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Late life depression: a comparison of risk factors and symptoms according to age of onset in community dwelling older adults
- Authors:
- GALLAGHER Damien, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(10), October 2010, pp.981-987.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Late onset depression is often associated with acquired organic pathology, with patients less likely to report a family history of depression. The majority of previous studies have been in hospital populations. This study addressed this question in a sample of community dwelling older adults. Participants included 89 subjects with GMS-AGECAT depression who were identified from a sample of 1,231 community dwelling adults aged 65 and over. Subjects were analysed across a range of aetiological and phenomenological variables according to age of onset of first depressive episode. Findings indicated that subjects with late onset depression were significantly less likely to report a family history of depression, were less likely to report previous hospitalisation for depression and had greater cognitive impairment. Late onset subjects were also less likely to report feelings of guilt or thoughts that life was not worth living in the previous month. While patients with late onset depression differed from early onset patients according to certain aetiological risk factors, there was not a distinctive profile of depressive symptomatology which might be considered clinically useful – findings consistent with previous hospital-based studies.
The experience of social and emotional loneliness among older people in Ireland
- Authors:
- DRENNAN Jonathan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 28(8), November 2008, pp.1113-1132.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This paper reports a study of the risk factors for social and emotional loneliness among older people in Ireland. Using the ‘Social and Emotional Scale for Adults’, the social and emotional dimensions of loneliness were measured. Emotional loneliness was conceptualised as having elements of both family loneliness and romantic loneliness. The data were collected through a national telephone survey of loneliness in older people conducted in 2004 that completed interviews with 683 people aged 65 or more years. It was found that levels of social and family loneliness were low, but that romantic loneliness was relatively high. Predictors for social loneliness were identified as greater age, poorer health, living in a rural area, and lack of contact with friends. Living in a rural setting, gender (male), having a lower income, being widowed, no access to transport, infrequent contact with children and relatives and caring for a spouse or relative at home were significant predictors of family loneliness. Romantic loneliness was predicted by marital status, in particular being widowed. Never having married or being divorced or separated were also significant predictors for romantic loneliness.
The prevalence of potentially abusive behaviours in family caregiving: findings from a national survey of family carers of older people
- Authors:
- LAFFERTY Attracta, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Age and Ageing, 45(5), 2016, pp.703-707.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Background: Family caregiving can be both rewarding and fulfilling; however, conflicts can occur in the caregiving relationship, and some family carers may engage in behaviours that could be potentially harmful to the older person for whom them provide care. Objective: To determine the prevalence of potentially abusive behaviours towards older people by family carers. Design: A postal cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of family carers of community-dwelling older people. Subjects: A randomly selected sample of family carers in receipt of a social welfare payment for the care they provide to a relative aged 65 and older. Methods: a self-completion questionnaire was posted to 4,000 family carers of older people across Ireland, and a total of 2,311 eligible completed questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 58%. Results: More than a third of family carers (36.8%) reported that they engaged in potentially harmful behaviours towards their older family member in the 3 months prior to the survey. Of those potentially harmful behaviours, a third (35.9%) reported that they engaged in potentially harmful psychological behaviours and 8% reported engaging in potentially harmful physical behaviours. Conclusions: Potentially abusive carer behaviours need to be detected at an early stage so that preventive interventions can be introduced to avert caregiving situations deteriorating into serious cases of elder abuse. (Publisher abstract)
Older people’s perceptions of the term elder abuse and characteristics associated with a lower level of awareness
- Authors:
- NAUGHTON Corina, DRENNAN Jonathan, LAFFERTY Attracta
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 26(3), 2014, pp.300-318.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A national representative survey of 2,021 community-dwelling older people was carried out in 2010 using face-to-face interviews. The study examined how the term “elder abuse” was understood by this population and identified factors associated with lower levels of awareness. Over 80% of this population recognized the term elder abuse, and 56% demonstrated specific insight related to typologies, locations, and perpetrators of abuse. Less specific responses were given by 22% of participants, and a further 21% could not give a reply. Less specific or “don’t know” responses were independently associated with age 80 years or older, a lower level of education, impaired physical health, and living in economically deprived communities. Despite ongoing public information campaigns, there remained a significant portion of older people who may be unaware of or have limited insight into elder abuse. This study suggests a need for more targeted education campaigns aimed at specific higher-risk groups. (Publisher abstract)
