Continuity in the lives of elder catholic women religious

Wisdom as the mediator in the relationships between religious meaning system and attitude toward death among older adults

The objective of the present research was to investigate whether wisdom is a mediator in the association between the religious meaning system and the attitude toward death in the period of late adulthood. The study included 315 persons aged 60-75. Three measures were used: Religious Meaning System Scale (RMSS), Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS), Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R). The analyses allowed for a partial verification of the hypothesis that wisdom is a mediator in the relationship between the explicit religious meaning system and the multidimensional attitude toward death in late adulthood. It was confirmed that the relationship of the religious meaning system with fear of death, death avoidance, neutral acceptance, escape acceptance and approach acceptance is mediated by at least one (cognitive, reflective and/or affective) of the dimensions considered in the study.

Life Review: Implementation, Theory, Research, and Therapy

A selective literature review of publications on life review generated ideas on implementation, theory, research, and therapy. The review begins by differentiating life review from reminiscence, and summarizing ways to conduct a life review. A dozen theories that have been influenced by the life review technique are presented, with a focus placed on Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development. Erikson's theory has not only been influenced by the life review, it has had a major impact on life review research. Three research topics are discussed: Erikson's ego integrity versus despair in old age, demographical differences in the practice of life reviews, and the impact of conducting life reviews on staff in institutional settings. Most practitioners of life reviews are institutional staff, university students, and family members, many of whom have had limited prior training. The prospect of a certified life review training program is discussed.

Generativity in Elderly Oblate Sisters of Providence

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

We explored how generativity and well-being merged in a group of childless older women: African and Hispanic Roman Catholic Religious Sisters, linking two minority identity characteristics.

DESIGN AND METHODS

We qualitatively interviewed 8 Oblate Sisters of Providence (OSP), by providing a framework for examining the range of the women's generativity-cultural spheres in which generativity is rooted and outlets for generativity.

RESULTS

Early negative experiences, such as fleeing despotism in Haiti and Cuba and racism within the Catholic Church, occurred alongside positive experiences-families who stressed education, and Caucasian Religious who taught children of color. This became a foundation for the Sister's generative commitment.

IMPLICATIONS

Findings highlight that research gains from a phenomenological understanding of how religious faith promotes generative cognitions and emotions. Findings also reveal that the experiences of a subculture in society-African-American elderly women religious-add to theories and definitions of generativity.

Afterlife Beliefs and Ego Integrity as Two Mediators of the Relationship Between Intrinsic Religiosity and Personal Death Anxiety Among Older Adult British Christians

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of afterlife beliefs and ego integrity as two mediators of the negative relationship between intrinsic religiosity and personal death anxiety in later life. One hundred forty-three older adult British Christians responded to both initial and follow-up postal surveys containing questions on their religious and death attitudes. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that intrinsic religiosity predicted lower personal death anxiety via fostering more benign afterlife beliefs and ego integrity. This study demonstrated that intrinsic religiosity had a negative indirect effect on personal death anxiety through the joint agency of more benign afterlife beliefs and greater ego integrity. It also provided empirical evidence in support of the role of intrinsic religiosity in promoting psychosocial well-being in later life.

Views of life and sense of identity in people with Alzheimer's disease

Making it possible for people with Alzheimer's disease to retain a sense of identity during the process of the disease poses a great challenge to care-givers, professionals and family carers. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of the view of life of people with Alzheimer's in framing their sense of identity. Is their view of life a vital aspect of their sense of identity? ‘View of life’ was interpreted as a vital aspect of sense of identity, understood as the individual's beliefs about their life history and about the attributes that characterised them. Twenty-one people with mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease were interviewed about their life story. The narratives were interpreted using a phenomenological hermeneutic method. By telling their life story, the participants also narrated their view of life, i.e. their conception of reality, their central system of values and their basic emotional attitudes. By their own accounts, the origins of the narrators' central values and basic emotional attitudes were established in early life. They also expressed a sense of meaningfulness and continuity when looking back on their lives. The findings suggest that for a care-giver or confidant, having knowledge of a person with dementia's view of life is valuable when seeking to confirm that person's sense of identity.

