Coping and health in older adults (original) (raw)

Coping and Control Processes: Do They Contribute to Individual Differences in Health in Older Adults?

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 1999

ABSTRACTThis paper reviews the literature on the relation of coping and control processes to health outcomes in late adulthood and presents new data on relations between coping and control processes and health for 295 World War II veterans. The results for the veterans showed that health was positively associated with cognitive coping, and negatively associated with behavioural coping and avoidance. No association was found between perceived locus of control and health. These findings, together with those in the literature, were discussed in terms of their implications for future research on the role of coping and control in health maintenance and their significance for people working with older persons.

Age differences and changes of coping behavior in three age groups: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study

With increasing age, older adults are more likely to be challenged by an increasing number of physical, functional and social losses. As a result, coping with losses becomes a central theme in very late life. This study investigated age differences and age changes in active behavioral, active cognitive and avoidance coping and related coping to adaptational outcomes, such as physical and mental health. Sixty-one sexagenarians, 46 octogenarians, and 47 centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study participated in this longitudinal study to assess coping with health and family events. The results indicated age group differences in active behavioral *

Individual differences in the use of proactive coping strategies by middle-aged and older adults

Personality and Individual Differences, 2008

The concept of proactive coping refers to the process of screening one's environment for future stressors and undertaking attempts to prevent them. As of yet, few empirical studies have been conducted in relation to this promising concept. The aim of the present study was to identify the personal characteristics that contribute to the engagement in proactive coping with potential changes in three important life domains, namely health, social relationships and personal finance. We collected data in a sample of adults aged 50-70 (N = 123) regarding proactive coping and five trait variables, namely future temporal orientation, goal orientation, dispositional optimism, self-efficacy, and aging anxiety. Results showed that future temporal orientation and, to a lesser extent, goal orientation were significantly associated with proactive coping. In addition, a higher educational level was also important for explaining individual differences in proactive coping, but not regarding all types of potential changes. It seems that the impact of trait factors on proactive coping partially depends on the type of future stressor that is encountered and the skills that are necessary to deal with it effectively.

Impact of Age, and Cognitive and Coping Resources on Coping

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 2011

RÉSUMÉAfin d’explorer la valeur prédictive des ressources congnitives et de coping pour le coping centré sur le problème et sur 1’émotion en prenant en compte 1’âge, nous avons recueilli des données auprès d’adultes vivant à domicile et âgés de 20 à 90 ans. Nous avons fait 1’hypothèse que 1’âge, le stress perçu, 1’auto-efficacité, la capacité de mémoire de travail, et la flexibilité mentale sont des facteurs prédisant le coping. Nous avons recueilli des données en utilisant des versions françaises de 1’échelle de stress percu (PSS), d’autoefficacité (GSE) et un questionnaire de coping (WCC). Les évaluations cognitives ont inclus le subtest des empans envers-endroit (WAIS), et les parties A et B du Trail-Making Test (TMT). Dans les analyses multivariées, ni le déficit de mémoire de travail, ni le deficit de la flexibilité mentale ne prédisent significativement le coping centré sur le probleme. L’âge ne prédit que le coping centré sur le problème. L’auto-efficacité prédit le coping ce...

Maintaining Successful Aging: The Role of Coping Patterns and Resources

2013

One of the main challenges of aging societies is maintaining quality of life despite inevitable changes that occur in the lives of elderly people. This study examined the contribution of coping resources and coping patterns to successful aging among elderly persons following a decline in health and function. Data were collected from 262 elderly Israelis during two home interviews carried out at an interval of 12 months. Successful aging was assessed using a number of measures of subjective well-being. Predictive variables included change in health/functioning, coping resources, and coping patterns (proactive and reactive). Hierarchical regression analyses showed that the coping resources self-efficacy and social support and the proactive coping pattern of concrete planning positively predicted successful aging, while the proactive coping pattern deciding on preferences had a negative influence. These results indicate that elderly people have the ability to shape their quality of life in the presence of decline in health and functioning by using appropriate coping resources and coping patterns. Controlled interventions are recommended to help older people acquire and maintain effective resources and coping skills, thus further promoting their successful aging process.

