Canadian Journal on Aging-revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 2004
... question applied to the prejudice actions of the TV character Archie Bunker:" Wh... more ... question applied to the prejudice actions of the TV character Archie Bunker:" What would he say about" those" Puerto Ricans, if, on his next birthday, he knew that he would become a Puerto Rican?" As to aging, we best pay close attention because we soon will be" those" elders ...
This study examined the contributions of psychological well-being and social support to an integr... more This study examined the contributions of psychological well-being and social support to an integrative model of subjective health among older adults. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model of subjective health which included age, education, physical health problems, functional status, psychological well-being and social support. Partial support for the model was found. Psychological well-being had both a direct effect on subjective health and an indirect effect mediated by physical health problems. Social support had an indirect association with subjective health via its effect on psychological well-being. Functional status had only a weak effect on subjective health. Longitudinal data at a six-year interval revealed the same direct and/or indirect effects of these variables on subjective health. This study sheds light on how psychological and social resources are linked with subjective health in later adulthood.
Le loisir: une quête de sens. Essai de théologie pratique. Par Gervais Deschênes. Québec: Presses... more Le loisir: une quête de sens. Essai de théologie pratique. Par Gervais Deschênes. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2007. ISBN 2–7637–8426–7.Free Time: Towards a Theology of Leisure. By Graham Neville. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham Press, 2004. ISBN 1902459 21 0
Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and ... more Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and well-being in later life. The results of this study replicate and extend previous findings in separate participant samples above and below 70 years of age. Findings suggest a link between reminiscence functions and psychological well-being, and indirectly between reminiscence and well-being 16 months thereafter. Invariance analyses reveal few differences in association between reminiscence and well-being when young-old (n = 196) and older adults (n = 215) are compared. These findings suggest a direct positive association between self-positive reminiscence functions (identity, death preparation, and problem-solving) and a direct negative association between self-negative functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance) and psychological well-being (life satisfaction, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). In contrast, prosocial reminiscence functions (conversation, teach/inform others) appear to have an indirect association with well-being (i.e., via self-positive and self-negative functions). These findings are discussed relative to evolving theory and research linking cognition and health.
ABSTRACT The present study addressed the issue of the sensitivity of the Beck Depression Inventor... more ABSTRACT The present study addressed the issue of the sensitivity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to a social desirability response set, i.e., the tendency to respond to items on the basis of judgments of desirability/undesirability of item content, as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-CSDS). This investigation was conducted with clinically depressed older adults and with healthy older adults recruited from the community. A negative association was found, only in the clinical group, between M-CSDS and BDI scores. This was explained by the relative emphasis on the assessment of negative attitudes toward self on the BDI. Characteristics of older subjects most susceptible to answering in a socially approved fashion, and possibly to under-reporting depression, are also discussed.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 1990
Abstract 1. This study examines the effects of chronic lithium administration on changes induced ... more Abstract 1. This study examines the effects of chronic lithium administration on changes induced by amphetamine administration and withdrawal on open field locomotor activity of rats, and considered as an animal model of behaviors displayed in bipolar disorders.
Canadian Journal on Aging-revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 2011
This study examines the importance of variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e., attit... more This study examines the importance of variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e., attitudes toward behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived control) for the prediction of consumption of anxiolytic and sedative-hypnotic (ASH) medications in a sample of older persons, aged 69 years on average, 62 consumers and 92 non-consumers. A favourable attitude toward ASH and a sense of having less control regarding these drugs predict both current usage and intention to continue. Perceived control predicts intention to start consumption of ASH in current non-consumers. This study underlines the importance of considering the role of the older person's decisional power in the consumption of these medications.
This study addresses the reciprocal associations between physical health (objectively assessed an... more This study addresses the reciprocal associations between physical health (objectively assessed and self-rated) and psychological distress among older adults. Psychological distress (both depressive symptoms and anxiety level) made a significant independent contribution to the prediction of concurrent and future negative perception of one’s health, over and above objective health. As anxious and depressive components of psychological distress intensify, a negative outlook on life includes an increased negative view of one’s health among older adults. Conversely, negative subjective health independently predicted both depressive symptoms and anxiety level, concurrently and over time, over and above objective health. It thus appears that negative health appraisal heralds psychological distress, manifested as depressive symptoms and also anxiety among older adults. Taken together these findings draw the picture of a vicious circle of negative health appraisal leading to depression and anxiety, these in turn leading to further negative perception of health.
