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DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND FLOURISHING AMONG ELDERLY: A REVIEW
Abstract
Flourishing is a state of optimal mental well-being associated with the experience of doing and living well across all aspects of life, including psychological and social. Flourishing is important and beneficial throughout a life span including late adulthood. Yet, studies on flourishing among elderly especially from a heterogeneous culture such as Malaysia are still limited. Socio-demographic variables (such as age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, source of income and education attainment) can be key variables that contribute to flourishing among elderly. This paper reviews previous studies on this topic and found that ethnicity, marital status, income, and education attainment are significantly related to well-being and flourishing. The implications of the review on future research and practice are discussed.
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Flourishing is an eudaimonic dimension of psychological well-being associated with positive social and health outcomes. Determining correlates of health and well-being is critical for the development of evidence-based best practices, policies, and action plans that target older adults, especially in low- and middle-income countries where research on ageing, health and well-being is still scarce. The study aimed to determine the level of flourishing among older adults in Mongolia and to explore demographic and social factors that contribute to their flourishing in urban and rural areas of Mongolia. We used proportional quota sampling to select a non-probability sample of 304 community-dwelling older adults that reflected the national distribution of older age groups and rural/urban residency. We adapted and administered a widely used standardized questionnaire on flourishing and used multiple regression to establish correlates of flourishing. Study participants reported “very high” levels of flourishing; differences in median scores 53 for urban and 50 for rural older adults were significant. Sex (β=-2.09, p=0.080), level of education(β=0.98, p=0.009) and receive help with ADLs (β=-2.29, p=0.013) were associated with flourishing in rural areas, as were self-rated health (β=1.14, p=0.028), number of social activities (β=0.050, p=0.019),and friends network (β=0.22, p=0.035) in urban areas. Despite facing many challenges to well-being, older adults in Mongolia reported high levels of flourishing. Those in urban areas had higher scores than those in rural areas and predictors of flourishing differed for these groups.
By the year 2030, 19–21 per cent of the population of New Zealand (NZ) is projected to be aged 65 and over. Like many countries, life expectancy in NZ differs by gender but also ethnicity: in 2019, life expectancy for Māori (indigenous) women was 77.1 years compared with 84.4 years for non-Māori women. If Māori and NZ European women are to flourish in later life, examining the factors associated with their wellbeing is paramount. The current study draws on the Life Course Perspective to explore how wellbeing is associated with age-related life events among mid- to later-life NZ women. The women in this study (N = 19,624) are participants in the 2018 wave of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a national probabilistic 20-year longitudinal study (mean age = 55.62; Māori = 10.8%, NZ European = 89.2%). We found that stressful life events were negatively associated with life satisfaction but positively associated with meaning in life. Māori women exhibited lower levels of life satisfaction but there were no ethnic differences for meaning in life; however, Māori and NZ European women showed different patterns of significant correlates associated with meaning in life. Findings highlight the necessity of an intersectional approach to the study of mid- to later-life wellbeing and the utility of measuring wellbeing in more than one way within NZ's unique cultural-historical context.
Studies on psychological problems among the elderly were mainly conducted in developed countries, which may not fit China under the context of the dramatic changes of social environment. This study aims to assess the status and social-demographic determinants of the mental health among the Chinese elderly. The Chinese version of the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) was used to measure participants' mental health. A logistic model was established to identify the main socio-demographic factors associated with the overall detection rate of SCL-90-R. The overall positive detection rate of SCL-90-R was 23.6%, and the four symptoms with the highest positive detection rate were somatization (39.5%), obsessive-compulsive disorder (28.1%), other poor mental health symptoms (mainly sleep and diet problems) (25.7%), and depression (25.1%). The results showed those aged 75-79 (OR = 0.640, 95% CI 0.452 to 0.905) and 80 or above (OR = 0.430, 95% CI 0.302 to 0.613), those received 0 (OR = 0.224, 95% CI 0.162 to 0.310) or 1-5 years of education (OR = 0.591, 95% CI 0.449 to 0.776), those were living with spouse only (OR = 0.817, 95% CI 0.563 to 0.997) and with multiple generations (OR = 0.689, 95% CI 0.472 to 0.950), those holding a non-agricultural household registration (OR = 0.727, 95% CI 0.537 to 0.984), and those with an better higher household income were less likely to be positive in overall mental health symptoms. Mental health was shown to be better among those with more advanced ages (≥75), lower levels of schooling (≤5), normal body mass index, higher household incomes, and those who are married and live with their spouse or multiple generations, and those who came from city and currently live in the county.
This paper sets out a framework for exploring flourishing in older age through the lens of what older adults are doing in their lives. Applying a model from positive psychology called personal project analysis (PPA) our study captures a snapshot of older people's goals and their environmental context. Targeting older people aged 80+ we applied PPA methods in a semi-structured interview to elicit participants’ personal projects which were scored on eight wellbeing dimensions (e.g., fun, stress). Qualitative data analysis identified what types of personal projects are employed by this older demographic and the environments in which they are carried out. Results showed our participants were vitally engaged in a wide spectrum of projects exercised in a range of ‘enabling places’ which we categorised as (1) restorative niches (places that afford psychological restoration) such as nature settings (e.g. a garden, local park or riverside); (2) affinity niches (places that afford social opportunities) such as religious venues, social clubs, or cafés; and (3) flow niches (places that afford immersion in mental or physical tasks) such as the home (e.g. the kitchen) or a place associated with a previous career or amateur sport (e.g. cricket club). Our findings are discussed in relation to older people's wellbeing and the role of the built environment. Despite the increasingly negative stereotyping of the ‘older-old’ our study shows that the final decades of life can be a period of continuing growth and learning, a life stage with its own distinct character, rather than a period of decline.
