Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 6 of 6
The effects of reminiscence on psychological well-being in older adults: a meta-analysis
- Authors:
- BOHLMEIJER Ernst, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 11(3), May 2007, pp.291-300.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence on psychological well-being across different target groups and treatment modalities. Fifteen controlled outcome studies were included. An overall effect size of 0.54 was found, indicating a moderate influence of reminiscence on life-satisfaction and emotional well-being in older adults. Life-review was found to have significantly greater effect on psychological well-being than simple reminiscence. In addition, reminiscence had significantly greater effect on community-dwelling adults than adults living in nursing homes or residential care. Other characteristics of participants or interventions were not found to moderate effects. It is concluded that reminiscence in general, but especially life review, are potentially effective methods for the enhancement of psychological well-being in older adults. However, a replication of effectiveness studies of the well-defined protocols is now warranted.
Social inequalities in self reported health in early old age: follow-up of prospective cohort study
- Authors:
- CHANDOLA Tarani, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Medical Journal, 12.05.07, 2007, pp.990-993.
- Publisher:
- British Medical Association
This study aimed to describe differences in trajectories of self reported health in an ageing cohort according to occupational grade. A prospective cohort study of office based British civil servants (1985-2004) was used for the study. Participants were 10,308 men and women aged 35-55 at baseline, employed in 20 London civil service departments (the Whitehall II study); follow-up was an average of 18 years. Main outcome measures were physical component and mental component scores on SR-36 measured on five occasions. The results found physical health deteriorated more rapidly with age among men and women from the lower occupational grades. The average gap in physical component scores between a high and low grade civil servant at age 56 was 1.60 and this gap increased by 1 over 20 years. The average physical health of a 70 year old man or woman who was in a high grade position was similar to the physical health of a person from a low grade around eight years younger. In mid-life, this gap was only 4.5 years. Although mental health improved with age, the rate of improvement is slower for men and women in the lower grades. It is concluded that social inequalities in self reported health increase in early old age. People from lower occupational grades age faster in terms of a quicker deterioration in physical health compared with people from higher grades. This widening gap suggests that health inequalities will become an increasingly important public health issue, especially as the population ages.
Effects of service barriers on health status of older Chinese immigrants in Canada
- Authors:
- LAI Daniel W.L., CHAU Shirley B.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 52(3), July 2007, pp.261-269.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The authors examine the effects of service barriers on the health status of older Chinese immigrants in Canada. A survey was completed in seven Canadian cities by a random sample of 2,214 older Chinese immigrants age 55 years or older. Service barriers related to administrative problems, personal attitudes, and circumstantial difficulties were significant predictors of physical and mental health when controlling for the demographic factors. Empirically, the findings confirm that service barriers are detrimental to the health of older immigrants. The service barriers in the areas of ethnic, language, or cultural differences between the service providers or services themselves and the older Chinese clients also suggest that factors related to communication contribute to these older clients' perception of services or providers as culturally insensitive or unresponsive. Considering the individual, social, and economic costs incurred by adverse health consequences, barriers in service delivery must be addressed.
Disturbing life events and wellbeing after 80 years of age: a longitudinal comparison of survivors and the deceased over five years
- Authors:
- CLÉMENCE Alain, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 27(2), March 2007, pp.195-213.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper assesses the impact of disturbing life events over five years on the wellbeing of 340 people aged 80–84 years at baseline, by analysing data from a longitudinal survey in Switzerland. The guiding proposition was that the negative effect of life events is moderated by the event domain, i.e. health, deaths and changes in family setting and relationships, and by cognitive adaptation to one's own health state (adopting a more or less optimistic view). Multi-level regression that controlled for the effect of socio-demographic and health factors was used. Corroborating the first hypothesis, a model that differentiated the event categories, instead of their additive inclusion, gave the best fit. In support of the second hypothesis, it was shown that the positive impact of self-rated health reduced the negative effect of life events on wellbeing for survivors, but not for those who died within five years. This suggests that the former made more optimistic appraisals of their mental and physical health, while the latter adjusted their subjective health rating to their functional abilities. Survivors had better psychological resources for coping with disturbing life events, while the deceased lacked these resources, which buffered the impact of negative events. The psychological meaning of stressful events at the end of life is discussed. By encouraging optimistic self-evaluations of health, and raising awareness of the range of normal functioning of older people, health- and social-care practitioners can promote the maintenance of meaningful lives in old age.
The impact of religiousness, spirituality, and social support on psychological well-being among older adults in rural areas
- Authors:
- YOON Dong Pil, LEE Eun-Kyoung Othelia
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 48(3/4), 2007, pp.281-298.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper presents the results of a study on the impact of spirituality, religiousness, and social support on the psychological well-being among rural elderly. With a rural community sample of 215 older adults in the United States, hierarchical regression analyses found significant associations between dimensions of spirituality/religiousness, social support, and psychological well-being, with spirituality/religiousness inversely related to depression and social support, positively related to life satisfaction. Findings of this study suggest that practitioners need to develop programs or services that are congruent with religious/spiritual beliefs and practices in order to better enhance the psychosocial well-being and improve the quality of life among older persons in rural areas. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
What are the prospects?
- Authors:
- VALIOS Natalie, SALE Anabel Unity
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 4.1.07, 2007, pp.22-25.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
The authors talk to social care leaders about their hopes for the next 12 months in social care. They look at the areas of asylum seekers, carers, disability, housing/homelessness, looked-after children, learning difficulties, mental health, older people and training.