The Contribution of Resistance Resources and Sense of Coherence to Life Satisfaction in Older Age

We investigate how the sense of coherence and resistance resources explain two aspects of life satisfaction, general life satisfaction and satisfaction with health in older age. For the first time, we tested the mediating role of the sense of coherence. In our questionnaire study, 387 older persons at the mean age of 73.8 years volunteered. In addition to the sense of coherence and life satisfaction measures, we assessed selected resistance resources representing relevant socio-demographic, functional health, social network, everyday competence, and psychological factors. We found that (a) resistance resources and the sense of coherence significantly predicted life satisfaction, (b) the sense of coherence was a mediator of the relationship between resistance resources and life satisfaction, and (c) the predicted effects did not differ for general life satisfaction and satisfaction with health. The sense of coherence as well as resources such as physical health, everyday competence, social support, and self-esteem are important antecedents of life satisfaction. Moreover, the sense of coherence represents a superordinate concept as it pools resistance influences on life satisfaction.     

Sense of coherence, negative life events and appraisal of physical health among university students

We examined the stress-buffering effects of the ‘sense of coherence' among 116 undergraduates (70 females and 46 males) with a mean age of 18.6 years. Self-reported physical well-being and psychological distress were assessed on two occasions separated by two months. Assessment of the sense of coherence occurred at time-one, whereas assessment of negative life-events for the past year occurred at time-two. Sense of coherence correlated negatively with negative life events and reported psychological symptoms of both occasions, and negative life events correlated positively with both assessments of psychological distress. Negative life events correlated positively with physical ailments reported for both occasions only among students low in sense of coherence; this significant correlation persisted after accounting for the relationship between psychological and physical symptoms. We discuss the possible salubrious effects of a sense of coherence on the health appraisals of young adults experiencing stress.     

The contribution of personal resources to physical and mental health: looking into age and gender effects

In this study, a model that specified the effects of socioeconomic and psychological resources on physical and mental health was investigated. It was hypothesized that (a) both kinds of resources would affect physical and mental health more strongly in older than in younger adults, and that (b) socioeconomic resources would exert stronger effects in men, whereas psychological resources would exert stronger effects in women. Data were collected in an Israeli national sample. Structural modeling analyses indicated that the model fit the data. A comparison of 4 groups of participants (2 age groups--18-39 and 40-84--and both genders) showed that, for men, the respective effects of socioeconomic and psychological resources on physical and mental health were strong in the older, but not in the younger, group. For women, socioeconomic resources had nonsignificant effects, whereas psychological resources had strong effects on mental health in both age groups; psychological resources also had a moderate effect on physical health in the older group. The results suggest that the contribution of personal resources to health is regulated by the joint impact of age and gender, presumably involving shifting roles and vulnerabilities of men and women across the life span.     

大学生社会支持对乐观倾向的影响:心理弹性与心理一致感的中介作用

研究旨在了解大学生社会支持、乐观倾向、心理弹性和心理一致感的基本情况及其相互关系,探讨心理弹性和心理一致感在社会支持与乐观倾向之间的中介作用,并对大学生乐观倾向的影响机制进行深入分析。研究使用大学生社会支持量表、心理一致感量表、心理弹性量表和乐观倾向量表对上海市某高校2979名大学生进行调查。研究结果表明:(1)大学生社会支持、心理弹性与心理一致感和乐观倾向的总体状况良好,处于正向积极水平。社会支持、心理弹性与心理一致感和乐观倾向均存在显著的性别差异,女生情况好于男生。(2)大学生乐观倾向与社会支持、心理弹性、心理一致感之间均存在显著正相关(r=.31-.50)。(3)社会支持对乐观倾向有直接预测作用,心理弹性和心理一致感的中介效应显著,模型拟合程度良好(χ2/df=36.80,p.001,NFI=.98,CFI=.98,IFI=.98)。研究为揭示社会支持与乐观倾向背后可能的原因与作用机制提供了理论支持。     