Objectives: This study reports on the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the ... more Objectives: This study reports on the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 43-item self-report instrument used to assess the frequencies of reminiscence for distinct functions. Method: The factorial validity (exploratory factor analysis, n = 453; confirmatory factor analysis, n = 456), the invariance of factorial structure across gender (males = 228; females = 240), and psychometric properties were examined. Results: They support an eight-factor structure similar to the original one, yet question the value of a few of the items. Cronbach's alphas for the various subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.87. Test–retest reliability ranged from r = 0.48–0.63. Conclusion: The RFS is confirmed as a psychometrically sound instrument for use in research on the functions of reminiscence with samples of older adults.
Psychological distress can lead to negative consequences affecting the quality of life of older a... more Psychological distress can lead to negative consequences affecting the quality of life of older adults living in long-term care centres. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress and their associated factors among these residents. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 1999 long-term care residents aged 65 and over. Nine hundred and eleven persons (45.6%) displayed at least one symptom of psychological distress either at one time or more in the week preceding data collection, and 22.4% were identified as psychologically distressed. Multivariate analysis indicated that psychological distress was associated with disruptive behaviours and benzodiazepine use among women residents, and with insomnia in men residents. In conclusion, when clinicians screen for mental health disorders, they should take into consideration that symptoms of insomnia or disruptive behaviours may mask psychological distress.
This research examines the characteristics of turning points, events considered as being signific... more This research examines the characteristics of turning points, events considered as being significant in one’s life. One hundred and forty-nine turning points, as reported by 53 older adults were investigated. They were characterized according to: age at occurrence of turning point, domain, specific or thematic nature, and areas of functioning on which the turning point had an impact. Compared to men, women reported significantly more turning points related to the health domain. Turning points were distributed through the life span, with some concentration at midlife. Family was the sphere most influenced by turning points. The different domains of turning points corresponded to the specific spheres of impact. Turning points were more often related to discrete events than to a series of events clustered under a theme. Identity and social role processes appear most influential in leading older adults to identify particular life circumstances as turning points in their lives.
Canadian Journal on Aging-revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 2004
... question applied to the prejudice actions of the TV character Archie Bunker:" Wh... more ... question applied to the prejudice actions of the TV character Archie Bunker:" What would he say about" those" Puerto Ricans, if, on his next birthday, he knew that he would become a Puerto Rican?" As to aging, we best pay close attention because we soon will be" those" elders ...
This study examined the contributions of psychological well-being and social support to an integr... more This study examined the contributions of psychological well-being and social support to an integrative model of subjective health among older adults. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model of subjective health which included age, education, physical health problems, functional status, psychological well-being and social support. Partial support for the model was found. Psychological well-being had both a direct effect on subjective health and an indirect effect mediated by physical health problems. Social support had an indirect association with subjective health via its effect on psychological well-being. Functional status had only a weak effect on subjective health. Longitudinal data at a six-year interval revealed the same direct and/or indirect effects of these variables on subjective health. This study sheds light on how psychological and social resources are linked with subjective health in later adulthood.
Le loisir: une quête de sens. Essai de théologie pratique. Par Gervais Deschênes. Québec: Presses... more Le loisir: une quête de sens. Essai de théologie pratique. Par Gervais Deschênes. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2007. ISBN 2–7637–8426–7.Free Time: Towards a Theology of Leisure. By Graham Neville. Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham Press, 2004. ISBN 1902459 21 0
Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and ... more Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and well-being in later life. The results of this study replicate and extend previous findings in separate participant samples above and below 70 years of age. Findings suggest a link between reminiscence functions and psychological well-being, and indirectly between reminiscence and well-being 16 months thereafter. Invariance analyses reveal few differences in association between reminiscence and well-being when young-old (n = 196) and older adults (n = 215) are compared. These findings suggest a direct positive association between self-positive reminiscence functions (identity, death preparation, and problem-solving) and a direct negative association between self-negative functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance) and psychological well-being (life satisfaction, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). In contrast, prosocial reminiscence functions (conversation, teach/inform others) appear to have an indirect association with well-being (i.e., via self-positive and self-negative functions). These findings are discussed relative to evolving theory and research linking cognition and health.
