provide initial evidence that these processes can transpire even when offspring do not have probable PTSD or when controlling offspring anxiety symptoms. Our findings allude to additional behavioral and epigenetic processes that are potentially involved in the effect of parental PTSD on offspring aging, and further imply the need to develop interdisciplinary interventions aiming at promoting successful aging among offspring of traumatized parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Shrira
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
| | - Liat Ayalon
- School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
| | - Moshe Bensimon
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ehud Bodner
- The Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel.,Department of Music, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
| | - Tova Rosenbloom
- Department of Management, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
| | - Gal Yadid
- Leslie Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center and The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan, Israel
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Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms as a function of the interactive effect of subjective age and subjective nearness to death. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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