christos chouaid

Longitudinal change in spousal similarities in mental health: Between-couple and within-couple perspectives.

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

Date: 06-2013

DOI: 10.1037/A0032902

Abstract: Research based on between-couple perspectives indicate that spouses share similarities in a range of psychosocial characteristics. In this study, the authors add to existing research by examining spousal similarities in mental health and its time-related change from both between-couple and within-couple perspectives. The authors apply latent growth models to 9-wave annual longitudinal data obtained from 3,410 adult couples in the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA Mage wives = 48 years, Mage husbands = 50 years). In a first step, the authors corroborate extant findings from a between-couple perspective that spouses show considerable similarities in levels of and changes in mental health. In a second step, they calculate a within-couple similarity index (i.e., using absolute difference scores calculated based on the 2 partners' mental health). The authors show that mental health ratings between partners within a given spousal unit differed considerably (0.88 SD) and that these differences remained relatively stable over time. Examining between-couple differences in within-couple similarity revealed that larger discrepancies were associated with lower mental health (of in idual partners), chronic health conditions, less marital satisfaction, and elevated risks for dissolution of the partnership. The authors discuss ways to integrate this counterintuitive set of findings with research originating from between-couple and within-couple perspectives, argue that a certain degree of spousal differences-if kept within certain bounds-can be adaptive serving developmental and relationship functions, and suggest routes for future inquiry on spousal similarities.

Normative data and longitudinal invariance of the Life Engagement Test (LET) in a community sample of older adults

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 16-03-2013

DOI: 10.1007/S11136-012-0146-2

Abstract: Interest in evaluating purpose in life as an important component of ageing well is growing however, investigation into the appropriate measurement of this construct is required. The purpose of this paper was to examine the measurement properties of the Life Engagement Test (LET) and to provide normative data for a non-clinical s le of community-dwelling older adults. A random s le of 545 adults, aged 55-94 years, completed the LET twice over a 12-month period as part of a larger survey on relocation in later life. Consistent with previous research, participants typically reported high levels of purpose in life. Scores were also observed to vary over the 12-month duration, with, on average, an increase in purpose in life at Time 2. However, tests of longitudinal invariance were inconclusive. Future research is needed to further examine the content validity of the LET, and its factorial invariance over longer measurement intervals, and across different populations including non-residential/aged care settings.

Cohort profile: The PATH through life project

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 24-02-2012

DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYR025

Considering relocation to a retirement village: Predictors from a community sample

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 17-10-2012

DOI: 10.1111/J.1741-6612.2012.00618.X

Abstract: To identify characteristics distinguishing older adults who have considered relocation to a retirement village in the future from those who have not. Community-living residents (n = 517), aged 55 to 94, randomly selected from the Australian Capital Territory completed a postal survey. Consistent with prior research, the majority of respondents had not considered relocation to a retirement village. Retired persons, those aged 55-64 years, and persons reporting sufficient financial resources, poorer physical health and poorer current neighbourhood cohesion were most likely to have considered future relocation. The identification of factors characterising older adults seeking retirement village housing in the future is important in developing an understanding of the needs and expectations of the older population, and may allow aged care providers to better target the development of services to population needs (e.g. health-care supports). Further investigation into the specific expectations of the 55-64 year cohort is required.

Is Occupational Complexity Associated with Cognitive Performance or Decline? Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Publisher: S. Karger AG

Date: 2017

DOI: 10.1159/000475559

Abstract: b i Background: /i /b Long-term protective associations proposed between previous complex occupational tasks and cognitive functioning in later life point to work roles contributing to cognitive reserve. b i Objective: /i /b To examine occupational complexity involving data, people, and things in relation to the level of, and rate of change in, cognitive functioning. b i Methods: /i /b Participants were 1,290 members of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing and initially aged 65-102 years (mean = 79). Information about main lifetime occupation was collected retrospectively. Cognition was assessed 4 times over a 13-year interval. b i Results: /i /b In multilevel models adjusted for demographics, medical conditions, and depressive symptoms, higher complexity involving data was associated with faster speed (β = 0.73, i /i 0.001), better memory (β = 0.32, i /i 0.05), and mental status (β = 0.40, i /i 0.001) at baseline. These associations remained statistically reliable after adjusting for complexity with people and things, sedentary and heavy physical work, retirement age, and leisure activity. Complexity with things was associated with slower speed (β = -0.50, i /i 0.001) and poorer mental status (β = -0.26, i /i 0.01) and was not explained by other variables. There were no associations of occupational complexity with rates of cognitive decline over time. b i Conclusion: /i /b Older in iduals retired from occupations characterized by higher complexity with data maintain their cognitive advantage over those with lower complexity into older adulthood, although without additional moderation of this advantage in terms of less postretirement cognitive decline. Complexity of work with things confers a negative relation to cognition whilst also not affecting postretirement cognitive change. Although the relative contributions of occupation or other early life influences for cognition remain to be established, it nevertheless may be beneficial to promote workplace design strategies and interventions that incorporate complex activities, particularly tasks involving data.

