Emily C Rutter’s research while affiliated with University of Waterloo and other places

Objectives We investigated whether functional social support—the degree to which one perceives support is available when needed—is associated with executive function, a key cognitive domain for everyday functioning and adaptation to change. Methods Analyses ( n = 23,491) utilized cross-sectional data from the Comprehensive cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a population-based study of community-dwelling adults aged 45–85 years. Executive function was assessed by neurocognitive battery. Perceived social support was measured using the 19-item Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey. Logistic regression models were adjusted for sociodemographic, health, and social covariates. Results Positive social interactions as well as affectionate and emotional/informational functional social support were positively associated with executive function. Discussion Social support plays an important role in cognitive health. Diversifying social programming beyond tangible social support to target other subtypes of support may help preserve executive function in middle-aged and older adults.

Background: Intact cognitive function is crucial for healthy aging. Functional social support is thought to protect against cognitive decline. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. Methods: Articles were obtained from PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, CINAHL, and Scopus. Eligible articles considered any form of functional social support and cognitive outcome. We narratively synthesized extracted data by following the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) guidelines and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: Eighty-five articles with mostly low risk-of-bias were included in the review. In general, functional social support-particularly overall and emotional support-was associated with higher cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. However, these associations were not all statistically significant. Substantial heterogeneity existed in the types of exposures and outcomes evaluated in the articles, as well as in the specific tools used to measure exposures and outcomes. Conclusions: Our review highlights the role of functional social support in the preservation of healthy cognition in aging populations. This finding underscores the importance of maintaining substantive social connections in middle and later life. Systematic review registration: Rutter EC, Tyas SL, Maxwell CJ, Law J, O'Connell ME, Konnert CA, Oremus M. Association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults: a protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open;10(4):e037301. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037301.

Background Intact cognitive function is crucial for healthy aging. Functional social support is thought to protect against cognitive decline. We conducted a systematic review to investigate the association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. Methods Articles were obtained from PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, CINAHL and Scopus. Eligible articles considered any form of functional social support and cognitive outcome. We narratively synthesized extracted data by following the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) guidelines and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results Eighty-five articles with mostly low risk-of-bias were included in the review. In general, functional social support—particularly overall and emotional support—was positively associated with cognitive function in middle- and older-aged adults. However, these associations were not all statistically significant. Substantial heterogeneity existed in the types of exposures and outcomes evaluated in the articles, as well as in the specific tools used to measure exposures and outcomes. Conclusions Our review highlights the role of functional social support in the preservation of healthy cognition in aging populations. This finding underscores the importance of maintaining substantive social connections in middle and later life. Systematic review registration Rutter EC, Tyas SL, Maxwell CJ, Law J, O'Connell ME, Konnert CA, Oremus M. Association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults: a protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open;10(4):e037301. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037301

Objectives To examine the prevalence of coping behaviours during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic among caregivers of Assisted Living (AL) residents and variation in these behaviours by caregivers’ gender and mental health. Design Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey. Setting and Participants Family/friend caregivers of AL residents in Alberta and British Columbia. Methods A web-based survey, conducted twice (Oct 28, 2020-Mar 31,2021 and July 12, 2021-Sept 7, 2021) on the same cohort obtained data on caregivers’ sociodemographic characteristics, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and coping behaviours (seeking counselling, starting a psychotropic drug [sedative, anxiolytic, antidepressant], starting or increasing alcohol, tobacco and/or cannabis consumption) during pandemic waves one and two. Descriptive analyses and multivariable (modified) Poisson regression models identified caregiver correlates of each coping behaviour. Results Among the 673 caregivers surveyed at baseline, most were women (77%), White (90%) and aged ≥55 years (81%). Alcohol (16.5%) and psychotropic drug (13.3%) use were the most prevalent coping behaviours reported during the initial wave, followed by smoking and/or cannabis use (8.0%) and counselling (7.4%). Among the longitudinal sample (n=386), only alcohol use showed a significantly lower prevalence during the second wave (11.7% vs. 15.1%, p=0164). During both waves, coping behaviours did not vary significantly by gender, however psychotropic drug and substance use were significantly more prevalent among caregivers with baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms, including in models adjusted for confounders (e.g., anxiety: adjusted risk ratio=3.87 [95%CI 2.50-6.00] for psychotropic use, 1.87 [1.28-2.73] for alcohol use, 2.21 [1.26-3.88] for smoking/cannabis use). Conclusions and Implications AL caregivers experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms during the pandemic were more likely to engage in drug and substance use, potentially maladaptive responses. Public health and AL home initiatives that identify caregivers’ mental health needs and provide targeted support during crises are required to mitigate declines in their health.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if and how the associations between social support availability (SSA) and cognitive function varied across urban, rural, and geographical regions in Canada. Data from a population-level sample of community-dwelling adults aged 45–85 years were obtained from the baseline Tracking Cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The associations between SSA and two domains of cognitive function, memory and executive function, were analyzed using multilevel regression models. SSA was positively and significantly associated with both executive function and memory. We found SSA had stronger positive associations with executive function among participants living in rural areas compared to urban areas in all geographical regions; however, geographical variation in the associations between SSA and memory were not supported by model results. Understanding how the associations between cognitive function and modifiable risk factors, including SSA, vary across geographical contexts is important for developing policies and programs to support healthy aging.

Introduction Maintenance of cognitive function into old age is important for ageing populations. Researchers seek to identify modifiable risk and protective factors for cognitive function. One such modifiable factor is functional social support, that is, one’s perception of whether their social network can provide resources such as material help, companionship, information and emotional contact, if needed. While the literature generally reports positive associations between functional social support and cognitive function, results vary according to study methods such as the tool used to measure functional social support or the specific cognitive domain under investigation. Our review will summarise the association between functional social support and cognitive function in middle-aged and older-aged adults who reside in any setting (eg, community dwelling, long-term care facilities). We will also identify sources of discrepant findings between studies. Methods and analysis This protocol was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols guideline. PubMed, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus will be searched from inception to the present using a search strategy developed with a medical librarian’s help. We will supplement the database searches with a grey literature search. English-language or French-language studies with a comparison group will be subject to inclusion, regardless of the measures used to assess functional social support or cognitive function. We will assess risk of bias with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool-Version 2 or the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, narratively synthesise the extracted data and conduct a meta-analysis of studies with similar characteristics (eg, sample age and sex, cognitive function outcomes). Two independent raters will screen articles and assess risk of bias. Ethics and dissemination This review is timely given the push toward early diagnosis and treatment of dementia/major neurocognitive disorder and other types of cognitive impairment. This protocol does not require a formal ethics review. We will publish our findings in a peer-reviewed journal.