Happiness is an essential component to experience healthy ageing. Hence, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness is important. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with happiness among the elderly population in Malaysia. In this study, 1204 respondents were recruited from urban and rural areas in Selangor. A face-to-face interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study questionnaire. The inclusion criteria include Malaysians who are 60-years old and above and can converse in the Malaysian language. Those who encounter less than seven scores for the Abbreviated Mental Test were excluded from the study. Among the 1204 respondents, 953 (79.2%) were happy. Sociodemographic characteristics showed that being a men, age of 60 to 74 years, and living in urban areas were significantly associated with happiness. A logistic regression model showed that locality (aOR 1.61), income category (Bottom 40% aOR 0.49; Middle-class group 40% aOR 1.40), social engagement (active aOR 1.77; less active aOR 1.25), receiving emotional support (aOR 2.11) and handgrip strength (aOR 1.02) were significantly associated with happiness. Thus, ensuring the elderly population in receiving emotional support and active social engagement among them can enhance their happiness level.
The purpose of this study is to examine how sociodemographic factors and everyday events are related to adolescent’s happiness in Malaysia. A total of 1,766 adolescents from 20 secondary schools in peninsular Malaysia completed a questionnaire on demographic background information and Malay version of Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Participants were also requested to identify everyday events that made them happy in the last 6 months. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was run to determine effects of gender, ethnicity, religion, and location on happiness. None of the main effects and interactions were significant. Correlation analysis revealed that household income, income of father, education of father, education of mother, and academic performance were significantly associated with adolescent’s happiness. Analysis of the everyday events that were reported to induce happiness suggested these events as related to domains considered salient in an adolescent’s life, including family, friends, and school. Everyday events are also related to intentional activities. Findings provide better understanding of the key demographic factors and everyday events that contribute to happiness of adolescents in Malaysia. Findings particularly suggest the importance of intentional activities in increasing happiness among adolescents.
The COVID-19 outbreak could be considered as an uncontrollable stressful life event. Lockdown measures have provoked a disruption of daily life with a great impact over older adults´ health and well-being. Nevertheless, eudaimonic well‐being plays a protective role in confronting adverse circumstances, such as the COVID-19 situation. This study aims to assess the association between age and psychological well-being (personal growth and purpose in life). Young-old (60-70 years) and Old-old (71 to 80 years) community-dwelling Spaniards (N = 878) completed a survey and reported on their sociodemographic characteristics and their levels of health, COVID-19 stress-related, appraisal and personal resources. Old-old did not evidence poorer psychological well-being than young-old. Age has only a negative impact on personal growth. The results also suggest that the nature of the COVID-19 impact (except for the loss of a loved one) may not be as relevant for the older adults’ well-being as their appraisals and personal resources for managing COVID-related problems. In addition, these results suggest that some sociodemographic and health-related variables have an impact on older adults’ well-being. Thus, perceived-health, family functioning, resilience, gratitude and acceptance had significant associations with both personal growth and purpose in life. Efforts to address older adults’ psychological well-being focusing on older adults’ personal resources should be considered.
Purpose
The present study intends to explore the influence of education on the mental health of retired people and the mediating role of a leisure attitude in this relationship.
Design/Methodology
The sample was simple random, and a confidentiality agreement was established. The sample was composed of 403 Portuguese participants (37.2% male; 62.8% female). The participants completed the MHI and the LAS.
Findings
The hypothesized mediation model showed that a leisure attitude mediated the association between education and well-being. In addition, higher levels of distress were found in participants with higher levels of education.
Scientific Contribution
Our results suggest that old-aged people with high education and a more positive leisure attitude have a better psychological adjustment concerning well-being. Also, a higher level of education can lead to a better perception of aging changes (physical, life, profession).
Background
The development of measures of psychological functioning has received less attention in Russia compared to other countries. Moreover, despite the growing interest in the psychological well-being of older adults, there is a lack of research on this segment of the population in Siberia. Therefore, in this study we aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Russian version of the Flourishing Scale (FS) and to measure psychological functioning in a sample of older adults living in Siberia.
Methods
The FS was translated and adapted to Russian language and culture using the back-translation procedure. The Russian version was administered to 851 older adults (aged from 65 to 93 years, mean = 75.3; female = 510). A principal axis factor analysis (PFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to assess the structural validity. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (internal consistency) and item-total correlations were also analysed. To test the convergent validity, the FS was compared with other scales assessing mental well-being.
