The development of Need-Threat Internal Resiliency Theory in COVID-19 crisis utilizing deductive axiomatic approach

The Role of Mass Media in Influencing the Lifestyle of the Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The elderly represent one of the categories that was most affected by the pandemic period. The purpose of this research was to analyze the ways in which mass media and very often contradictory information flows influenced the lives and personal communications of the Romanian elderly population during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to conduct the research, we used a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative research, we gave a questionnaire to the elderly population of Romania, and for the qualitative research, we conducted interviews. Our quantitative sample included 881 retired persons with an age between 55 and 94 years old; the mean age was 71.48 years old with 6.6 years standard deviation. The elderly described the pandemic period using negative words: fear, loneliness, anxiety, disaster; the channel they mostly watched and trusted was the TV; they were aware of the measures they had to take to protect themselves; they missed most of the meetings with the family and the main problems they had were represented by loneliness, the inability to be with their families or the lack of access to medical services. The elderly's mass media consumption during the pandemic was mostly represented by TV consumption; the information spread by mass media was sometimes contradictory; it influenced their behavior and may have generated feelings of anxiety among them.

Prevalence of depression and its related factors among older adults in Indonesian nursing homes

Background

Depression is one of the most severe mental disorders experienced by older adults worldwide. The prevalence of depression among older adults in nursing homes is three-time higher than in the community. Therefore, knowing the incident rates of depression and its related factors would help provide appropriate intervention and prevention programs in the future.

Objectives

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and compare the difference in depression status according to the sociodemographic characteristic of the older adults in the Indonesian nursing homes.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used in this study, which involved 116 participants selected using convenience sampling from five different general nursing homes in Bandung City, Indonesia. The Short Form (SF) of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to evaluate depression among older adults in nursing homes. The t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis.

Results

Of the total participants, 56.9% had depression, which 7.8% with mild depression, 37.1% with moderate depression, and 12% with severe depression. In addition, there were significant differences in depression according to age, gender, marital status, educational background, ethnicity, disease history, duration of stay, and the visitor frequency among the older adults in nursing homes (p <.001).

Conclusion

A high rate of depression among older adults in Indonesian nursing homes was identified. Therefore, attention to caring for more specific needs, such as the psychosocial needs of older adults in nursing homes, is urgent.

Social environment support to overcome loneliness among older adults: A scoping review

Background

Loneliness is a problem experienced by most older adults due to internal and external factors. This condition may lead to various physical and psychological health problems, including depression, sleep disturbances, stress, and suicidal ideation. Therefore, exploring social environment support to reduce loneliness is a necessity.

Objective

This study aimed to identify various kinds of social support to overcome loneliness in older adults.

Methods

A scoping review was performed on studies retrieved from Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar from 2012 until early 2022. Data were analyzed according to Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review guideline.

Results

Ten studies were systematically selected from 2,410 articles. The analysis indicated that the social environment support, including family support (affection, attention, emotional, motivation, and financial support), friends (peer group, partnership, advice, and appreciation), neighbors (work around the house, society involvement, and emergency), and government support (healthcare facilities and community programs), contribute to loneliness in older adults.

Conclusion

The social environment support from families, friends, neighbors, and government may potentially help older adults to reduce their loneliness but need further validation. The variables included in each component also need construct exploration. However, the study findings may serve as basic knowledge for nurses to provide interventions to prevent and reduce loneliness among older adults.

Aging-related Resiliency Theory Development

As a dynamic developmental process, the older population further displays the capacity to resist change over time, improve resilience, and keep a basis for the continuity working and progress over positive management of detrimental consequences of life risks and difficulties. This study aims at developing a theory that endeavors to explore the process of developing aging-related resiliency in people's later in life that can lead to a successful aging experience. In the development of a theory, this study utilized a deductive reasoning approach specifically, using the axiomatic approach. Aging-related Resiliency Theory was efficaciously developed by three propositions generated from four axioms that were derived after reviewing several sets of literature and studies. This developed theory implies that various deleterious events in life activate older persons to respond, adapt, and recover effectively. Acceptance emerges as they acknowledge the natural effects of aging while taking adaptive strategies and supportive resources to be resilient to one's environment. In this sense, it impacts their optimistic outlook towards successful aging. Based on the extraction of axioms, such propositions denoted those older adults call to respond with their total capacity to accept, adapt, recover, and continuously resist deleterious life experiences while using enriched coping strategies and resources towards an optimistic outlook in achieving successful aging. Therefore, emphasizing to improve their capacity to respond to natural decline to essential processes could benefit them at promoting a healthier life span.

Self-control in old age: A grounded theory study

Background

Self-control is associated with multiple positive outcomes. There are several studies on self-control, yet no literature describing the mechanism of self-control in old age.

Objective

This study aims to develop a substantive theory on the exercise of self-control in old age.

Methods

Grounded Theory methodology developed by Glaser & Strauss was utilized in the conduct of this study with ten (10) older adults as participants following the set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Individual in-depth interviews of 30-45 minutes were observed to gather the needed verbatim narrative responses from each participant after careful consideration of the ethical procedures approved by the University research ethics board. Major themes with their respective sub-themes were generated after rigorous analysis of the participants' responses following the steps provided by Glasser & Strauss in conducting grounded theory studies.

Results

This study resulted in the formulation of three propositions such as: (1) Older adults exercise self-control differently, (2) several personal motivations are involved in the exercise of self-control, and (3) the exercise of self-control leads to life satisfaction. From the propositions emerged the Theory of Self-control in Old age, which states that the process of self-control encompasses the human capability of exercising self-restraint to overrun different types of desires, passions, and temptations. The theory posits that older adults vary in their exercise of self-control depending upon their personal motivations. The theory also assumes that the exercise of self-control results in life satisfaction as displaying self-control is attributed to a host of positive life outcomes.

Conclusion

The present study has important implications in the field of gerontology and health care services since the older population is growing, and so does the demand for health care services. The need to understand the choices and decisions of older adult clients is fundamental in individualizing the health care services that may be designed and provided for them.

Older Adults' Experiences and Adaptation Strategies during the Midst of COVID-19 Crisis: A Qualitative Instrumental Case Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to validate one of the propositions of the Need-Threat Internal Resiliency Theory.

METHODS

This study used an instrumental case study of five participants to qualitatively explore older adults' experiences and adapting strategies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. We selected participants based on parameters and conducted in-depth interviews of 15-30 minutes. The transcribed responses were then analyzed using a phenomenological holistic description.

RESULTS

Five major themes emerged to explain and describe the various experiences of coping with COVID-19, known as internal resiliency, developed by the older adult participants in response to the perceived threat from this crisis.

CONCLUSION

These findings showed that older adult participants had established internal resiliency in response to changes caused by the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in adaptation and coping with the situation, consistent with one proposition of the Need-Threat Internal Resiliency Theory.