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The nature and quality of friendship for older adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland
- Authors:
- McCAUSLAND Darren, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 34(3), 2021, pp.763-776.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Friendship is important to quality of life, yet people with intellectual disability have more restricted social networks and fewer friends outside family and support staff. Method: Data from a nationally representative longitudinal study of older adults with intellectual disability (aged >40) examined rates and types of friends. Factors associated with having a best friend and friendship quality were explored. Results: A large majority (92.4%) had friends but just over half (52%) had a best friend. Co‐resident friends (71.8%) were more common than non‐resident friends (62%), while staff friendships (62.5%) were important. The majority of best friends were peers with intellectual disability (63.2%), carer/service providers (15.9%) or family (8.4%). Challenging behaviour and communication difficulty were associated with reduced likelihood of having a best friend. A best friend with intellectual disability was associated with lower friendship quality scores. Conclusion: Limited choice and social opportunity may result in a precarious form of friendship for older people with intellectual disability that undermines their quality of life. (Edited publisher abstract)
Psychological distress as a key component of psychosocial functioning in community-dwelling older people
- Authors:
- SCHNITTGER Rebecca I. B., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(1-2), January 2012, pp.199-207.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Psychological distress is a critical issue affecting the quality of life in older adults with implications for both mental and physical health. The aim of this study was to explore the key components of psychosocial functioning in older adults with a focus on identifying the constituents of psychological distress. Another aim was to examine the relationship between these components and health outcomes such as frailty. The study was conducted at the Technology Research for Independent Living Clinic, a comprehensive geriatric assessment facility in Dublin. As part of a structured clinical assessment, 579 participants completed 9 primary psychosocial measures as well as a broad range of health and demographic secondary assessments. Principal factor analysis identified 3 core dimensions of the construct of psychosocial functioning. The first is related to a core internal component of psychological distress. The 2 other components are related to external and physiological functioning, specifically social support networks and sleep. These components, particularly psychological distress, were found to be associated with health outcomes associated with frailty.
The impact of the Bealtaine arts programme on the quality of life, wellbeing and social interaction of older people in Ireland
- Authors:
- O'SHEA Eamon, LÉIME Áine Ní
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 32(5), July 2012, pp.851-872.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
There is evidence in the literature that the arts can enhance the physical and psychological wellbeing of older people. This article is based on an evaluation of a national arts festival in Ireland called Bealtaine that celebrates creativity in older people during the month of May. The festival is unique in the wide range of arts-related activities it includes and the different types of organisations involved, such as local authorities, libraries, educational institutions, health and social care organisations, and voluntary bodies for older people. The evaluation used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse two major postal surveys with organisers and consumers of the festival and face-to-face interviews with older participants, artists and organisers. The findings were positive in terms of the personal and social gains arising from participation in the festival. The authors concluded that the provision of enhanced and sustained funding for creative programmes for older people was essential for the well-being of older people in the country.
Interpersonal relationships of older adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland
- Authors:
- McCAUSLAND Darren, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(1), 2018, pp.e140-e153.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: People with intellectual disability tend to have smaller social networks than other groups, with even those living in community-based residences comparatively worse off. Materials and methods: Analysis of data from the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (IDS-TILDA) (n = 701) examined measures of interpersonal relationships and interactions. Predictors of family contact and having non-resident friends were also explored. Results: Social networks of older people with intellectual disability differ considerably from the general older population, with a reliance on support staff and co-resident friends in place of their own immediate family structures and wider friendships. Proximity to family most strongly predicted family contact. Residence in independent or family residences was most strongly linked to having non-resident friends. Conclusions: While family proximity and community living are associated with improved social networks and contacts, older people with intellectual disability remain worse off than the general older population. (Publisher abstract)
Factors associated with perceived health in older adult Irish population
- Authors:
- BURKE Kate E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(3), April 2012, pp.288-295.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Perceived health status or self-reported health is a reliable indicator of overall health status and is a widely used measure in health and aging surveys. Self-reported health declines with age and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, poor mental health and functional outcomes and health care utilisation. The aim of this study was to investigate how older people perceive their health and the physical, psychological and social factors that influence and potentially predict such perceptions. The participants were 492 community-dwelling older people with a mean age of 72.5 years living in Dublin. The participants underwent a comprehensive assessment using standardised measures of medical morbidity, personality, functional status, depression, anxiety, perceived stress, cognition, loneliness and social support. Analysis of the findings revealed that self-rated health is best predicted by instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI), extraversion and perceived stress. The effects of cognition and social support from friends on self-rated health were found to be mediated by elements of these identified factors. The article concludes that self-rated health is not simply the absence of physical illness but is also strongly influenced by the degree of functional impairment, personality factors and the level of stress experienced by the older person.