Results
The PFA and the CFA showed that the FS had good psychometric properties. A one-factor structure was a good model of fit, even if some items had a low loading (ranging between 0.39 and 0.80). The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.82 and the Cronbach’s alpha values if an item were deleted ranged from 0.78 to 0.81. The item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.54 to 0.76. The FS also showed good convergent and divergent validity with other scales (correlation coefficients ranging from 0.39 to 0.54). The mean flourishing score (40.9) reported by the older adults in our sample is lower than that reported in previous studies.
Conclusions
The Russian version of the FS seems to have good psychometric properties and to be a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate flourishing among Russian older adults. This study provides the first evaluation of an instrument that Russian researchers and policymakers can use to better understand the determinants of successful ageing in this society. Future studies should further assess the validity and reliability of the FS and should generalize these results to different groups (e.g., adolescent or workers).
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-019-1100-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Objectives:
Perceived income adequacy is positively associated with self-rated health (SRH) and quality of life (QOL) among adults in higher-income countries. Additionally, older individuals often report higher levels of income adequacy. However, it is unclear if these associations, documented primarily in high-income countries, are also evident across economically and culturally distinctive low- and middle-income countries.
Methods:
Data were drawn from the World Health Organization's Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE), a study of adults aged 50 years or older in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Russian Federation, and South Africa. Smaller samples of younger adults (18-49 years) were included for comparison purposes. Participants reported income adequacy, SRH, and QOL. Associations between age and income adequacy and between income adequacy and SRH/QOL were examined using country-specific logistic regression analysis.
Results:
Older adults in China and Russia were more likely to report better income adequacy than their 18- to 49-year-old counterparts; however, the opposite was observed in Ghana and India. SRH and QOL improved as income adequacy increased in all countries.
Discussion:
As expected, income adequacy was correlated with SRH and QOL. However, the relationship between age and income adequacy varied cross-culturally, potentially due to differences in familial and governmental financial support.
In the elderly, the perception of life satisfaction and quality of life are related to many factors such as healthy lifespan , chronic illnesses, expectations and self-perception of ageing. This study aimed to determine the effects of variables including age, employment, education, cognition, ethnicity, debt, sex differences, intimacy capability, sleep hours, taking salary, home ownership status, and living with a partner on life satisfaction in the Malaysian elderly. This project recruited 2322 subjects who were non-institutionalized Malaysian elderly aged 60 years and above. Life satisfaction was measured by asking in general 'Are you satisfied with your current life'. The multiple logistic regression analysis was used to predict the effects of susceptible variables on life satisfaction in subjects. Approximately, 90.4 % of samples reported that they were satisfied with their current life. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that ethnic Malay (odds ratio [OR] = 1.50; p = 0.014), and living with a partner (OR = 1.51; p = 0.015) were significantly associated with the higher level of life satisfaction in respondents (p<0.05). Age, employment, cognition, debt, education, taking salary, intimacy capability, sex differences, sleep hours, and home ownership status did not show any significant effects on life satisfaction in subjects (p>0.05). It was concluded that ethnic Malay and living with a partner prominently enhanced the level of life satisfaction in respondents.
Studies about the elderly are mostly focused on morbidity and psychological conditions of the elderly. Effects of social relations have been noted to be important for the well-being of an elderly person. Later studies have begun to look at socioeconomic status of the elderly to see its relation to the level of morbidity. This paper is based on a nationwide survey. A total of 10 percent of elderly total population was interviewed to obtain socioeconomic and lifestyle information. A self reporting method was used as it was easiest to obtain the answers from the elderly. A total of 1410 elderly respondents aged 60 and above were interviewed from the regions of northern, eastern, middle and southern Peninsular Malaysia and also from Sabah and Sarawak. The data was analyzed using the SPSS 16. Quantitative analysis based on mean, standard deviation and multiple regressions was done. Findings show that higher morbidity rate lowers ones economic well-being. Females report higher morbidity then males, while those who are married and residing in rural area also report lower morbidity.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between flourishing and self-compassion. Participants were 347 (194 female and 153 male) university students, between age range of 18-24, who completed a questionnaire package that included the Flourishing Scale and the Self-compassion Scale. The relationships between flourishing and self-compassion were examined using correlation analysis and the hypothesis model was tested through structural equation modeling. In correlation analysis, self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness factors of self-compassion were found positively and self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification factors of self-compassion were found negatively related to flourishing. The model demonstrated fit (χ²=37.12, χ²/df = 4.12, RMSEA = .095, SRMR = .074, GFI = .97, AGFI = .91, CFI= .97, and NFI = .96). According to path analysis results, self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness were predicted positively by flourishing. Further, flourishing predicted self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification in a negative way. Results were discussed in the light of the related literature.
The primary objectives of this article are (a) to put forth an explicit operational formulation of positive human health that goes beyond prevailing "absence of illness" criteria; (b) to clarify that positive human health does not derive from extant medical considerations, which are not about wellness, but necessarily require a base in philosophical accounts of the "goods" in life; (c) to provoke a change of emphasis from strong tendencies to construe human health as exclusively about the mind or the body toward an integrated and positive spiral of mind-body influences; (d) to delineate possible physiological substrates of human flourishing and offer future directions for understanding the biology of positive health; and (e) to discuss implications of positive health for diverse scientific agendas (e.g., stress, class and health, work and family life) and for practice in health fields (e.g., training, health examinations, psychotherapy, and wellness intervention programs).