Emotional approach coping in older adults as predictor of physical and mental health

Psychology and Aging, 2020

Emotional approach coping involves active attempts at emotional expression and processing in response to stressful circumstances. This study tested whether dispositional emotional approach coping processes predict changes in physical and mental health in community-dwelling older adults, particularly within the context of higher perceived stress. To test this, older adults (N ϭ 150) completed assessments of emotional expression and emotional processing at study entry. They also completed measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and ill-health (a composite of subjective and objective physical health indicators, which included blood draw for collection of biomarkers), every 6 months over 4.5 years. Emotional processing and emotional expression were not related significantly to ill-health at study entry. However, emotional processing (but not emotional expression) significantly predicted changes in ill-health. At higher levels of emotional processing, ill-health remained low and stable; at lower levels of emotional processing, ill-health increased over time. However, when perceived stress was high, higher emotional processing and emotional expression were related to lower depressive symptoms at study entry, but higher emotional processing was associated with increasing depressive symptoms over time. Emotional approach coping processes evidence prospective relations with health outcomes, which are partially conditioned by stress perceptions. Emotional processing appears to have a protective impact against declining physical health. Predictive relationships for depressive symptoms are more complex. Older adults with chronically high perceived stress might benefit from interventions that target emotionregulating coping processes.

Predicting Well-Being Among the Elderly: The Role of Coping Strategies

Frontiers in Psychology, 2020

Objectives: This study aims to offer a wider view on the role of coping strategies on elderly's well-being by means of literature-based competitive structural equation models (SEMs). Methods: 857 older adults were surveyed. Measures included Ryff's scales of Psychological Well-being and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Competitive SEMs were tested. Results: In the retained model, the religious coping dimension was removed, and the remaining dimensions were defined by problem-and emotion-focused coping, which explained both psychological and subjective well-being factors (χ 2 (46) = 165.910, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.906; GFI = 0.957; RMSEA = 0.058 [0.048,0.067]). Discussion: Results pointed to the relevance of coping strategies for achieving adequate well-being, with emotion-focused coping strategies being the ones with negative and highest predictive power over the two dimensions of well-being. Interventions aiming at improving old people's well-being should, put their focus on decreasing the use of emotion-coping strategies.

The role of proactive coping strategies and perceived health status for Social well-being and life-project in old age

2014

The latter part of the 20th century was a period characterized by a fundamental demographic transition of western society. This substantial and structural demographic change proposes several challenges to contemporary society and fosters the emergence of new issues and challenges. Among these, none is more crucial than the comprehension of the mechanisms and the processes that lead people to positive aging. Rowe and Kahn’s model of successful aging highlights the interplay between social engagement with life, health, and functioning for a positive aging experience. Other systemic models of successful aging (Kahana et al., 1996; 2003; Stevernik et al., 2006) emphasize the role of internal and external resources for attaining positive aging. Among these, the proactive coping strategies are indicated as important active strategies for avoiding the depletion of resources, counterbalancing the declines and maintaining social and civic involvement. The study has analyzed the role of proac...

Coping strategies as indicators of resilience in elderly subjects: a methodological study

Ciencia & saude coletiva, 2019

Coping strategies as components of resilience among the elderly serve three purposes: protection against threats to adaptation, recovery from the effects of adversity, and personal development. The present paper aims to investigate internal and external validity for a coping inventory. 415 elderly subjects (aged 65 and older) answered questions that measure coping, depression, self-rated health and satisfaction with life. Scores were compared with each other as well as according to gender, age and income. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis were conducted. Three factors explained 30.8% of the variance: 1. non-adaptive strategies, 2.adaptive strategies, and 3. development strategies. The scale showed moderate internal consistency (α = 0.541). Development strategies were positively correlated with self-rated health and with satisfaction with life, and negatively correlated with depression (p < 0.05). The explained variance and internal validity were modera...