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.
Loneliness and cognition in older people: the Dublin Healthy Ageing study
- Authors:
- O'LUANAIGH C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(3), April 2012, pp.347-352.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Several studies have shown that social isolation has a detrimental effect on cognition. However, relatively few have examined the relationship between cognition and loneliness. The aims of this study were to explore the relationship between loneliness and cognition, and to determine whether specific cognitive domains are associated with loneliness. The findings are taken from the Dublin Healthy Ageing Study, a prospective examination of the psychiatric, cognitive, physical and social well-being of community-dwelling elderly in inner-city Dublin. This study included 466 participants with mean age 75.45 years, of which 44% were males. Analyses were done of the relationship between loneliness, social networks, depression, and demographics, and global cognition. The main finding is that loneliness in older people is significantly associated with impaired global cognition independent of social networks and depression. The domains of psychomotor processing speed and delayed visual memory were specifically associated with self-reported loneliness. The mechanism for this association is unclear and warrants further investigation.
Loneliness, social support networks, mood and wellbeing in community-dwelling elderly
- Authors:
- GOLDEN Jeannette, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24(7), July 2009, pp.694-700.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Both loneliness and social networks have been linked with mood and wellbeing. However, few studies have examined these factors simultaneously in community-dwelling participants. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social network, loneliness, depression, anxiety and quality of life in community dwelling older people living in Dublin. One thousand two hundred and ninety-nine people aged 65 and over, recruited through primary care practices, were interviewed in their own homes using the GMS-AGECAT. Social network was assessed using Wenger's typology. 35% of participants were lonely, with 9% describing it as painful and 6% as intrusive. Similarly, 34% had a non-integrated social network. However, the two constructs were distinct: 32% of participants with an integrated social network reported being lonely. Loneliness was higher in women, the widowed and those with physical disability and increased with age, but when age-related variables were controlled for this association was non-significant. Wellbeing, depressed mood and hopelessness were all independently associated with both loneliness and non-integrated social network. In particular, loneliness explained the excess risk of depression in the widowed. The population attributable risk (PAR) associated with loneliness was 61%, compared with 19% for non-integrated social network. Taken together they had a PAR of 70%. Loneliness and social networks both independently affect mood and wellbeing in the elderly, underlying a very significant proportion of depressed mood.
The influence of nursing home residency on the capacities of low-dependency older adults
- Authors:
- WALSH Kieran M., WALDMANN Thomas
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 12(5), September 2008, pp.528-535.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
With the growing number of low-dependency older adults in long-stay care and the lack of categorisation of these institutions in the Republic of Ireland, it can be asked if such facilities are truly beneficial. This paper presents an explorative investigation of the influence of the nursing home environment on the capacities of low-dependency older adults. The participants consisted of 50 community residents, as a control group, and 50 nursing home residents ranging in age from 65 to 95 years. The methodology was based on a triangulation of three data sources: a battery of cognitive, sensory, sensorimotor and psychological well-being assessments; a semi-structured participant interview; and an institutional questionnaire. Cluster analysis was then used to identify natural performance groupings within the assessment battery data. There were two performance groupings within the dataset. Interestingly, two community residents were grouped with the majority of nursing home residents and six nursing home residents were grouped with the majority of community residents. The interpretation of the results was informed by the semi-structured interviews and the institutional questionnaires. Although causality cannot be attributed, findings indicate an association between the nursing home environment and the capacities of older adult residents.
The association of social support networks and loneliness with negative perceptions of ageing: evidence from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA)
- Authors:
- SANTINI Ziggi Ivan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 39(5), 2019, pp.1070-1090.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
It is well known that negative ageing perceptions have various detrimental effects on indicators of successful ageing, but less is known about the role of social support networks and loneliness in ageing perceptions. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the association of social networks, relationship quality and loneliness with negative ageing perceptions in late life. Cross-sectional data on 6,912 adults aged ⩾50 years from the first wave of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analysed. Ageing perceptions were assessed with the Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire. Information on social support networks, loneliness and socio-demographics were obtained using standard questions. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to assess the associations. Social isolation, poor relationship quality (with spouse, children, other family members or friends) and loneliness were all significantly associated with negative ageing perceptions even after adjustment for all potential confounders including depressive symptoms. The authors' study indicates that targeting integration into social support networks and improving relationship quality may potentially reduce the extent to which older individuals adopt negative ageing perceptions. Future studies with prospective design are warranted to understand the temporal direction and causal association of social support networks and loneliness with negative ageing perceptions. (Edited publisher abstract)