This study examined the contributions of orientations to happiness (pleasure, engagement and meaning) to subjective well-being.
A sample of 12,622 adults from the United States completed on-line surveys measuring orientations to happiness, positive affect,
negative affect, and life satisfaction. A sample of 332 adults from Australia also completed these surveys as well as a measure
of the big five factor personality traits. Hierarchical regressions generally supported the hypothesis that the three orientations
to happiness predict subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, positive affect and negative affect) beyond sociodemographic
variables and personality. Meaning and engagement explained the greatest variance in all three components of subjective well-being.
Overall, these findings support the importance of a eudaimonic approach in addition to the hedonic approach to achieving happiness.
Moreover, findings were relatively consistent in both the Australian and US samples.
The present study aims to determine the impact of loneliness on hypertension in later life.
Data for this study are derived from a sample of 1,880 older Malaysians via a cross-sectional survey entitled "Patterns of Social Relationships and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Persons in Peninsular Malaysia." Loneliness is assessed by the PGCMS item, "How much do you feel lonely?" Data analysis is carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0.
Nearly one third of respondents report high level of loneliness. The overall prevalence of hypertension is 39% (95% CI=36.9-41.3). Logistic regression, controlling for sociodemographic factors and several chronic medical conditions, shows that loneliness significantly increases likelihood of hypertension in later life (OR=1.31, p≤.05, 95% CI=1.04-1.66).
The results show loneliness as a major risk factor for hypertension and call for health care professionals to be aware of the negative physiological effects of loneliness in old age.
Mental health is more than the absence of psychopathology, but few studies use positive mental health along with a measure of past year major depressive episode (MDE). This study addresses this gap by investigating the association of MDE and flourishing mental health (FMH) with chronological age and subjective (felt and ideal) age. Data are from the Midlife in the United States random digit dialing sample of adults ages 25 to 74, collected in 1995 (n = 3032). Rates of MDE were lowest, and FMH highest, among the three oldest age cohorts (45-54, 55-64, 65-74 years). Subjective age was linked with chronological age; with age, adults tend to feel younger, and want to be an age that is younger, than their actual age. As predicted by the model of subjective age as an adaptive strategy, feeling younger was related to a lower risk of MDE and a higher risk of FMH. However, wanting to be younger was related to a lower risk of FMH and unrelated to MDE.
Psychological well-being as one of the most important indicators of successful aging has received substantial attention in the gerontological literature. Prior studies show that sociodemographic factors influencing elderly's psychological well-being are multiple and differ across cultures. The aim of this study was to identify significant sociodemographic predictors of psychological well-being among Malay elders.
The study included 1415 older Malays (60-100 years, 722 women), randomly selected through a multistage stratified random method from Peninsular Malaysia. WHO-Five well-being index was used to measure psychological well-being. Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 13.0.
Using multiple regression analysis a significant model emerged (F(7, 1407) = 20.14, p ≤ 0.001), where age, sex, marital status, and household income were significant predictor variables of psychological well-being among Malay elders. However, level of education, employment status, and place of residence failed to predict psychological well-being.
This study showed that the oldest old, elderly women, unmarried, and the poor elderly people are at risk for experiencing low psychological well-being. Therefore, they need special attention from family, policy makers, and those who work with elderly people.
This paper reviews trends in mortality and morbidity to evaluate whether there has been a compression of morbidity.
Review of recent research and analysis of recent data for the United States relating mortality change to the length of life without 1 of 4 major diseases or loss of mobility functioning.
Mortality declines have slowed down in the United States in recent years, especially for women. The prevalence of disease has increased. Age-specific prevalence of a number of risk factors representing physiological status has stayed relatively constant; where risks decline, increased usage of effective drugs is responsible. Mobility functioning has deteriorated. Length of life with disease and mobility functioning loss has increased between 1998 and 2008.
Empirical findings do not support recent compression of morbidity when morbidity is defined as major disease and mobility functioning loss.
The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality.
This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk.
Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships.
Across 148 studies (308,849 participants), the random effects weighted average effect size was OR = 1.50 (95% CI 1.42 to 1.59), indicating a 50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships. This finding remained consistent across age, sex, initial health status, cause of death, and follow-up period. Significant differences were found across the type of social measurement evaluated (p<0.001); the association was strongest for complex measures of social integration (OR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.63 to 2.23) and lowest for binary indicators of residential status (living alone versus with others) (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.44).
The influence of social relationships on risk for mortality is comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
This paper introduces and applies an operationalization of mental health as a syndrome of symptoms of positive feelings and positive functioning in life. Dimensions and scales of subjective well-being are reviewed and conceived of as mental health symptoms. A diagnosis of the presence of mental health, described as flourishing, and the absence of mental health, characterized as languishing, is applied to data from the 1995 Midlife in the United States study of adults between the ages of 25 and 74 (n = 3,032). Findings revealed that 17.2 percent fit the criteria for flourishing, 56.6 percent were moderately mentally healthy, 12.1 percent of adults fit the criteria for languishing, and 14.1 percent fit the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive episode (12-month), of which 9.4 percent were not languishing and 4.7 percent were also languishing. The risk of a major depressive episode was two times more likely among languishing than moderately mentally healthy adults, and nearly six times greater among languishing than flourishing adults. Multivariate analyses revealed that languishing and depression were associated with significant psychosocial impairment in terms of perceived emotional health, limitations of activities of daily living, and workdays lost or cutback. Flourishing and moderate mental health were associated with superior profiles of psychosocial functioning. The descriptive epidemiology revealed that males, older adults, more educated individuals, and married adults were more likely to be mentally healthy. Implications for the conception of mental health and the treatment and prevention of mental illness are discussed.