Health literacy of older drivers and the importance of health experience for self-regulation of driving behaviour

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 05-2011

DOI: 10.1016/J.AAP.2010.11.012

Abstract: This study provides much needed information on the education level of older drivers regarding the impact of health conditions and medications on personal driving safety, where they source this information, and how this knowledge influences self-regulation of driving. Random and convenience s ling secured 322 Australian drivers (63.9% males) aged 65 years and over (M = 77.35 years, SD = 7.35) who completed a telephone interview. The majority of respondents (86%) had good knowledge about health conditions (health knowledge) and driving safety, however more than 50% was classified as having poor knowledge on the effects of certain medications (medication knowledge) and driving safety. Poorer health knowledge was associated with a reduced likelihood of driving over 100 km in adjusted models. Being older and having more than one medical condition was found to increase the likelihood of self-regulation of driving. Results indicate that health knowledge was less important for predicting driving behaviour than health experience. Of great interest was that up to 85.7% of respondents reported not receiving advice about the potential impact of their medical condition and driving from their doctor. The findings indicate a need for improved dissemination of evidence-based health information and education for older drivers and their doctors.

Factors that Explain the Poorer Mental Health of Caregivers: Results from a Community Survey of Older Australians

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 07-2010

DOI: 10.3109/00048671003620202

Abstract: Objectives: To contrast the level of anxiety and depression reported by older Australians providing assistance to someone who is ill, disabled or elderly with that of non-caregivers and to identify secondary stressors and mediating factors which explain caregivers’ poorer mental health. Method: Analysis of data from wave 2 of the PATH Through Life Study, a community survey of 2,222 adults aged 64–69 years conducted in Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia. Mental health was assessed using the Goldberg depression and anxiety scales. Analyses focused on those who identified themselves as a primary carer and/or reported providing care for more than 5 hours per week. Analyses evaluated whether the association between caregiver status and mental health was mediated by financial factors, role strain, physical health, and social support and conflict with family and friends after adjusting for demographics. Results: Caregivers reported significantly poorer mental health than non-caregivers, and also reported poorer physical health, greater financial stress, greater responsibility for household tasks, and more conflict and less social support from their family and spouse. Mediation analysis showed that the poorer mental health of caregivers reflected elevated rates of their own physical impairment, a lack of social support and greater conflict. Conclusions: The relationship between caregiving and mental health was largely explained by social support and levels of conflict within the family, which are modifiable and potentially amenable to change through policy and intervention. Research such as this can assist the development of appropriate interventions to improve the circumstances of informal caregivers in Australia.

Personal and Neighborhood Resources, Future Time Perspective, and Social Relations in Middle and Older Adulthood

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 31-10-2011

DOI: 10.1093/GERONB/GBR117

Abstract: Aging-related changes in motivation and the availability of resources have been hypothesized to result in social network changes in later life. However, few studies have examined associations of both motivation and resources with different aspects of social network composition in the same analytical context. The present study examined associations of key motivational (future time perspective [FTP]) and resource variables (partner status, physical health, and perceived neighborhood cohesion) with social network size and positive and negative social exchanges. A population-based s le of midlife (aged 55-59 years, n = 169) young-old (aged 60-74 years, n = 306) and old-old (aged 75+ years, n = 77) adults completed a questionnaire. Those who were partnered reported larger networks with family, whereas never-married in iduals reported larger networks with neighbors. Perceived neighborhood cohesion was related to larger networks with family, neighbors, and friends. Open-ended FTP was associated with larger networks of friends and more frequent positive social exchanges. Our results point to FTP and resources having different implications for social engagement across network domains.