Creativity and Psychoticism: An Overinclusive Model

There is increasing research evidence that religious involvement is associated both cross-sectionally and prospectively with better physical health, better mental health, and longer survival. These relationships remain substantial in size and statistically significant with other risk and protective factors for morbidity and mortality statistically controlled. In this article, we review the social and psychological factors that have been hypothesized to explain the health-promoting effects of religious involvement. The four potential psychosocial mechanisms that have received empirical attention are health practices, social support, psychosocial resources such as self-esteem and self-efficacy, and belief structures such as sense of coherence. Evidence concerning these potential mediators is mixed and inconsistent, suggesting there is more to be learned about the pathways by which religion affects health. Other possible explanations for the salubrious effects of religious involvement on health and longevity are discussed.     

Self-Discrepancy and Mental Health in Older Women with Chronic Illnesses

Self-discrepancy was investigated as a self-enhancing mechanism by which older women maintain their mental health and psychological well-being while coping with declines in physical health. In this 6-year longitudinal study, the mediating and moderating effects of self-discrepancy on mental health outcomes in older women with chronic health problems were tested. Participants were 103 community-dwelling older women who completed multiple, self-report measures of physical and mental health and self-discrepancy. There was a decline in physical health over time but an improvement in self-discrepancies. Low self-discrepancy (i.e., little discrepancy between the actual and ideal self) mediated and moderated the effects of physical health decline on mental health and psychological well-being. Thus, self-discrepancy appears to play a significant role in maintaining mental health in the face of declining physical health in older women.     

Sleep,resilience, and psychological distress in United States military Veterans

Sleep problems are prevalent among Veterans. Left untreated, such problems may elevate psychological distress and increase risk of subsequent mental health disorders. Psychological resilience may buffer against negative psychological outcomes, yet the relationship between sleep and resilience has not been studied. This study explored poor sleep, resilience, and psychological distress using questionnaires collected as part of the Study of Post-Deployment Mental Health. Participants (N = 1,118) had served in the US military since September 11, 2001, had one or more overseas deployments, and were free from a past-month DSM-defined mental health disorder. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the association between poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score) and psychological distress (Global Symptom Index; Symptom Checklist-90-R), controlling for demographic and health characteristics. Moderation analyses tested for a potential buffering effect of resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). Poor sleeping Veterans had worse physical and psychological health, lower resilience, and endorsed more lifetime traumatic events. Poor sleep was associated with greater psychological distress controlling for health and demographic characteristics. Both resilience factors—adaptability and self-efficacy—had significant buffering effects on the relationship between poor sleep and psychological distress, suggesting that resilience may protect against negative outcomes in poor sleepers. Additional research is warranted to better understand the relationships between sleep, resilience, and psychological distress. Such research may inform pertinent prevention efforts, including interventions that improve sleep, enhance resilience, and protect against incident mental health diagnoses.     

Depression and resilience mediate the relationship between traumatic life events and ill physical health: results from a population study

We set out to investigate the mediating roles of depression, resilience, smoking, and alcohol use, in the relationship between potentially traumatic life events and objective and subjective, physical and mental health in a single study. A face-to-face, population-based survey was conducted in Hong Kong (N = 1147). Information on health conditions and traumatic life events was obtained, and participants completed measures of subjective physical and mental health, depression, and resilience. Smoking and drinking were not significant mediators of the relationship between life events and both objective and subjective health. Depressive symptomatology was found to mediate the relationship between life threatening illness and subjective physical health, the relationship between abuse (physical and sexual) and subjective mental health, and the relationship between the death of a parent/partner and subjective mental health. Resilience was found to mediate the relationships between multiple traumatic life events and subjective physical and mental health. Our results indicate that psychological factors rather than biological are important mediators of the relationship between life events exposure and health. Our findings provide evidence that depressive symptomatology has a mediating role only in the case of specific potentially traumatic life events and that resilience is only a critical factor in the face of exposure to multiple traumatic events, rather than single events. Our results also indicate that behavioural factors, such as smoking and drinking, are not significant mediators of the relationship between life events and health.     