In this study, Weiss's (1973) theorizing about the sources of emotional and social loneliness is elaborated--with notions about the asymmetric gratifications derived from marriage, about the conflicting loyalties that result from remarriage, and about selection into marriage--in order to reach an understanding of gender differences in loneliness, both in and outside of marriage. First and subsequent marriages are considered, as well as marital disruptions and never marrying. The data (N = 3737) are from the 1992 Dutch survey on older adults' living arrangements and social networks (NESTOR-LSN). Marital-history differences emerge, not only for emotional loneliness, but also (and contrary to Weiss's theoretical conceptualizations) for social loneliness. The marital-history differences in emotional and social loneliness are greater among men than women. For men, the marriage bond appears not only to be more central to emotional well-being than is the case for women but also to play a pivotal role in their involvement with others. Marital history offers the best explanation for differences in emotional loneliness among men, but social embeddedness characteristics also account for differences in emotional loneliness among women. Apparently, whereas men are more likely to find an intimate attachment in marriage, women also find protection from emotional loneliness in other close ties. The marital-history differences in social loneliness are largely mediated by social embeddedness characteristics, partly in different ways for men and women. Involvement in activities outside the home serves as the context for sociability for men, whereas parenthood plays a more important role in women's social engagements.
A continuous assessment and a categorical diagnosis of the presence (i.e., flourishing) and the absence (i.e., languishing) of mental health were proposed and applied to the Midlife in the United States study data, a nationally representative sample of adults between the ages of 25 and 74 years (N = 3,032). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesis that measures of mental health (i.e., emotional, psychological, and social well-being) and mental illness (i.e., major depressive episode, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and alcohol dependence) constitute separate correlated unipolar dimensions. The categorical diagnosis yielded an estimate of 18.0% flourishing and, when cross-tabulated with the mental disorders, an estimate of 16.6% with complete mental health. Completely mentally healthy adults reported the fewest health limitations of activities of daily living, the fewest missed days of work, the fewest half-day work cutbacks, and the healthiest psychosocial functioning (low helplessness, clear life goals, high resilience, and high intimacy).
Purpose
Preserving sufficient financial assets is crucial for maintaining the standard of living. The lack of adequate financial cushion can translate into financial hardship at any age, but its effects can be especially severe in later adulthood. The authors evaluate whether financial literacy can prevent individuals from depleting the stock of liquid financial assets below a predefined minimum level.
Design/methodology/approach
Defining financial resilience as the ability to maintain the value of household savings above the level of 3-monthly incomes, the authors examined whether financial literacy is (1) prospectively associated with the probability of losing financial resilience and (2) the probability of gaining financial resilience among financially vulnerable middle-aged and older adults. To this end, the authors applied the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model with time-varying covariates. Data were retrieved from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe with the sample comprising 13,718 adults aged ≥ 50 years in (1) and 12,802 in (2).
Findings
The authors show that financial literacy plays a protective role for financial resilience. Its role is not symmetrical and protects more against the loss of financial resilience than it contributes to the gain of financial resilience. Among individuals aged 65–74, the association between financial literacy and financial resilience is weaker than among adults in the middle-age (50–64) and among the oldest (75+).
Social implications
Fostering financial literacy can be important to help middle-aged and older adults maintain a good quality of life and favorable living standards.
Originality/value
Given the scarce evidence on the links between financial literacy and financial resilience among middle-aged and older adults, the article contributes to the literature by examining whether financial literacy retains its protective role in later stages of the life course.
Objective
In this study, we aim to assess general psychological health, associated factors, and the potential of coping strategies as a mediator for middle-aged and older Malaysian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
A total of 535 individuals aged 52 years and above from the previous cohort and interventional studies in Peninsular Malaysia were contacted during the Movement Control Order (MCO) issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telephonic interviews were conducted to obtain participant information concerning socio-demography, physical activity, subjective well-being (SWB) as assessed using flourishing scale, coping strategies, and general psychological health (GHQ-12). Simple linear regression (SLR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with GHQ-12. The associated factors were further analysed using mediation analysis to determine the potential of coping strategies as a mediator.
Results
It was observed that participants had a low mean GHQ-12 score (M = 0.80, SD = 2.19), indicating good psychological health. Living arrangement, physical activity, and flourishing scale were associated with psychological health (R² = 0.412, p < 0.05) in MLR. Positive reinterpretation, emotional support, instrumental support, humour, denial, and self-blame appear to partially mediate the relationship between socio-demography, physical activity, flourishing scale and GHQ-12, with lower coefficient values.
