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The prevalence of anxiety in older adults: methodological issues and a review of the literature
- Authors:
- BRYANT Christina, JACKSON Henry, AMES David
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Affective Disorders, 109(3), 2008, pp.233-250.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
A systematic review of literature on anxiety in people over 60, published between 1980 and 2007, finds prevalence rates for anxiety disorders of 1.2% to 15% in community settings, and 1% to 28% in clinical settings. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms is much higher, ranging from 15% to 52.3% in community samples, and 15% to 56% in clinical samples. These discrepancies are partly attributable to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies in the literature. The review finds that Generalised Anxiety Disorder is the most common anxiety disorder among older people, but issues relating to co-morbidity and the nature of anxiety in old age remain unresolved. This hampers the design of interventions and highlights the need for further research with a primary focus on anxiety.
Representations of elderly with mental health problems held by psychosocial practitioners from community and institutional settings
- Authors:
- DALLAIRE Bernadette, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 7(1-3), 2008, pp.139-152.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article begins by providing an overview of the prevalence of mental health problems among people aged 65 and older, the specific situations and needs of this population, and the services provided to them. It then briefly discusses three trends in psychosocial interventions, that is practices oriented toward recovery, empowerment, and social integration are then reviewed.. Finally, the article looks at the cumulative impacts of social representations of aging and the aged and of mental illness and the mentally ill, and how they can impede the implementation of interventions, services and programs based on recovery, empowerment and social integration approaches.
Involvement in voluntary organizations: how older adults access volunteer roles?
- Authors:
- TANG Fengyan, MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(3-4), 2008, pp.210-227.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article examines the potential role for older volunteers in the light of the growing demand for social services and diminishing public funding, and looks at the type of people who become volunteers. US Census data is analysed and older volunteers were found to be likely to be in employment, have fewer household members, and were more likely to volunteer firstly for religious organisations, followed by social service, health and educational institutions. The article also examines how social workers recruit and work with these volunteers who are becoming an increasingly valuable resource.
Hardiness, successful aging, and HIV: implications for social work
- Authors:
- VANCE David E., STRUZICK Thomas C., MASTEN James
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 51(3-4), 2008, pp.260-283.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Ageing with HIV is becoming and important public health issue and a topic for investigation in the US because the number of middle-aged and older people with HIV is increasing. This is due to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) which is extending the lifespan of many infected, and also due to infection in later life. Little research is being done on the synergistic effects of ageing with HIV, most studies being concerned with mortality. This article reviews various studies which look at the physical, psychological and social benefits associated with hardiness and successful ageing which can mitigate the effects of HIV-related problems, and suggests strategies to improve hardiness and facilitate successful ageing.
Executive cognitive function of older people with HIV/AIDS
- Authors:
- KIM Suk-Hee, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 18(1), 2008, pp.48-63.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Executive cognitive function is concerned with the planning, initiation, sequencing and monitoring of complex goal-directed behaviour, and can be directly measured using instruments such as the Executive Clock Drawing Task (CLOX) which comprises CLOX 1 (drawing a clock face set to a specified time) and CLOX 2 (copying a clock face set to the same time). This study analyses CLOX results from a purposive sample of 275 people, including 91 receiving primary medical care for HIV AIDS at eight clinics in a US metropolitan area, with the aim of identifying whether there was a significant difference in scores between those with and without HIV AIDS. This was not the case. The most significant factors associated with executive cognitive impairment were age (over 50) and gender (male).
Examination of cognitive and instrumental functional performance as indicators for driving cessation risk across 3 years
- Authors:
- ACKERMAN Michelle, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 48(6), December 2008, pp.802-810.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine the role of cognitive and instrumental functional performance in driving cessation while simultaneously accounting for any contributions of demographics, vision, physical performance, and health among a sample of older adults without dementia. Included in the analyses were 1,838 participants from the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study who were drivers at baseline and completed the third-year assessment. Participants completed baseline assessments of sociodemographic characteristics, health, sensory function, physical function, cognitive abilities, instrumental functional performance, and depressive symptoms. Driving status was again ascertained 3 years later. Cox proportional hazard analyses to examine prospective predictors of driving cessation over a 3-year period. The final model indicated four significant risk factors for driving cessation: older age, poorer balance as measured by the Turn 360° test, slower cognitive speed of processing as measured by the Useful Field of View test, and poorer instrumental functional performance as assessed by the Everyday Problems Test. Although vision, health, and physical abilities are commonly considered when determining driving capacity, cognitive speed of processing and instrumental functional performance may be better indicators of subsequent likelihood of driving cessation across 3 years among older adults. Poor health and vision may only impact driving cessation to the extent that cognitive speed of processing and instrumental functioning are affected.
Alcohol, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly: a systematic review
- Authors:
- PETERS Ruth, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 37(5), September 2008, pp.505-512.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Evidence from the review and meta-analysis of results from 23 longitudinal studies of people aged 65 and older suggests that small amounts of alcohol may be protective against unspecified incident dementia (risk ratio 0.63) and Alzheimer’s disease (RR 0.57) but not vascular dementia (RR 0.82) or cognitive decline (RR 0.89). However, studies varied, with differing lengths of follow-up, measurement of alcohol intake, inclusion of true abstainers and assessment of potential confounders. The results should therefore be interpreted with caution and, given the ethical objections to randomised placebo-controlled trials in this area, it may never be possible to know for certainty the relationship between alcohol intake and dementia.
Willingness to use formal long-term care services by Korean elders and their primary caregivers
- Authors:
- KIM Hyungsoo, CHOI Won-Young
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Aging and Social Policy, 20(4), 2008, pp.474-492.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Logistic regression models were estimated using 2001 national survey data on 1,168 Korean adults aged 65 or older, and their primary caregivers. More than 70% of the older people were female, mostly with very low levels of formal education, and the majority lived with adult children or spouses. The attitudes of both older people and primary caregivers towards care responsibility were the dominant predictor of willingness to use formal long term care services. These attitudes need to be taken into account as policy makers attempt to normalise the use of formal care (home-based or institutional) and reduce the burden on informal carers. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Building to last: the importance of designing life-ling communities
- Author:
- CANN Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Housing Care and Support, 11(4), December 2008, pp.10-13.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This article discusses how policy-makers and local government need to listen to the voice of older people when designing the communities we live in. It highlights how simple, joined-up thinking can make a difference to older people's lives.
Home improvement agencies' response to an ageing society
- Author:
- RAMSAY Malcolm
- Journal article citation:
- Housing Care and Support, 11(4), December 2008, pp.17-19.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Since the Government published its lifetime homes strategy, the focus has shifted to home improvement agencies (HIAs) to find some of the answers to housing an ageing populations. This article describes what the future might look like for the HIA sector.