Understanding ageing in older Australians: The contribution of the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project to the evidence base and policy

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 10-2011

DOI: 10.1111/J.1741-6612.2011.00533.X

Positive and negative social exchanges and cognitive aging in young-old adults: Differential associations across family, friend, and spouse domains.

Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)

Date: 03-2014

DOI: 10.1037/A0035256

Abstract: We examined how positive and negative social exchanges with friends, family, and spouses were related to cognitive aging in episodic and working memory, and perceptual speed. To do so, we used a large s le of cognitively intact young-old participants from the PATH Through Life Study (PATH aged 60 to 64 years at baseline, n = 1,618) who were assessed on 3 occasions over 8 years. Additional replication analyses were conducted using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which provided data on episodic memory. The main analysis of PATH Through Life showed that positive exchanges with friends and family were associated with less decline in perceptual speed, with these associations attenuated by adjustment for physical functioning and depressive symptoms. Negative exchanges with spouses were associated with poorer working memory performance. Positive exchanges with friends were associated with better initial episodic memory in both PATH and HRS. More frequent negative exchanges with friends and family were associated with better episodic memory in the PATH s le. However, these findings were not replicated in HRS. Our findings provide indirect support for the role of social exchange quality in contributing to cognitive enrichment. However, the inconsistent pattern of results across cognitive and social exchange domains points to possibilities of reverse causality, and may also indicate that social exchange quality plays a less important role for cognitive enrichment than other psychosocial characteristics.

Volunteering and subjective well-being in midlife and older adults: The role of supportive social networks

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 03-2012

DOI: 10.1093/GERONB/GBR154

Abstract: This study examined the extent to which associations between volunteering and subjective well-being (SWB) could be related to volunteers having more supportive social networks relative to nonvolunteers. The s le consisted of 561 midlife and older adults (aged 55-94 years) from the TRAnsitions In Later Life study. Multiple mediation analyses examined associations between hours spent volunteering per week availability of social support from friends, relatives, and neighbors positive and negative social exchanges and SWB. The results indicated that the higher life satisfaction and positive affect reported by those who volunteer at moderate levels (up to 7 hr per week) are related to their higher levels of positive social exchanges and greater availability of social support from friends and family, relative to nonvolunteers. Those who volunteer at higher levels (7 hr or more per week) also reported greater levels of positive affect in comparison to nonvolunteers, and this was related to their greater availability of social support from friends. Availability of support from friends accounted for the greatest proportion of the volunteering-SWB associations. The findings suggest that the positive SWB associated with volunteering is related to volunteers' more extensive friend and family networks.

Barriers and enablers for the implementation of trauma-informed care in healthcare settings: a systematic review

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 05-05-2023

DOI: 10.1186/S43058-023-00428-0

Abstract: Healthcare services can be re-traumatising for trauma survivors where they trigger memories of past distressing events and exert limits to a survivor’s sense of autonomy, choice, and control. The benefits of receiving trauma-informed healthcare are well established however, factors that promote or impede the implementation of trauma-informed care are not yet well characterised and understood. The aim of this review was to systematically identify and synthesise evidence regarding factors that promote or reduce the implementation of TIC in healthcare settings. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2.0 guidelines. Scopus, MEDLINE, Proquest, PsycINFO and grey literature were searched for original research or evaluations published between January 2000 and April 2021 reporting barriers and/or facilitating factors for the implementation of trauma-informed care in a healthcare setting. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of each included study using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) Checklist. Twenty-seven studies were included, 22 of which were published in the USA. Implementation occurred in a range of health settings, predominantly mental health services. The barriers and facilitators of implementing trauma-informed care were categorised as follows: intervention characteristics (perceived relevance of trauma-informed care to the health setting and target population), influences external to the organisation (e.g. interagency collaboration or the actions of other agencies) and influences within the organisation in which implementation occurred (e.g. leadership engagement, financial and staffing resources and policy and procedure changes that promote flexibility in protocols). Other factors related to the implementation processes (e.g. flexible and accessible training, service user feedback and the collection and review of initiative outcomes) and finally the characteristics of in iduals within the service or system such as a resistance to change. This review identifies key factors that should be targeted to promote trauma-informed care implementation. Continued research will be helpful for characterising what trauma-informed care looks like when it is delivered well, and providing validated frameworks to promote organisational uptake for the benefit of trauma survivors. The protocol for this review was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42021242891).