ABSTRACT The present study addressed the issue of the sensitivity of the Beck Depression Inventor... more ABSTRACT The present study addressed the issue of the sensitivity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to a social desirability response set, i.e., the tendency to respond to items on the basis of judgments of desirability/undesirability of item content, as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-CSDS). This investigation was conducted with clinically depressed older adults and with healthy older adults recruited from the community. A negative association was found, only in the clinical group, between M-CSDS and BDI scores. This was explained by the relative emphasis on the assessment of negative attitudes toward self on the BDI. Characteristics of older subjects most susceptible to answering in a socially approved fashion, and possibly to under-reporting depression, are also discussed.
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 1990
Abstract 1. This study examines the effects of chronic lithium administration on changes induced ... more Abstract 1. This study examines the effects of chronic lithium administration on changes induced by amphetamine administration and withdrawal on open field locomotor activity of rats, and considered as an animal model of behaviors displayed in bipolar disorders.
Canadian Journal on Aging-revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 2011
This study examines the importance of variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e., attit... more This study examines the importance of variables from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e., attitudes toward behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived control) for the prediction of consumption of anxiolytic and sedative-hypnotic (ASH) medications in a sample of older persons, aged 69 years on average, 62 consumers and 92 non-consumers. A favourable attitude toward ASH and a sense of having less control regarding these drugs predict both current usage and intention to continue. Perceived control predicts intention to start consumption of ASH in current non-consumers. This study underlines the importance of considering the role of the older person's decisional power in the consumption of these medications.
This study addresses the reciprocal associations between physical health (objectively assessed an... more This study addresses the reciprocal associations between physical health (objectively assessed and self-rated) and psychological distress among older adults. Psychological distress (both depressive symptoms and anxiety level) made a significant independent contribution to the prediction of concurrent and future negative perception of one’s health, over and above objective health. As anxious and depressive components of psychological distress intensify, a negative outlook on life includes an increased negative view of one’s health among older adults. Conversely, negative subjective health independently predicted both depressive symptoms and anxiety level, concurrently and over time, over and above objective health. It thus appears that negative health appraisal heralds psychological distress, manifested as depressive symptoms and also anxiety among older adults. Taken together these findings draw the picture of a vicious circle of negative health appraisal leading to depression and anxiety, these in turn leading to further negative perception of health.
Objectives: This study reports on the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the ... more Objectives: This study reports on the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 43-item self-report instrument used to assess the frequencies of reminiscence for distinct functions. Method: The factorial validity (exploratory factor analysis, n = 453; confirmatory factor analysis, n = 456), the invariance of factorial structure across gender (males = 228; females = 240), and psychometric properties were examined. Results: They support an eight-factor structure similar to the original one, yet question the value of a few of the items. Cronbach's alphas for the various subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.87. Test–retest reliability ranged from r = 0.48–0.63. Conclusion: The RFS is confirmed as a psychometrically sound instrument for use in research on the functions of reminiscence with samples of older adults.
Psychological distress can lead to negative consequences affecting the quality of life of older a... more Psychological distress can lead to negative consequences affecting the quality of life of older adults living in long-term care centres. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress and their associated factors among these residents. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 1999 long-term care residents aged 65 and over. Nine hundred and eleven persons (45.6%) displayed at least one symptom of psychological distress either at one time or more in the week preceding data collection, and 22.4% were identified as psychologically distressed. Multivariate analysis indicated that psychological distress was associated with disruptive behaviours and benzodiazepine use among women residents, and with insomnia in men residents. In conclusion, when clinicians screen for mental health disorders, they should take into consideration that symptoms of insomnia or disruptive behaviours may mask psychological distress.
This research examines the characteristics of turning points, events considered as being signific... more This research examines the characteristics of turning points, events considered as being significant in one’s life. One hundred and forty-nine turning points, as reported by 53 older adults were investigated. They were characterized according to: age at occurrence of turning point, domain, specific or thematic nature, and areas of functioning on which the turning point had an impact. Compared to men, women reported significantly more turning points related to the health domain. Turning points were distributed through the life span, with some concentration at midlife. Family was the sphere most influenced by turning points. The different domains of turning points corresponded to the specific spheres of impact. Turning points were more often related to discrete events than to a series of events clustered under a theme. Identity and social role processes appear most influential in leading older adults to identify particular life circumstances as turning points in their lives.
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