Sense of Coherence,Time Perspective and Positive Aging

Recent gerontological research has identified the sense of coherence as a crucial resilience factor which develops over time and evolves from experiences across the life-span. Time perspective is the process by which life experiences are assigned to temporal categories which give coherence to these experiences. In the present study, we tested the salutogenic hypothesis that time perspective reflects a psychological resource that shapes the sense of coherence, and that both are important predictors of positive aging as indicated by subjective well-being and psychological health. We examined 210 individuals (60.5% women) at the mean age of 70.4 years using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, a questionnaire measuring five time perspective dimensions and a balanced time perspective. We found that (a) two time perspectives—a lack of concentration on the negative past and a high future orientation—predicted the sense of coherence, and that (b) the sense of coherence was a mediator of the time perspective dimensions–positive aging relationship. An exploratory path analytical model fitted our data well. Furthermore, (c) a balanced time perspective was associated with both the sense of coherence and positive aging, disclosing partial mediation of the sense of coherence. With regards to our analytical model, the sense of coherence and—to a lesser degree—time perspective dimensions and a balanced temporal perspective are important correlates of positive aging. In line with recent salutogenic research, our findings suggest that the sense of coherence represents a higher-order concept which pools psychological resource influences on positive aging.     

心理委员胜任力与心理健康的关系:领悟社会支持和心理弹性的链式中介

目的:探究领悟社会支持和心理弹性在心理委员胜任力与心理健康之间的中介作用。方法:采用问卷调查法对某高校433名大学生进行测查。结果表明:(1)相关分析显示,心理委员胜任力与领悟社会支持、心理弹性呈现显著正相关,与大学生心理健康呈现显著负相关;(2)结构方程模型分析表明,心理委员胜任力对大学生心理健康的直接效应显著,领悟社会支持和心理弹性在心理委员胜任力与大学生心理健康之间中介作用均显著,且领悟社会支持-心理弹性的链式中介作用也显著。结论:心理委员胜任力既可以直接预测大学生心理健康,又可以分别通过领悟社会支持、心理弹性的中介作用,以及领悟社会支持-心理弹性的链式中介作用间接预测大学生心理健康。     

The More the Better,Only in the Longer Term: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate a Compound Intervention Among Mainland Chinese Immigrants in Hong Kong

Barriers to adaptation faced by mainland Chinese immigrants to Hong Kong can be reduced by improving two targets of adaptation: information about negotiating their new environment and psychological well-being. We developed and evaluated a Compound intervention to address these two domains simultaneously and compared its effects to two separate interventions exclusively targeting either information about Hong Kong or psychological well-being. This cluster randomized controlled trial assigned 251 immigrants to an information provision arm (IP, n = 84) targeting knowledge and adaptation difficulties, a psychological well-being enhancement arm (WBE, n = 80) targeting resilience and mental health, or a Compound arm (i.e., IP + WBE, n = 87). The Compound arm showed stronger effects from baseline to postintervention on knowledge than the WBE arm. From postintervention to 6-month follow-up, the Compound arm showed better sustained effects on knowledge and adaptation difficulties than the IP arm and on resilience and mental health than the WBE arm. Additionally, participants in the Compound arm with more baseline depressive symptoms showed greater improvements in adaptation difficulties and general mental health than those with fewer symptoms. The study demonstrated the longer-term effectiveness of the Compound intervention and its greater benefits for immigrants with more depressive symptoms.     

Lifetime Abuse and Mental Health Among Older Persons: A European Study

This study aimed to investigate the association of lifetime abuse and mental health among older persons, considering associated factors (e.g., demographics) through a cross-sectional design. We recruited 4,467 women and men ages 60–84 years from 7 European cities. Mental health was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and physical injuries) based on the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale and the UK survey of abuse/neglect of older people. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that country of residence, low educational level, and experienced financial strain increased the odds of probable cases of anxiety and depression. Female sex, white-collar profession, and financial support by social/other benefits/or partner income were associated with higher odds of anxiety, while older age and experience of lifetime injury were associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms. The findings of this study indicate that socioeconomic factors, as well as experienced lifetime severe physical abuse leading to injuries, are significant in perceived mental health of adults in later life.     