A population survey found an association between self-reports of traumatic brain injury and increased psychiatric symptoms

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 11-2004

DOI: 10.1016/J.JCLINEPI.2003.11.011

Abstract: This study determined whether self-reported Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), identified in a community s le and occurring up to 60 years previously, is associated with current psychiatric symptoms, suicidality, and psychologic well-being. Three age cohorts (20-24, 40-44, 60-64) were randomly s led from the cities of Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia, yielding a total of 7,485 participants. The s les were administered scales measuring anxiety, depression, suicidality, positive and negative affect, personality traits, and physical health status. Of the total s le, 5.7% reported history of TBI involving loss of consciousness for at least 15 min, occurring an average of 22 years previously. History of TBI was associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, negative affect, and suicidal ideation. History of TBI is a risk factor for psychiatric morbidity. The effect is greatest in young adults, and occurs up to several decades subsequent to the occurrence of TBI.

Age, Physical Functioning, and Affect in Midlife and Older Adulthood

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 09-10-2013

DOI: 10.1093/GERONB/GBS088

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine age differences in high- and low-arousal positive and negative affect, and associations of physical functioning with affect over the latter half of the life course. Participants consisted of 39,958 midlife and older adults contributing to DYNOPTA a large-scale collaborative project concerned with pooling data from Australian studies of aging. Items assessing the experience of discrete emotions were selected to represent different combinations of high- and low-arousal affect, and positive and negative valence affect. Older adults were more likely to endorse low-arousal positive affect, and less likely to endorse negative affect (both high and low arousal) relative to those in midlife. Better self-reported physical functioning was associated with younger age, higher positive, and lower negative affect, with physical functioning emerging as a suppressor of associations of age with affect in regression analyses. The results, based on a very large s le of older adults, are consistent with those of other studies demonstrating lower levels of negative emotion among older, relative to midlife adults. The findings also highlight the relevance of physical functioning to emotional well-being over the latter part of the life course.

Cetuximab plus chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (FLEX): an open-label randomised phase III trial

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 05-2009

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60569-9

Characterising trauma-informed aged care

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 26-08-2022

DOI: 10.1002/GPS.5802

Abstract: While Trauma‐informed care (TIC) has the potential to improve the quality of aged and dementia care, the challenge remains in translating the principles of TIC into practice. This study aimed to characterise what trauma‐informed aged care looks like in practice, by learning from an aged care service acknowledged as delivering trauma‐informed aged care effectively. We conducted an appreciative inquiry study within a residential aged care service catering for veterans and others with trauma histories. Observation of care behaviours, interviews with staff and residents, and organisational policy mapping were used to identify elements that maximised care safety and accessibility for trauma survivors. Data were analysed and triangulated using a framework analysis approach. The aged care provider embedded the principles of TIC into its staff training (i) to promote understanding of how trauma may affect experiences in care, and (ii) to adapt care when appropriate to promote safety. The service promoted a calm atmosphere where residents could make choices and felt safe. Uniforms and signage provided consistency, clarity, and transparency for residents. Staff behaviours demonstrated respect, fostered trust, and anticipated needs without unnecessarily imposing care. Staff consistently offered choices, used residents' names, sought permission before providing care, and offered reassurance. Staff reported high morale with a commitment to delivering high quality care, and feedback to management. Effective communication promoted information sharing and trust among staff. Trauma‐informed practice was facilitated through organisational policy, a dignified environment, and thoughtful staff behaviour creating safety, choice, and control for residents.

Cohort profile: The dynamic analyses to optimize ageing (DYNOPTA) project

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 17-01-2010

DOI: 10.1093/IJE/DYN276

The protective effects of wellbeing and flourishing on long-term mental health risk

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 12-2022

DOI: 10.1016/J.SSMMH.2021.100052

What are older adults seeking? Factors encouraging or discouraging retirement village living

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 09-08-2012

DOI: 10.1111/J.1741-6612.2012.00623.X

Abstract: (1) To identify factors that older adults find encouraging or discouraging about the prospect of relocation to a retirement village and (2) to identify features or facilities often associated with retirement communities that are most appealing to prospective residents. Randomly selected community residents (n = 517), aged 55-94 years, from the Australian Capital Territory completed postal surveys to identify the characteristics associated with retirement villages that influence relocation decisions. The provision of outdoor living areas, support in maintaining independence, assisted living facilities and accessibility to medical facilities were identified as factors that would encourage relocation. Luxury services (e.g. heated swimming pools) were indicated as least likely to encourage relocation. Negative perceptions most influential in discouraging relocation reflected a fear of losing independence and privacy. Through identifying the expectations of prospective residents, retirement village providers may better tailor facilities to the needs of their target demographic.

