Socioeconomic status, loneliness, and depression among older adults: a cross-sectional study in Spain.

BACKGROUND: The association between socioeconomic status and depression is weaker in older adults than in younger populations. Loneliness may play a significant role in this relationship, explaining (at least partially) the attenuation of the social gradient in depression. The current study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression and whether the association was affected by loneliness. METHODS: A cross-sectional design involving dwelling and nursing homes residents was used. A total of 887 Spanish residents aged over 64 years took part in the study. Measures of Depression (GDS-5 Scale), Loneliness (De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale), Socioeconomic Status (Education and Economic Hardship), and sociodemographic parameters were used. The study employed bivariate association tests (chi-square and Pearson's r) and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The percentage of participants at risk of suffering depression was significantly higher among those who had not completed primary education (45.5%) and significantly lower among those with university qualifications (16.4%) (X2 = 40.25;p <.001), and respondents who could not make ends meet in financial terms faced a higher risk of depression (X2 = 23.62;p <.001). In terms of the respondents who experienced loneliness, 57.5% were at risk of depression, compared to 19% of those who did not report loneliness (X2 = 120.04;p <.001). The logistic regression analyses showed that having university qualifications meant a 47% reduction in the risk of depression. This risk was 86% higher among respondents experiencing financial difficulties. However, when scores for the loneliness measure were incorporated, the coefficients relating to education and economic hardships ceased to be significant or were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: Loneliness can contribute to explaining the role played by socioeconomic inequalities in depression among older adults.

The Relationship between Subjective Aging and Cognition in Elderly People: A Systematic Review.

There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of subjective aging on health, well-being and quality of life. This review aims to synthesize findings about the link between subjective aging and cognition and cognitive decline. Furthermore, it provides an examination of variation sources such as subjective aging construct, cognitive domains, measures employed, age and moderator variables. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsychInfo and Web of Science, as well as grey literature searches in Google Scholar, OpenGrey, WorldCat and NDLTD, which resulted in 59 reports being included. Subjective aging is a relevant construct in the explanation and prediction of cognitive aging and cognitive decline in elderly adults. More positive views about own aging and self-perceptions of aging, as well as a younger subjective age, were consistently related to better cognition and lower risk of cognitive decline. However, there were differences due to subjective aging subdimensions and cognitive domains, as well as an effect of age. Additionally, there were concerns about the content validity of some measures employed, such as the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale for subjective aging and the Mini Mental State Examination for global cognition. Further studies should employ longitudinal designs with a process-based approach to cognition and precise subjective aging measures.

Exploring daily patterns of work engagement among teachers: A Latent growth modeling approach.

BACKGROUND: Starting from the Demands-Resources model, our aims through this diary research were to explore daily diary fluctuations in work engagement in a sample of teachers and to look for the effects of that on affect and satisfaction at home. METHOD: Several Latent Growth Curve (LCGA) models were run on two dimensions of work engagement (vigor and dedication) with an exploratory focus, to look for different grouped oscillation patterns. Then, several repeated measures MANCOVA explored whether those patterns were related to affect and satisfaction at night. RESULTS: Two distinct latent trajectories were found for work engagement dimensions. However, neither of them showed any notable development over time. Furthermore, our latent classes were found to be related to inter-individual differences in positive and negative affect, and the satisfaction at home domain, but no interesting within-subjects (overall time) effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to our expectations, we provide some evidence of the stability of work engagement over the working week. In addition, following previous results, work engagement levels across the working week were found to be related to levels of affect and satisfaction at home, adding evidence to the spillover potential of work engagement on individuals' key personal resources.

[Social support in the short- and middle-term prediction of welfare volunteers' permanence]. / El apoyo social en la predicción a corto y medio plazo de la permanencia del voluntariado socioasistencial.