Risk factors and mediating pathways of loneliness and social support in community-dwelling older adults
- Authors:
- SCHITTGER Rebecca I. B., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(3), April 2012, pp.335-346.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Loneliness is a pervasive issue among the elderly. Two forms of loneliness are: emotional loneliness, which involves the lack of a close attachment relationship; and social loneliness, which stems from the lack of a satisfying and engaging social network. The aim of this study was to identify the biopsychosocial and cognitive risk factors of emotional loneliness, social loneliness, and social support. The study participants were 579 community-dwelling older adults living in Dublin. The participants completed a battery of biopsychosocial, physiological, cognitive, and demographic assessments. Analysis of the results was used to develop comprehensive models of emotional loneliness, social loneliness, and social support. The risk factors in the model for: emotional loneliness included depression, neuroticism, perceived stress, living alone and accommodation type; social loneliness included neuroticism, perceived stress, animal naming and number of grandchildren; and social support included extraversion, executive functioning, history of falls, age and whether the participant drives or not. Social support influenced emotional loneliness predominantly through indirect means, while its effect on social loneliness was more direct. The differing nature of these models confirms the importance of distinguishing between different types of loneliness and also between a lack of social support and loneliness.
Co-morbid and socio-demographic factors associated with cognitive performance in an elderly community dwelling Irish population
- Authors:
- CHIN Ai-Vyrn, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(12), December 2006, pp.1150-1155.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Epidemiological studies suggest an association between health factors and dementia. The impact of these factors on the cognitive performance of the elderly population is unclear. Possible correlates of poor cognitive performance in a community dwelling elderly Irish population were examined. Subjects were from a sample of individuals over 65 years agreeable to interview using the Geriatric Mental State (GMS)-Automated Geriatric Examination for Computed Assisted Taxonomy (AGECAT) package conducted at the subject's home. Associations between patient profiles and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score were investigated in amultivariate model. There were 793 subjects, 528 (66.6%) female with mean (s.d.) age 74.8 (6.7) yrs. Mean MMSE score was 26.5 (3.3). 169 (21.3%) were current smokers, 198 (25%) ex-smokers. Two hundred and twenty-four (28.3%) had a history of hypertension, 85 (10.7%) case level anxiety or depression, 51 (6.4%) stroke, ten (1.3%) epilepsy, nine (1.1%) Parkinson's disease and 29 (3.7%) dementia. Two hundred and fifty-five (32.2%) subjects were on psychotropic medications. Factors associated with MMSE score included age (p 0.0001), diagnosis of dementia (p 0.0001), socioeconomic group (p 0.0001), education (p 0.0001), previous stroke (p = 0.0013) and use of psychotropic medication (p = 0.03). Case level anxiety or depression (p = 0.99), Parkinson's disease (p = 0.52), epilepsy (p = 0.26), smoking status (p = 0.99) and hypertension (p = 0.34) were not found to be associated with cognitive performance. Factors associated with cognitive performance included age, socioeconomic group, education, previous stroke and use of psychotropic medication. These factors should be adjusted for in studies assessing cognition in this population. Stroke prevention strategies and avoidance of psychotropic medication may benefit cognitive performance.
Rights, risks and restraint-free care of older people: person-centred approaches in health and social care
- Editors:
- HUGHES Rhidian, (ed.)
- Publisher:
- Jessica Kingsley
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 224p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This book provides health and social care professionals with an authoritative reading resource on the ethics and use of restraint. It provides an overview of the different forms of restraint, the conditions under which they are used and their implications for the health and wellbeing of older people. Practical approaches to minimising restraint are then explored, underlining the importance of person-centred care. Innovative programmes and approaches to reducing the use of restraint are described and assessed, and case studies are drawn upon to highlight practice challenges and their effective resolutions. The perspectives of older people and their carers and families, as well as of professionals, commissioners and regulators of health and social care, are also taken into account. The contributors are drawn from an international range of health and social care settings, as well as from the academic world.