Age group differences and longitudinal changes in approach–avoidance sensitivity: Findings from an 8-year longitudinal study

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Date: 12-2012

DOI: 10.1016/J.JRP.2012.07.002

Structural and functional social network attributes moderate the association of self-rated health with mental health in midlife and older adults

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Date: 24-07-2016

DOI: 10.1017/S1041610215001143

Abstract: Social relationships are multifaceted, and different social network components can operate via different processes to influence well-being. This study examined associations of social network structure and relationship quality (positive and negative social exchanges) with mental health in midlife and older adults. The focus was on both direct associations of network structure and relationship quality with mental health, and whether these social network attributes moderated the association of self-rated health (SRH) with mental health. Analyses were based on survey data provided by 2001 (Mean age = 65, SD = 8.07) midlife and older adults. We used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to classify participants into network types based on network structure (partner status, network size, contact frequency, and activity engagement), and used continuous measures of positive and negative social exchanges to operationalize relationship quality. Regression analysis was used to test moderation. LCA revealed network types generally consistent with those reported in previous studies. Participants in more erse networks reported better mental health than those categorized into a restricted network type after adjustment for age, sex, education, and employment status. Analysis of moderation indicated that those with poorer SRH were less likely to report poorer mental health if they were classified into more erse networks. A similar moderation effect was also evident for positive exchanges. The findings suggest that both quantity and quality of social relationships can play a role in buffering against the negative implications of physical health decline for mental health.

Subjective Well-Being Mediates the Effects of Resilience and Mastery on Depression and Anxiety in a Large Community Sample of Young and Middle-Aged Adults

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 03-2011

DOI: 10.3109/00048674.2010.529604

Abstract: Objective: The tripartite model of depression and anxiety hypothesizes that positive and negative affect is related to depression and anxiety. However, the specific role of cognitive or psychological well-being constructs like resilience and mastery within a tripartite context and throughout adulthood is unclear. Method: Data was drawn from two longitudinal population-based cohorts, aged 20–24 and 40–44 based in Canberra, Australia (N = 3989). We sought to determine the interrelatedness of two affective measures of subjective well-being, positive and negative affect, with two cognitive measures of psychological well-being, resilience and mastery. We then tested their independent effects on depression and anxiety, and hypothesized, following the tripartite model, that subjective well-being would mediate the effects of the psychological well-being variables on mental health and that the psychological well-being variables would be more strongly related to positive subjective well-being. Results: Principal axis factoring delineated four affective and cognitive dimensions of well-being comprising positive and negative affect, resilience and mastery. Structural equation models identified the psychological well-being variables as significantly related to subjective well-being, which fully mediated the effects of resilience and partially mediated the effect of mastery on depression and anxiety. These findings were consistent throughout both young and middle adulthood. Conclusions: Psychological well-being components are significant predictors of subjective well-being affect states that increase vulnerability to depression and anxiety.

Supportive, Aversive, Ambivalent, and Indifferent Partner Evaluations in Midlife and Young-Old Adulthood

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 08-04-2010

DOI: 10.1093/GERONB/GBQ016

Abstract: Age group differences in self-reported supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent partner relations were examined in a large s le of midlife (aged 40-44 at baseline, n = 1,719) and older (aged 60-64 at baseline, n = 1,675) married and partnered adults assessed on two occasions 4 years apart. Older adults, particularly older men, were more likely to rate their relationship as supportive and less likely to rate their relationship as aversive relative to midlife adults. Midlife adults were more likely to provide ambivalent or indifferent assessments (as opposed to supportive assessments) of their relationship relative to older adults. Results are discussed in the context of possible developmental changes in interpersonal and intimate relations occurring in middle and older adulthood.

