Aging & mental health
-
Aging & mental health · Jan 2013
Caregiving spouses' attachment orientations and the physical and psychological health of individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
Attachment theory is a useful framework for understanding how caregiving dyads regulate emotions and maintain feelings of security in reaction to a loved one's chronic illness. In this study we examined the extent to which the attachment orientations (anxiety and avoidance) of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their spousal caregivers were associated with each partner's report of the physical and psychological health symptoms of the person with AD. ⋯ This study highlights the importance of considering the attachment security of both caregivers and persons with AD when considering how each partner views the psychological and physical health symptoms of the person with AD. Our results have implications for providing care-recipients and caregivers with improved, tailored care.
-
Aging & mental health · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyComparison of major depressive disorder and subthreshold depression among older adults in community long-term care.
This study extends existing knowledge regarding the continuum between major depression (MD) and subthreshold depression (SD) by examining differences in symptomology and associative factors for a subpopulation of older adults with functional disability. ⋯ Our findings of symptom profiles and associative factors lend support to the continuum notion of depression. Identification of only older adults within the community long-term care service system who meet criteria for MD would leave many older adults, who also face multiple comorbidities, high levels of stress and social isolation, and substantial depressive symptoms undiagnosed and untreated.
-
Aging & mental health · Jan 2013
Usefulness of the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version among very old people with and without cognitive impairment.
The aim of this population-based study was to investigate the usefulness of the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15) to assess depressive symptoms among very old people with differing levels of cognitive function. ⋯ The GDS-15 seems to have an overall usefulness to assess depressive symptoms among very old people with an MMSE score of 10 or more. More studies are needed to strengthen the validity of GDS-15 among older people with MMSE scores of 10-14. For older people with MMSE scores lower than 10, there is a need to develop and validate other measurements.
-
Aging & mental health · Jan 2013
The relationship of religious involvement indicators and social support to current and past suicidality among depressed older adults.
Elderly people, particularly those with major depression, are at the highest risk for suicide than any other age group. Religious involvement is associated with a range of health outcomes including lower odds of death by suicide. However, not much is known about the effects of religious involvement on suicidal ideation in the elderly or which aspects of religiosity are beneficial. ⋯ Current religious practices were not predictive of retrospective reports of past suicide attempts. Church attendance, rather than other religious involvement indicators, has the strongest relationship to current suicidal ideation. Clinicians should consider public religious activity patterns and perceived social support when assessing for other known risk and protective factors for suicide and in developing treatment plans.
-
Aging & mental health · Jan 2013
Ethnicity, familism and willingness to care: important influences on caregiver mood?
Few studies have to date examined the effects of ethnicity on caregiver motivations, coping responses and mood. This theoretically informed study uses the socio-cultural model of stress and coping to explore these relationships amongst a White-British and British South-Asian caregiver sample. ⋯ These findings offer support to the socio-cultural model of stress and coping in that coping is associated with two outcomes (anxiety and depression), but motivational factors are also highlighted which have additional implications for the development of culturally specific interventions aimed at reducing caregiver distress.