Separating the Effects of Transitions Into and Out of Social Isolation and Loneliness on Cognitive Function in Later Life.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the effects of social isolation and loneliness on cognitive function, distinguishing between the effects of transitioning into and out of these states. METHODS: This study analyzed data from 6,663 adults aged 65 or older collected over the course of 7 waves (12 years) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging from 2006 to 2018. A novel asymmetric fixed effects model was utilized to separately estimate the effects of transitions into and out of social isolation or loneliness. RESULTS: The association of transitions into social isolation due to a lack of informal social contact or loneliness with cognitive function (b = -1.387, p < .001 and b = -0.601, p < .001, respectively) was stronger than the association of transitions out of these states (b = 0.345, p < .05 and b = 0.353, p < .001, respectively). The magnitude of the negative and positive coefficients was statistically different (F-statistic = 45.29, p < .001 and F-statistic = 5.12, p < .05, respectively). In contrast, no such asymmetric effects were observed for social isolation due to a lack of formal activity (F-statistic = 0.06, p = .800). DISCUSSION: The detrimental effects of transitioning into social isolation due to a lack of informal social contact (but not formal activity) or loneliness on cognitive function outweigh the beneficial effects of transitioning out of these states. Preventing the onset of social disconnection should be prioritized as an intervention to improve the cognitive function of older adults.

Perceived social position, active engagement with life, and depressive symptoms among older adults.

RATIONALE: Despite the existing literature on the relationship between perceived social position (PSP) and depressive symptoms, there remain gaps in our understanding, particularly regarding the potential for asymmetric effects of increases and decreases in PSP and the underlying mechanisms involved. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine whether increases and decreases in PSP are differentially associated with depressive symptoms and to explore the potential mediating role of active engagement with life in these associations. METHODS: This study utilized data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), collected between 2008 and 2018, involving a sample of 3506 individuals aged 65 or older. Asymmetric fixed effects (FE) models were employed, which enable the estimation of differential effects for increases and decreases in PSP, while accounting for unobserved individual-level heterogeneity. To assess the mediating role of active engagement in life, Sobel mediation tests were conducted. RESULTS: The asymmetric FE estimates revealed a stronger association between decreases in PSP and increases in depressive symptoms compared to the association between increases in PSP and decreases in depressive symptoms. The Sobel mediation tests indicated that formal social activities had the most substantial mediating effect, explaining 14% and 9% of the total effect mediated for increased and decreased PSP and depressive symptoms, respectively. Leisure/hobby activities explained 10% and 4% of the total effect mediated for increased and decreased PSP and depressive symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that increases and decreases in PSP have differential effects on depressive symptoms among older adults in Korea. Policy interventions aimed at improving the psychological well-being of older adults should prioritize efforts to both enhance PSP and minimize declines, as the latter can have a stronger negative impact on depressive symptoms. Active engagement in life may serve as a potential pathway for achieving the desired effects.

The Asymmetric Effects of the Transitions Into and out of Bullying Victimization on Depressive Symptoms: The Protective Role of Parental Education.

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms among youth from multicultural families in Korea, while distinguishing between the effects of entering and exiting bullying victimization. This study also investigates whether parental education moderates this association. METHODS: Using data from the Multicultural Adolescent Panel Survey, a nationally representative sample of children from multicultural families in Korea, this study employed novel asymmetric fixed-effects models that separately assess the effects of entering and exiting bullying victimization. Interaction models were conducted to consider the moderating roles of maternal and paternal college attainment. RESULTS: Conventional fixed-effects models showed that bullying victimization is significantly associated with an increase in depressive symptoms (b = 0.261). Asymmetric fixed-effects models suggest that the magnitude of the entry effect (b = 0.299) was significantly larger than that of the exit effect (b = -0.237). Furthermore, maternal college education amplified the mental health benefits of exiting from bullying victimization but did not buffer the harmful effects of entering bullying victimization. Gender-stratified analyses indicate that this protective effect of maternal college education was only significant for girls. Paternal college education, on the other hand, did not moderate either the entry or exit effects of bullying victimization. DISCUSSION: The study's findings on the asymmetric effects of bullying victimization on depressive symptoms emphasize the importance of providing follow-up care and mental health support for multicultural family youth who have experienced bullying, with particular attention to those with a history of victimization.

Transitioning into and out of precarious employment and life satisfaction: Evidence from asymmetric fixed effects models.

Previous studies have found that those with precarious jobs report lower levels of life satisfaction than those with non-precarious jobs. However, it is unclear whether transitioning into and out of precarious jobs has differential effects on life satisfaction. This study examines the association between employment status transitions and life satisfaction, as well as gender differences in these associations. Data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (N = 9,792) from 2006 to 2020 were used in this study. A novel asymmetric fixed effects model was employed to separately estimate the association for transitioning into and out of precarious employment. Gender heterogeneity was estimated by including an interaction term of gender and employment transition. Standard fixed effects estimates showed that precarious employment is negatively associated with life satisfaction (b = -0.048). Asymmetric fixed effects models revealed that transitioning out of precarious employment is associated with increased life satisfaction (b = 0.051), while transitioning into a precarious job is not significantly associated with life satisfaction. These asymmetric associations were more pronounced for men than women. This study provides evidence that, especially for men, the association for transitioning out of precarious employment is significantly larger than the association for transitioning into precarious employment. Policies that facilitate the transition into stable employment are likely to enhance the quality of life for employed individuals.

Transitions into and out of housing cost burden and their asymmetric effects on depressive symptoms: the moderating role of housing tenure.

OBJECTIVES: This study uses an approach that estimates the asymmetric effects of transitioning into and out of housing cost burden on psychological health. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from 14 waves of the Korean Welfare Panel Study. METHODS: We estimated an asymmetric fixed-effects model to examine whether transitioning into and out of housing cost burden is associated with depressive symptoms. Interaction models were used to assess whether these effects differ by housing tenure. RESULTS: A standard fixed-effects model indicates that housing cost burden is associated with depressive symptoms (b = 0.126). However, the results of the asymmetric fixed-effects model suggest that transitioning out of housing cost burden reduces depressive symptoms (b = -0.171), while transitioning into housing cost burden is not associated with a change in depressive symptoms. These asymmetric effects of housing cost burden on depressive symptoms are more pronounced for renters than for owner-occupiers. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that alleviating housing cost burden can improve the psychological well-being of individuals, particularly among renters.