Mental health differences among retirees and workers: findings from the Normative Aging Study

Researchers during the past decade have found little effect of retirement on physical health. However, retirement entails a number of losses, and its effect on mental health, as measured by the prevalence of psychological symptoms, is unclear. We examined psychological symptoms in a sample of 1,513 older men, participants in the Normative Aging Study, using the SCL-90-R (Derogatis, 1983). Analyses of variance indicated that retirees reported more psychological symptoms than did workers, even after controlling for physical health status. Exploratory analyses examining the circumstances of retirement found no effects for length of retirement or part-time employment, but did find effects for the timing of retirement. Both early and late retirees reported more psychological symptoms. Late workers (aged 66 and older) reported the fewest symptoms. Reasons for these findings are discussed.     

Psychological and health problems in a geographically proximate population time-sampled continuously for three months after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist incidents

Abstract

This study assessed the mental and physical health status and psychological problems related to the September 11th terrorist incidents among a representative sample of adults living near New York City, using continuously time-sampled data collected throughout 2001. Prevalence estimates for poor mental or physical health after September 11th (October through December) were comparable to those for the entire year of 2001 (i.e. approximately 33%). Psychological problems related to the terrorist incidents were reported by more than half of the respondents, and appeared to peak in prevalence approximately two to three months following the incidents, followed by a decline in the next month and subsequent year. Poor mental health, female gender, media re-exposure, and ongoing or increased alcohol use were risk factors for psychological problems, while older age (65+ years old) and being married were protective factors. Risk factors for poor physical and mental health or psychological problems were generally stable over the three-month period following September 11th, but some changes were identified consistent with stage models of post-disaster psychological adjustment. Implications are discussed for using continuous time-sampling as a strategy to research patterns of relatively acute stress-related sequelae of terrorism in populations whose members are affected despite primarily not having been at the disaster epicenter.     

Psychological and health problems in a geographically proximate population time-sampled continuously for three months after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist incidents

This study assessed the mental and physical health status and psychological problems related to the September 11th terrorist incidents among a representative sample of adults living near New York City, using continuously time-sampled data collected throughout 2001. Prevalence estimates for poor mental or physical health after September 11th (October through December) were comparable to those for the entire year of 2001 (i.e. approximately 33%). Psychological problems related to the terrorist incidents were reported by more than half of the respondents, and appeared to peak in prevalence approximately two to three months following the incidents, followed by a decline in the next month and subsequent year. Poor mental health, female gender, media re-exposure, and ongoing or increased alcohol use were risk factors for psychological problems, while older age (65+ years old) and being married were protective factors. Risk factors for poor physical and mental health or psychological problems were generally stable over the three-month period following September 11th, but some changes were identified consistent with stage models of post-disaster psychological adjustment. Implications are discussed for using continuous time-sampling as a strategy to research patterns of relatively acute stress-related sequelae of terrorism in populations whose members are affected despite primarily not having been at the disaster epicenter.     

Loneliness,ageism, and mental health: The buffering role of resilience in seniors

IntroductionAgeism and loneliness are two relevant public health phenomena because of their negative impact on the senior's mental health. With the increase in average life expectancy, these tend to co-occur, which may increase the psychological distress (PD) of seniors. Resilience has been shown to be an important protective factor of seniors mental health, although its potential buffering role of public health risk factors with cumulative impact on mental health, such as loneliness and ageism, needs to be more studied.AimTo assess the potential mediator role of resilience between the effects of ageism and loneliness on PD in seniors.MethodsA sample of 349 Portuguese seniors aged 60 years and over was collected through an online survey and during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Seniors completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), the Short-Form of UCLA Loneliness Scale (USL-6), the Ambivalent Ageism Scale (AAS) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). A mediation analysis model was developed with resilience as a mediating variable.ResultsThere were moderate to high levels of PD and moderate levels of ageism, loneliness and resilience. Resilience fully mediated the effect of ageism on PD and partially mediated the effect of loneliness on PD.ConclusionsResilience was an important protective factor of mental health against the effects of ageism, and partially protected mental health from the effects of loneliness among seniors. It is suggested that resilience be considered as a factor to be integrated in future intervention programs for mental health. The practical applicability of this study is discussed.     

