Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Self-Transcendence Scale among very old people.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study tested the psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the Self-Transcendence Scale (STS). METHODS: Cohen's weighted kappa, agreement, absolute reliability, relative reliability, and internal consistency were calculated, and the underlying structure of the STS was established by exploratory factor analysis. There were 2 samples available: 1 including 194 people aged 85-103 years and a convenience sample of 60 people aged 21-69 years. RESULTS: Weighted kappa values ranged from .40 to .89. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the original STS was .763, and the least significant change between repeated tests was 6.25 points. CONCLUSION: The revised STS was found to have satisfactory psychometric properties, and 2 of the 4 underlying dimensions in Reed's self-transcendence theory were supported.

Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the selection, optimization, compensation questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The model of selection, optimization and compensation has been proposed as a model of adaptive management strategies throughout the lifespan. AIM: The aim of this study was to test the psychometric properties of a translated Swedish version of the 12-item selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) questionnaire. METHOD: The 12-item SOC questionnaire is composed of four subscales: elective selection (ES), loss-based selection, optimization and compensation. A convenience sample of 122 Swedish-speaking people, aged 19-85, participated in a study of the validity and reliability of the SOC questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, corrected item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha if item deleted were used for reliability testing. Two other scales, the ways of coping questionnaire and Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, were used to test convergent validity, and the geriatric depression scale was used to test discriminant validity. Stability over time was evaluated using a test-retest model with a 2-week interval. RESULTS: The 12-item SOC questionnaire showed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.50, and the subscales ranged from α = 0.16 to α = 0.64. Two items in the ES subscale had negative values on the corrected item-total correlation and showed substantial improvement (>0.05) in Cronbach's alpha when item deleted. When these two items that influenced internal consistency were deleted, Cronbach's alpha rose to 0.68. CONCLUSION: The Swedish version of the 12-item SOC questionnaire showed deficiencies in a test of internal consistency because of two items in the ES subscale, and these two items were deleted. A consequence of the reduction is a weakening of the ES subscale and thereby to some extent the SOC questionnaire in total. Further testing is advisable. However, the 10-item SOC questionnaire was acceptable in a test of validity and reliability.

Feeling whole: the meaning of being consoled narrated by very old people.

Interviews with 13 people, over 85 years, with high scored Self-transcendence, were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutic method. The meaning of being consoled was interpreted to Feeling whole, an immediate experience of: being carried and embraced by God (Feeling connected to God), supported by the loving care and affection from others (Feeling connected to fellow beings and the world), being relaxed, peaceful and full of joy and experiencing hope (Being connected to self).

Inner strength as identified in narratives of elderly women: a focus group interview study.

By identifying sources of inner strength, health care personnel can be given valuable information about elderly people's capacities regardless of frailty. The focus of this interview-based study was to explore how inner strength and its dimensions can be identified in narratives of elderly women. The analysis was based on a theoretical model where inner strength is composed of 4 interacting dimensions of connectedness, creativity, firmness, and flexibility. Our findings add nuance to the notion of inner strength and deepen empirical knowledge about the concept.

Self-transcendence (ST) among very old people--its associations to social and medical factors and development over five years.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to describe the associations between ST and psychological and physical wellbeing among oldest old people and to test the influence of negative life events on ST, and the predictive value of the self-transcendence scale (STS) for mortality. BACKGROUND: ST has been identified as a valuable resource for transcending psychological and physical suffering and has been related to psychological wellbeing and higher quality of life. DESIGN: The study design was correlational, prospective, and longitudinal. SETTINGS: The participants were recruited from a medium-sized town and from an adjacent rural area in northern Sweden. METHOD: The sample consisted of 190 participants (123 women and 67 men) who completed the STS. At a 5-year follow-up, 55 people (29.5%) were alive and able to complete the assessments again. RESULTS: ST was positively associated with psychological wellbeing, self-rated health, having someone to talk with and being able to go outdoors independently. Diagnoses of depression, dementia disease, and osteoporosis were associated with lower STS scores as were living in a residential care facility, and feeling lonely. There was a significant relationship between the index of negative life events and ST between baseline and follow-up. More negative life events were associated with a larger decline in STS scores over five years. CONCLUSION: ST is an important source for wellbeing among the oldest old, and the accumulation of negative life events might threaten the ability to transcend setbacks.

Development and psychometric properties of the Inner Strength Scale.

BACKGROUND: Four dimensions of inner strength were previously identified in a meta-theoretical analysis: firmness, creativity, connectedness, and flexibility. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop an Inner Strength Scale (ISS) based on those four dimensions and to evaluate its psychometric properties. METHOD: An initial version of ISS was distributed for validation purpose with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the resilience scale, and the sense of Coherence Scale. A convenience sample of 391 adults, aged 19-90 years participated. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used in the process of exploring, evaluating, and reducing the 63-item ISS to the 20-item ISS. Cronbach's alpha and test-retest were used to measure reliability. RESULTS: CFA showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit for the 20-item ISS. The analysis supported a fourfactor solution explaining 51% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha on the 20-item ISS was 0.86, and the test-retest showed stability over time (r=0.79). CONCLUSION: The ISS was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for capturing a multifaceted understanding of inner strength. Further tests of psychometric properties of the ISS will be performed in forthcoming studies.

Embracing opposites: meanings of growing old as narrated by people aged 85.

Many old people suffer from prolonged and multiple bodily ailments, new diseases, and increased risk for disadvantages and losses in life. Aging also means becoming mature and wise. This study illuminates the meaning of the lived experience with respect to changes in late life. Using a phenomenological hermeneutic method, this study analyzes transcribed interviews of 15 85-year-old people. Four themes were formulated: embracing weakness and strength, embracing slowness and swiftness of time, embracing reconciliation and regret, and embracing connectedness and loneliness. From these analyses, growing old was described as--maintaining one's identity in spite of the changes that come with aging and, embracing opposites--being changed and feeling being the same.