This work explores the significance of different types and sources of social support in the short- and middle-term prediction of volunteer permanence. Volunteers ( N = 1362) belonging to 109 different Spanish organizations were surveyed to gather social support data and other information related to factors traditionally associated with sustained volunteerism prediction. In spite of the fact that a relationship between social support and permanence was found, logistic regression analysis showed that social support variables did not appear to be relevant to make this kind of prediction at short term, because the only factors associated with volunteers' permanence in the multivariate model obtained were the volunteers' previous time in the organization, their intention of remaining in service, and their sex and religious attitudes. In contrast, at middle term, social support and, in particular, informational social support from other volunteers was significant, integrating the multivariate model with the other aforementioned factors, except for sex.

Social risk factors in Spanish youth and their impact on self-concept construction.

This paper presents evidence from a psychosocial framework about the relationship among youth, work, and identity construction. The aims of this research were twofold. The first one was to analyze the working conditions of Spanish youth and their impact on individuals' biographies. The second one was to examine the effect of labor-related variables on construction/change of identity elements in Spanish youth. For this purpose, two research techniques were used: the Delphi method (103 experts sample from several entities and organizations closely related to our topic) and deep interviews (15 interviews with youths classified according to their relationship with the work market).

Social psychology of mental health: the social structure and personality perspective.

Previous research has revealed a persistent association between social structure and mental health. However, most researchers have focused only on the psychological and psychosocial aspects of that relationship. The present paper indicates the need to include the social and structural bases of distress in our theoretical models. Starting from a general social and psychological model, our research considered the role of several social, environmental, and structural variables (social position, social stressors, and social integration), psychological factors (self-esteem), and psychosocial variables (perceived social support). The theoretical model was tested working with a group of Spanish participants (N = 401) that covered a range of social positions. The results obtained using structural equation modeling support our model, showing the relevant role played by psychosocial, psychological and social, and structural factors. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

La influencia de la pareja en el ajuste a la enfermedad cardiaca / The influence of the couple in coping with heart disease

Resumen El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la influencia del apoyo social de la pareja en el ajuste a la enfermedad cardiaca, así como su influencia en la adhesión a las pautas clínicas. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 109 pacientes con sus parejas. Se llevaron a cabo las mediciones mientras realizaban el Programa de Rehabilitación Cardiaca del Hospital Ramón y Cajal de Madrid. Los resultados indican que la pareja no es una fuente de apoyo relevante para el ajuste a la enfermedad del paciente (apoyo recibido [p = 0.46] y satisfacción con el apoyo recibido [p = 0.41]. Sin embargo, el apoyo de la pareja sí resulta especialmente importante de cara al cumplimiento de hábitos cardiosaludables, sobre todo en el seguimiento realizado a los 8 y a los 12 meses (p < 0.001), lo que conduce a analizar la posibilidad de que la pareja no sea importante para el ajuste a la enfermedad debido posiblemente a que la muestra está pasando por una intervención clínica y, por tanto, es posible que otras fuentes como profesionales de la salud u otros pacientes estén ejerciendo un papel predominante de apoyo. En el momento en que esta supervisión clínica desaparece, el apoyo de la pareja es de vital importancia para la adhesión a las pautas recomendadas, las cuales tienen relación con cambios en el estilo de vida y, por tanto, en la prevención de recaídas.

Abstract The main aim of our study is to analyze the influence of social support on cardiac illness adjustment and on health recommendations adherence. The sample was 109 patients and their partners, all of them included in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program of the Ramon y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. Our results show that partner support has not a significant impact on patients¿ adjustment (received support [P = .46] and satisfaction with received support [P = .041]). However, partner support has a significant effect on adherence to health recommendations (food, physical exercise, smoking, etc), most of all in the 8 and 12 months' follow-up (P < .001). Perhaps, in the first stages of illness, support provided for other sources (health professionals, other patients, etc.) could be more important than partner support, most of all taking into account that patients were included in a clinical intervention. As supervision decreases, the effect of partner support on adherence increases. The implications of our results for future interventions and research are discussed.