Religiousness, religious coping, and psychological well-being in nursing home residents

OBJECTIVES

To measure the importance of religion among nursing home residents, describe their use of religious coping strategies, and examine the association between religiousness, religious coping, and psychological well-being.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Two nursing facilities in Boston, Massachusetts.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred forty cognitively intact to moderately impaired long-stay nursing home residents.

MEASUREMENTS

Subjects rated religion as either "not important," "somewhat important," or "very important." Use of religious coping strategies was measured using the 14-item Brief RCOPE. The outcome measure, psychological well-being, was measured with the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Covariates included demographic variables and a measure of social engagement, comorbidity, functional status, and mental status. Linear regression was used to examine the association between religious importance and psychological well-being after adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

Subjects rated the importance of religion as follows: very important (54%), somewhat important (27%), and not important (19%). The mean score on the Affect Balance Scale was 5.9 +/- 2.1 (SD) (range 2-9). After multivariate adjustment, viewing religion as somewhat or very important (versus not important, P=.0019) and absence of negative religious coping strategies (P=.0083) were associated with better psychological well-being (with higher scores on the Affect Balance Scale) (P=.007).

CONCLUSION

Religion was important to most older residents living in 2 religiously affiliated long-term care facilities. Residents for whom religion was somewhat or very important and who did not use negative religious coping strategies are more likely to have better psychological well-being.

Stress and depression among older residents in religious monasteries: do friends and God matter?

The purpose of this investigation was to explore how friendship and attach-0 ment to God provide protective benefits against stress and depression. Participants included 235 men and women, age 64 and older, residing in religious monasteries affiliated with the Order of St. Benedict. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were completed to assess main and moderating effects of friendship and attachment to God relative to the influence of stress on depressive symptomology. Lower degree of friendship closeness (beta = -.12, p < .10) and greater insecurity with God (beta = -.15, p < .01) were directly associated with greater depressive symptoms. A significant three-way interaction (Stress x Friendship x Attachment to God) also existed relative to depressive symptoms (beta = .14, p < .05). Three "stress-buffering" mechanisms emerged relative to the influence of stress on depressive symptomology. First, a greater degree of friendship closeness in combination with less secure attachment to God represented a greater risk for depressive symptoms. Second, greater friendship closeness in combination with greater secure attachment to God reduced the risk for depressive symptoms. Third, lower degree of friendship closeness combined with less secure attachment to God diminished the noxious effects of stress on depressive symptoms. This has implications relative to how social and spiritual resources can be used to reduce stress and improve quality of life for older adults residing in religious communities.

Religious trajectories and transitions over the life course

This study examined patterns of change and stability in religiosity over the life course. Open-ended interviews with 129 adults aged 65 and older provided a rich source of data for applying a life course perspective to the study of religion. Two theoretical constructs from the life course perspective (i.e., trajectories and transitions) were used as a framework for understanding religion and aging. The interviews were content analyzed to identify: 1) dimensions of religiosity that exhibit change; 2) patterns of religious trajectories; and 3) social forces that promote changes in religiosity. These analyses revealed four distinct patterns: stable, increasing, decreasing, and curvilinear trajectories. Several forces were involved with either increasing religiosity (e.g., child rearing, adverse life experiences) or decreasing religiosity (e.g., disillusionment with church members, adverse life experiences). Directions for future research are discussed.

Older women's development: a comparison of women in their 60s and 80s on a measure of Erikson's developmental tasks

This study compared older women from two age groups in order to refine and extend our understanding of women's development across the life span. Forty-one women from two cohorts aged 60 to 70 and 80 to 90 completed the Measures of Psychosocial Development (MPD), a quantitative measure of Erikson's developmental stages. Age group differences in the resolution of Erikson's identity and trust developmental tasks were found. In addition, these two groups differed on the three summary scales: totals across the positive subscales, negative subscales, and resolution subscales respectively. Implications for women's late life development and possible interventions are discussed.