社会认同对抑郁的影响及其理论解释

社会认同作为个体在群际和内群体层面的社会联结,总体上对抑郁产生了积极影响,表现为认同程度、认同重要性、认同群体数量以及认同变化的影响等4个方面。现有研究从需求、认知和行为层面探讨了社会认同影响抑郁的中介因素,并检验了身份认同动机和消极群体评价两个调节因素。社会认同视角下的4种理论分别从社会医治、心理资源、认同变化以及认同层次等不同角度解释了社会认同影响抑郁的心理机制。未来应厘清社会认同对抑郁的深层影响机制,重视社会认同影响抑郁的调节因素,及建构社会认同影响抑郁的能动-共生模型。     

Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress of middle-aged and older women living with HIV

The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress among older women living with HIV in comparison to their male counterparts and younger women and to identify the sociodemographic and disease-related factors associated with psychological distress. The sample consisted of 508 HIV-infected patients (65 older women, 323 women aged below 50 years, and 120 older men) recruited from 10 Portuguese hospitals. Data regarding psychological distress were collected using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Seven older women (10.8%), eight older men (6.7%), and 61 younger women (18.9%) reported a T-score ≥ 63 for global severity index (GSI), indicative of a need for further psychological evaluation. Overall, younger women reported significantly higher psychological distress than older men. The odds of having clinically significant psychological distress score were significantly lower for older women reporting sexual transmission, while for younger women, having other co-infections was a significant correlate of higher psychological distress. Younger women were 2.67 (95% CI: 1.22–5.84) times more likely to report psychological distress than were older men. The odds were not significantly different from older women. This study shows that older women do not differ substantially from younger women and older men in terms of psychological distress. The results reinforce, however, that mental health interventions should be tailored to reflect individuals’ circumstances as well as developmental contexts. Moreover, they draw attention to the importance of examining resilience characteristics in older adults to understand the mechanisms behind ‘successful ageing’ while living with HIV.     

Predictors of individual,community and national resiliencies of Israeli Jews and Arabs

The contribution of individual characteristics to predicting individual, community and national resilience of Israeli Jews and Arabs was investigated. Psychological resilience refers to people's assessment of their ability to withstand negative psychological consequences of major afflictions, and to keep functioning despite these adversities. The following hypotheses were examined: 1. The Jewish sample would score higher than the Arab sample on indices of individual, community and national resilience. 2. Men of both groups would score higher compared with women on these resilience indices. 3. Exposure to terror and fear of upcoming war would negatively predict the resilience of both groups. 4. Higher level of religiosity, right wing political attitudes, higher income, higher education, older age and higher sense of coherence will positively predict the investigated resiliencies. The random sample included 1100 Jews and 350 Arabs who participated in an internet survey. Resilience was defined in this study as the balance of individual, community and national strength (protective factors) to vulnerability (risk factors). The results supported the first three hypotheses whereas the fourth hypothesis was supported only for the Jewish sample. The present study indicated that some predictors had universal effect on resilience, whereas others seemed to be culture specific predictors.     

Growing Older in Portugal: Gender Issues in Physical Health and Well-being

This article presents three studies which demonstrate that (1) Older women enjoy the status of grandparenthood, and they show resources, continued personal growth, and positive functioning; (2) Spouses provide emotional support, and widowhood has an impact on the experience of emotional loneliness; and (3) As they age, men remain cognitively more preserved, and women affectively more preserved. Over a 3-year period, older people showed smooth changes in physical health, cognitive functioning, and mental health. Results are discussed in terms of healthy living, resilience, positive affect, and also conditions that promote undesirable pathways in older age. Implications for feminist therapy with older people are discussed.