Deriving prevalence estimates of depressive symptoms throughout middle and old age in those living in the community

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Date: 17-11-2011

DOI: 10.1017/S1041610211002109

Abstract: Background: There is considerable debate about the prevalence of depression in old age. Epidemiological surveys and clinical studies indicate mixed evidence for the association between depression and increasing age. We examined the prevalence of probable depression in the middle aged to the oldest old in a project designed specifically to investigate the aging process. Methods: Community-living participants were drawn from several Australian longitudinal studies of aging that contributed to the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project. Different depression scales from the contributing studies were harmonized to create a binary variable that reflected “probable depression” based on existing cut-points for each harmonized scale. Weighted prevalence was benchmarked to the Australian population which could be compared with findings from the 1997 and 2007 National Surveys of Mental Health and Well-Being (NSMHWB). Results: In the DYNOPTA project, females were more likely to report probable depression. This was consistent across age levels. Both NSMHWB surveys and DYNOPTA did not report a decline in the likelihood of reporting probable depression for the oldest old in comparison with mid-life. Conclusions: Inconsistency in the reports of late-life depression prevalence in previous epidemiological studies may be explained by either the exclusion and/or limited s ling of the oldest old. DYNOPTA addresses these limitations and the results indicated no change in the likelihood of reporting depression with increasing age. Further research should extend these findings to examine within-person change in a longitudinal context and control for health covariates.

Adapting to Retirement Community Life: Changes in Social Networks and Perceived Loneliness

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Date: 2015

DOI: 10.1017/JRR.2015.5

Abstract: Improved social relationships and connectedness is a frequently cited benefit of retirement community living. However, few studies have prospectively investigated changes in loneliness or social networks following relocation. This study involved 83 Australians (aged 57–90 years) relocating to independent living units within a retirement community. A prospective longitudinal design was employed whereby data was collected prior to relocation, and 1, 6 and 12 months post relocation. Comparisons were made with a s le of community-dwelling ( N = 549) residents of the same age. In idual characteristics (e.g., personality characteristics) associated with change were also explored. Results indicated reduced loneliness and increased neighbour support networks following relocation. A reduction in contact with friends was also observed. This study provides an important contribution to our understanding of the initial impact of transitioning into a retirement community on personal relationships. Through exploring factors associated with successful transition, we can begin to understand the characteristics of those in iduals most likely to thrive in this type of environment.

Can Positive Social Exchanges Buffer the Detrimental Effects of Negative Social Exchanges? Age and Gender Differences

Publisher: S. Karger AG

Date: 18-07-2012

DOI: 10.1159/000339747

Abstract: b i Background: /i /b Findings from existing research exploring whether positive social exchanges can help to offset (or ‘buffer’ against) the harmful effects of negative social exchanges on mental health have been inconsistent. This could be because the existing research is characterized by different approaches to studying various contexts of ‘cross-domain’ and ‘within-domain’ buffering, and/or because the nature of buffering effects varies according to sociodemographic characteristics that underlie different aspects of social network structure and function. b i Objective: /i /b The purpose of this study was to examine whether the buffering effects of i global /i perceptions of positive exchanges on the link between i global /i negative exchanges and mental health varied as a function of age and gender. b i Method: /i /b We used a series of regressions in a s le of 556 Australian older adults (ages 55–94) to test for three-way interactions among gender, positive social exchanges, and negative social exchanges, as well as age and positive and negative social exchanges, in predicting mental health, controlling for years of education, partner status, and physical functioning. b i Results: /i /b We found that positive exchanges buffered against negative exchanges for younger old adults, but not for older old adults, and for women, but not for men. b i Conclusions: /i /b Our findings are interpreted in light of research on in idual differences in coping responses and interpersonal goals among late middle-aged and older adults. Our findings are in line with gerontological theories (e.g. socioemotional selectivity theory), and imply that an intervention aimed at using positive social exchanges as a means of coping with negative social exchanges might be more successful among particular populations (i.e. women, ‘younger’ old adults).

Flinders University

Location: Australia

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Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP170100461

Start Date: 02-2019

End Date: 12-2023

Amount: $202,623.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP110102435

Start Date: 2011

End Date: 12-2013

Amount: $70,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0989584

Start Date: 04-2009

End Date: 03-2013

Amount: $150,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0990974

Start Date: 01-2011

End Date: 10-2014

Amount: $270,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council