Conclusion
Middle-aged and older adults in Malaysia had good psychological health during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when living with family, physically active, and having good subjective well-being. These findings provide the initial evidence to help promote the ageing population’s general well-being and mental health and enable them to cope with change during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human flourishing represents a state of mental health in which an individual is actively striving to live well rather than merely feeling good. This concept provides an important context for nurses working with older adults. Flourishing older adults exhibit a sense of personal growth in that they are still evolving and changing. Research suggests that human flourishing is associated with positive outcomes for mental and physical health. Thus, it is important for nurses and other health professionals to help older adults identify and implement strategies that promote flourishing in their later years. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 55(10), 27-30.].
Many empirical studies throughout the social and biomedical sciences focus only on very narrow outcomes such as income, or a single specific disease state, or a measure of positive affect. Human well-being or flourishing, however, consists in a much broader range of states and outcomes, certainly including mental and physical health, but also encompassing happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. The empirical literature from longitudinal, experimental, and quasiexperimental studies is reviewed in attempt to identify major determinants of human flourishing, broadly conceived. Measures of human flourishing are proposed. Discussion is given to the implications of a broader conception of human flourishing, and of the research reviewed, for policy, and for future research in the biomedical and social sciences.
The Flourishing Scale (FS; Diener et al. in Soc Indic Res 97(2):143–156, 2010) was developed to assess psychological flourishing, which can be conceived of as a social-psychological prosperity incorporating important aspects of human functioning. This study takes the FS, which has previously been validated on convenience samples of students, and analyses the underlying structure, psychometric properties, and demographic norms using nationally-representative data from New Zealand’s Sovereign Wellbeing Index (n = 10,009; Human Potential Centre in Sovereign Wellbeing Index: New Zealand’s first measure of wellbeing. Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, 2013). Evidence for the reliability and validity of the FS is presented (Cronbach alpha) and its performance compared to other related scales and behaviors. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated the one factor structure of the 8-item FS. Contemporary population norms for the FS are reported, providing a much-needed benchmark for estimation of population health and permitting cross-study and international comparisons. The study provides further evidence that the FS is a valid and reliable brief summary measure of psychological functioning, suited for use with a wide range of age groups and applications.
The majority of the studies addressing human happiness have been conducted with Western Judeo-Christian cultures; other countries with different sociocultural milieus are underrepresented in research investigating this issue. The present work was undertaken to determine the prevalence and predictors of personal well-being in an Eastern Muslim culture, Pakistan. The study also aimed to compare the current ratings of subjective well-being with those obtained from other areas of the world. To make this survey representative of the vast majority of Pakistani people, a total of 1,000 people, with an age range of 16-80, living in diverse areas of Lahore (the provincial capital) were contacted. Ten localities ranging from upper-class areas to congested inner-city locations and to Kacchi Abadies (temporary houses built in caravan) were visited. Apart from demographic information, responses of the survey subjects were collected on multiple dimensions: personality traits, self-esteem, work satisfaction, marital satisfaction, religiosity, and social support. General well-being was assessed using Faces Scale and Ladder Scale of Life Satisfaction. The current findings, consistent with previous worldwide reports, showed that the number of happy people exceeds those who are unhappy, and also that Eastern people are as happy and satisfied as people from many Western countries. Work satisfaction, social support, religious affiliation, social class, income level, and marital status and satisfaction were found to be the better predictors of subjective well-being.
Empirical research and organismic theories suggest that lower well-being is associated with having extrinsic goals focused on rewards or praise relatively central to one's personality in comparison to intrinsic goals congruent with inherent growth tendencies. In a sample of adult subjects (Study 1), the relative importance and efficacy of extrinsic aspirations for financial success, an appealing appearance, and social recognition were associated with lower vitality and self-actualization and more physical symptoms. Conversely, the relative importance and efficacy of intrinsic aspirations for self-acceptance, affiliation, community feeling, and physical health were associated with higher well-being and less distress. Study 2 replicated these findings in a college sample and extended them to measures of narcissism and daily affect. Three reasons are discussed as to why extrinsic aspirations relate negatively to well-being, and future research directions are suggested.
Psychological science has usually approached the treatment of disorder through research on individual combinations of risk and protective factors (including life experiences, thinking styles, behaviors, social relationships and genes) and the application of interventions that focus on improvements in the individual. However, we can do better than this. Not only should we be aiming to enhance well-being rather than merely reducing disorder, but we should also be doing so for the majority of people rather than the few who have a disorder. In this article, I focus on the mental health spectrum and make the case for a broad population-based approach. I argue that a very small shift in the population mean of the underlying symptoms or risk factors can do more to enhance well-being and reduce disorder than would any amount of intervention with individuals who need help. Examples from research on alcohol abuse and psychological distress are presented to illustrate the value of a population-based approach.
© 2009 Association for Psychological Science.
