Social and Emotional Loneliness: Their Relationship to Multiple Domains of Cognition in Later Life.

Despite the fact that the literature suggests loneliness to undermine cognitive functioning in later life, no work has simultaneously examined the relationships between these constructs taking a multidimensional approach to the assessment of each. The present study explored relationships among social and emotional loneliness and both general crystallized (Gc) and general fluid (Gf) ability, as well as to several indices of everyday intellectual functioning in later life. Sequential regression analyses suggested that neither social nor emotional loneliness predicted Gc. However, only when eliminating health as a covariate was more social loneliness associated with lower scores for Gf. Surprisingly, more emotional loneliness was associated with higher scores for Gf. More social loneliness also predicted more everyday cognitive failures and with less positive lifestyle attitudes. These findings support a view of loneliness-cognition relationships in later life that reflects the multidimensional nature of each construct.

Attitudes toward mental health and mental health care among custodial grandparents.

Objective: Two-hundred thirty-nine grandparents who were raising their grandchildren were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward mental health and mental health care as well as their use of mental health services, each twice over a one-year time frame.Methods: Mental health attitudes were assessed utilizing self-report scales assessing openness to seeking help, biases regarding mental health and mental health professionals, and breadth regarding beliefs about the origins of mental/emotional distress.Results: Findings suggested that grandparent caregivers were generally positive regarding their willingness to seek mental health care, biases regarding mental health professionals, and beliefs about the origins of emotional distress. Factors that predicted mental health attitudes reflected grandparent personal characteristics, aspects of caregiving, and sample demographics. There was a relationship between attitudes toward mental health and the use of mental health-related services, and having sought help was associated with mental health attitudes and emotional distress at both occasions of measurement and over the one-year timeframe. Some modest evidence was found for the role of openness to seeking help in partially mediating relationships between emotional/caregiving-related distress and mental health care use.Conclusion: These findings are important in understanding not only grandparent caregivers' attitudes toward mental health, but also can serve as a basis for enhancing their use of mental health care services.

Serendipity, good choices and some risk taking.

In recognition of GSA's 75th anniversary, I recently re-read Dr. M. Powell Lawton's autobiography. I had the good fortune to conduct a clinical fellowship at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center in 1979 where Powell was the director of research. He became my role model. Not so much for his research, though he had several seminal publications, but because of his character and compassion for older adults. Powell believed in advocacy and applied research that offered tangible results for older adults. As a mentor, he respected emerging gerontologists and imbued enthusiasm and dispensed constructive criticism that improved one's product. In my teaching, I convey his philosophy and care to my students with the hope that they will pass on his legacy to their mentees in their service to older adults.

Gerontology competencies: Construction, consensus and contribution.

The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) in 2014 approved the first integrative "Gerontology Competencies for Undergraduate and Graduate Education"©. This article describes the background, thought development, guiding framework and consensus process for its construction. A modified Delphi method utilizing seven review rounds within three developmental cycles, with gerontology educators from 30 institutions, achieved input and consensus. The comprehensive framework has ten major domains, employs three categories each including multiple selective competencies. Six Category I competencies are essential orientations to gerontology. Four Category II competencies are "interactional" processes of knowing and doing across the field. Category III provides eight selective competencies for sectors where gerontologists may work. From educators' feedback, gerontology characteristics emerged: multi-system approaches; interdisciplinary; communication of older adults' "voices" and strengths; research utilization. The discussion includes the contribution of competency-based gerontology to students and aging workforce development as well as next steps, outcome measurement, levelling and accreditation.

Workforce training and education gaps in gerontology and geriatrics: what we found in New York State.

This article summarizes data from the 2008 Symposium Charting the Future for New York State Workforce Training and Education in Aging: The Stakeholder Perspective and the 2009 report Workforce Training and Education: The Challenge for Academic Institutions. This research is the outcome of a collaborative State Society on Aging of New York and New York State Office for the Aging study on New York State's workforce training and education needs. Eight Listening Sessions were held across New York State to obtain input on topics including training, gerontology education, and credentialing and certification. Individual sessions highlighted the needs of urban, rural, and suburban communities. Key themes identified through content analysis included the need for education about aging in agencies serving older adults, education on human development, positive aspects of aging, disabilities, developmental disabilities, and greater opportunities for training and education for service providers. Lack of incentives was identified as a barrier to credentialing or certification. Education about growing older beginning in grade school was recommended. Lack of funding was identified as a barrier that limited support for employee education/training. Disconnects were identified between employers and academic institutions and state government and providers regarding gerontology/geriatric training and education. Consideration to how these themes may be addressed by the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education is offered.

Use of mental health services by the rural aged: longitudinal study.

Recent longitudinal research investigating historic shifts in attitudes toward mental health services reveal a positive cohort shift. Most likely, this shift equates to greater use of mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine historic shifts in the use of mental health services in a rural population. In 1987, we administered a survey to 358 randomly selected rural individuals investigating their willingness to use mental health services. In 1994, we resurveyed 110 individuals from our original sample. As predicted, we found that there was a shift in our participants' willingness to use mental health services, increasing from 5% to 18%. This increased use, although improved, still fell somewhat below the actual need for mental health services, which had remained constant (about 25%). Interestingly, there was no greater reliance on psychotropic medication in lieu of psychotherapy (about 10%). In 1987, we found that those rural elderly who had the greatest need for mental health services were the least likely to use them. This trend may be shifting as well, although it requires further investigation and confirmation. The salient implications for the design and implementation of rural mental health services for baby boomers are noted.