Objective
Social relations have become the focus of much research attention when studying depressive symptoms in older adults. Research indicates that social support and being embedded in a network may reduce the risk for depression. The aim of the review was to analyze the association of social relations and depression in older adults. Methods
Electronic databases were searched systematically for potentially relevant articles published from January 2000 to December 2012. Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. ResultsFactors of social relations were categorized into 12 domains. Factors regarding the qualitative aspects of social relations seem to be more consistent among studies and therefore provide more explicit results. Thus, social support, quality of relations, and presence of confidants were identified as factors of social relations significantly associated with depression. The quantitative aspects of social relations seem to be more inconsistent. Cultural differences become most obvious in terms of the quantitative aspects of social relations. Conclusion
Despite the inconsistent results and the methodological limitations of the studies, this review identified a number of factors of social relations that are significantly associated with depression. The review indicates that it is needful to investigate social relations in all their complexity and not reduce them to one dimension. Simultaneously, it is important to conduct longitudinal studies because studies with cross-sectional design do not allow us to draw conclusions on causality. Beyond that, cultural differences need to be considered. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This book draws together the latest work from scholars around the world using subjective well-being data to understand and compare well-being across countries and cultures. Starting from many different vantage points, the book reaches a consensus that many measures of subjective well-being, ranging from life evaluations through emotional states, based on memories and current evaluations, merit broader collection and analysis. Using data from the Gallup World Poll, the World Values Survey, and other internationally comparable surveys, the chapters document wide divergences among countries in all measures of subjective well-being. The international differences are greater for life evaluations than for emotions. Despite the well-documented differences in the ways in which subjective evaluations change through time and across cultures, the bulk of the very large international differences in life evaluations are due to differences in life circumstances rather than differences in the way these differences are evaluated.
In this article the author presents an overview of problems, opportunities, and guidelines related to promoting successful aging. We are living longer, but not necessarily with high levels of health or wellness. Counseling interventions prior to the elder years could promote higher levels of health and wellness that would persist well into old age. This would benefit the individual and society. The purpose of this article is to motivate counselors to become more active in helping individuals and society to age more successfully.
How can the ‘social capital’ inherent in social networks provide contacts through which older people access practical and emotional support? What is the relative importance of kin and non-kin, and of participation in organisations and informal ties such as contacts with neighbours? Following a brief contextualisation that draws on previous literature, this paper addresses these questions through analysis of British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data. It examines the extent to which people feel they can count on emotional and practical support from friends and relatives. A dependent variable was created that measures the outcome of the ‘social capital’ residing in a respondent's social network. Relatively poor support was found amongst elders who were childless or had been continuously without a partner; relatively rich support was found amongst those who had frequent contact with other people, who interacted frequently with neighbours, and who regarded their neighbourhood as a positive social environment. Being active in organisations had less effect on social support than informal social contacts. Amongst many different forms of organisational activity, the only ones that had a positive association with social support were being in contact with others through religious activities, and engaging in sports clubs. The social support of working-class elders, even those ‘well networked’ in formal or informal ways, was strengthened less by their social capital than was that of the professional and managerial occupational groups.
This review focuses on positive aspects of well-being, or flourishing. It examines evidence for the causes of positive well-being and also its consequences, including beneficial effects for many aspects of cognitive functioning, health, and social relationships. The neurobiological basis of psychological well-being is examined, and recent data on brain activation and neurochemical pathways are presented. Individuals vary widely in their habitual level of psychological well-being, and there is evidence for a seminal role of social factors and the early environment in this process. It is often assumed that the drivers of well-being are the same as (but in the opposite direction to) the drivers of ill-being, but while this is true for some drivers, others have more selective effects. Future developments in the science of well-being and its application require a fresh approach—beyond targeting the alleviation of disorder to a focus on personal and interpersonal flourishing. A universal intervention approach is outlined which may both increase population flourishing and reduce common mental health problems.
Research on families in the middle and later years came into its own during the 1990s, documenting the complexity, malleability, and variety of older family connections. We examined 908 articles on family gerontology topics, observing 4 trends: Conceptually, an appreciation for pluralism and resilience as individuals and families age is apparent. Theoretically, life course, feminist, socioemotional selectivity, and family solidarity theories are increasingly applied to intergenerational family relations. Methodologically, new interest in qualitative methods for studying diverse groups has improved the depth with which aging studies can account for variability in old age; new quantitative methodologies have allowed greater sophistication in dealing with longitudinal data. Substantively, there is greater understanding of family caregiving, social support, parent-child relationships, marital transitions, and grandparenting relationships. The field is poised to take even greater risks in fulfilling the promise of studying linked lives over time.
There is increasing interest in the “economics of happiness”, reflected by the number of articles that are appearing in mainstream economics journals that consider subjective well-being (SWB) and its determinants. This paper provides a detailed review of this literature. It focuses on papers that have been published in economics journals since 1990, as well as some key reviews in psychology and important unpublished working papers. The evidence suggests that poor health, separation, unemployment and lack of social contact are all strongly negatively associated with SWB. However, the review highlights a range of problems in drawing firm conclusions about the causes of SWB; these include some contradictory evidence, concerns over the impact on the findings of potentially unobserved variables and the lack of certainty on the direction of causality. We should be able to address some of these problems as more panel data become available.
Recent research has shown that depression, anxiety disorders, and psychosis are more common than previously supposed in elderly populations without dementia. It is unclear whether the frequency of these disorders increases or decreases with age. Clinical expression of psychiatric disorders in old age may be different from that seen in younger age groups, with less and often milder symptoms. Concurrently, comorbidity between different psychiatric disorders is immense, as well as comorbidity with somatic disorders. Cognitive function is often decreased in people with depression, anxiety disorders, and psychosis, but whether these disorders are risk factors for dementia is unclear. Psychiatric disorders in the elderly are often related to cerebral neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease, although psychosocial risk factors are also important. Psychiatric disorders, common among the elderly, have consequences that include social deprivation, poor quality of life, cognitive decline, disability, increased risk for somatic disorders, suicide, and increased nonsuicidal mortality.
This study investigated how perceived stress, social support, and home-based physical activity affected older adults' fatigue, loneliness, and depression. We also explored whether social support and physical activity mediated the relationships between stress and mental health problems. The data of 163 older participants were analyzed in this study. Structural equation modeling using LISREL 8.71 was performed to assess the effects of stress, support, and physical activity on mental health. The findings indicate that perceived stress predicted higher levels of depression, social support predicted lower levels of loneliness and fatigue, and physical activity predicted lower levels of fatigue among older adults. Social support and physical activity mediated the relationships between stress and mental health, except depression. In conclusion, the relative impacts of perceived stress, social support, and physical activity on types of mental health (e.g., fatigue, loneliness, and depression) were different. Furthermore, stress had direct and indirect effects on each construct of mental health (e.g., fatigue, loneliness, and depression).
Immigrants are a vital component of the current and future ethnic aging population in Canada. This study was undertaken to explore the health status of elderly Chinese immigrants in a western Canadian city and to identify the major determinants of their physical and psychological well-being.
Using a 50% random sample of elderly Chinese residing in three residential complexes occupied exclusively by individuals of ethnic Chinese origin located in downtown Calgary, a total of 147 Chinese seniors were interviewed in their homes by trained, bilingual interviewers using a structured questionnaire that covered a wide range of topics including health status, social network, living arrangements, use of health-related services, and socio-demographic information.
Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A principal component factor analysis using varimax rotation was performed to explore the underlying factorial structure of the seven items measuring well-being. The internal consistency of all scales used was assessed by Cronbach's alpha reliability test. Two multiple ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression models were constructed to identify the major determinants of respondents' physical and psychological well-being.
The findings revealed that a majority of the participants described their physical health as good or very good. Results of multiple OLS regression analysis demonstrated that education, country of origin, use of medications, physical mobility, and perceived financial needs were significantly associated with physical well-being, whereas sex, marital status, length of residence, education, and physical mobility were significantly related to psychological well-being.
Healthcare professionals, service providers, and policy-makers need to understand the significant impact of the various socio-demographic and background variables that contribute to the well-being of community-dwelling Chinese elderly immigrants. The provision of culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate healthcare, social, and medical services is needed for the growing older Chinese population. Future studies should compare the health status of foreign-born Chinese seniors with those who were native-born, as well those co-residing with adult children.
To review systematically prospective, observational, cohort studies of the association between positive well-being and mortality using meta-analytic methods. Recent years have witnessed increased interest in the relationship between positive psychological well-being and physical health.
We searched general bibliographic databases: Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PubMed up to January 2008. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics, quality, and estimates of associations.
There were 35 studies (26 articles) investigating mortality in initially healthy populations and 35 studies (28 articles) of disease populations. The meta-analyses showed that positive psychological well-being was associated with reduced mortality in both the healthy population (combined hazard ratio (HR) = 0.82; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.76-0.89; p < .001) and the disease population (combined HR = 0.98; CI = 0.95-1.00; p = .030) studies. There were indications of publication bias in this literature, although the fail-safe numbers were 2444 and 1397 for healthy and disease population studies, respectively. Intriguingly, meta-analysis of studies that controlled for negative affect showed that the protective effects of positive psychological well-being were independent of negative affect. Both positive affect (e.g., emotional well-being, positive mood, joy, happiness, vigor, energy) and positive trait-like dispositions (e.g., life satisfaction, hopefulness, optimism, sense of humor) were associated with reduced mortality in healthy population studies. Positive psychological well-being was significantly associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality in healthy population studies, and with reduced death rates in patients with renal failure and with human immunodeficiency virus-infection.
The current review suggests that positive psychological well-being has a favorable effect on survival in both healthy and diseased populations.
To further explain the relationship of education to health by a prospective examination of positive psychological states as mediators. Furthermore, to examine the resources of desirable events, self-esteem, and social support as possible mediators between positive psychological states and subsequent health and vitality.
Four in-home interviews were conducted at 6-month intervals with a probability sample of 1,277 older adults (aged 55 and older); multiple regression was used to estimate mediating effects.
Positive states mediated the education relationship to both symptoms and vitality, independent of negative states; the resource measures did not mediate the positive state-health relationship.
Higher education level appears to increase the likelihood of being serene and happy, and healthy and vital, in later years; positive psychological states appeared to have both a promotion function (for vitality) and protective function (against health symptoms); self-esteem showed promise as a possible mediator of the effects of psychological states on health.
Social networks among men and women
- K J Ajrouch
- A Y Blandon
- T Antonucci
Ajrouch, K. J., Blandon, A. Y., & Antonucci, T. (2005). Social networks among men and women. Journals of
Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 60, S311-S317.
Old and depressed. The Sunday Times
- R Basu
Basu, R. (2012). Old and depressed. The Sunday Times.