Comparing Resiliency in Early and Late-life Bereavement PDF Download

Author: Janna Lynn Imel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 25

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Book Description
Bereavement is the state of dealing with a significant loss (M.S. Stroebe, Hansson, Schut, & Stroebe, 2008). Although evidence suggests that there are differences in the bereavement and coping styles of older and younger adults, few studies have been done focusing solely on the differences. The lack of research on this topic merits further study. The purpose of this project was to examine the differences in negative emotions, affective complexity, and repressive coping, between bereaved younger and older adults. We hypothesized that bereaved older adults would report fewer negative emotions, have greater emotional complexity, and use repressive coping more than their younger counterparts. Participants were 51 older adults and 110 younger adults recruited throughout the Louisville community, all of who were bereaved less than a year. We compared reactions to grief in both groups by administering the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC), among other measures. We found only partial support for differences in affective complexity, and the results supported the hypothesis that older adults would be more likely to use repressive coping. In other respects, older and younger adults appeared to respond very similarly to bereavement, which may be quite consistent across the lifespan. Future research might examine how affective complexity may be advantageous to the bereavement process, particularly for older adults.

Author: Deborah S. Carr, PhD
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
ISBN: 0826142451
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
This volume provides insightful analysis and theoretical interpretation of factors that contribute to a range of adjustment patterns among bereaved persons in late life. It places the experience of widowhood in late life squarely within the context of contemporary society and explores a remarkable range of associated issues. The volume is destined to become a classic; it will set the standard for future empirical investigation of the experience of bereavement among older adults. For Further Information on the CLOC Study, Please Click on CLOC

Author: Robert O. Hansson
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
In an individual's later years, bereavement poses an array of difficult issues for coping, assessment, and intervention. In this volume, Hansson and Stroebe present a critical review of the literature and dominant theories in the field of bereavement and examine how protective and problematic developmental processes affect the experience of bereavement in late life.

Author: Kenneth J. Doka
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
As this book shows us, when a loved one dies we search for meaning in our own lives while struggling to hold onto memories of a precious life lost, O says Senator John Breaux in his introduction to this book. The 29 chapters of this book address the struggles, concerns and issues faced by the bereaved, and those who care for them.

Author: Shruti N. Shah
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adjustment (Psychology) in old age
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
Though much of the recent focus in bereavement literature has been examining the nature and correlates of complicated grief, it is important to recognize that many older adults endure bereavements without major disruptions in emotional and daily functioning, despite the likelihood of having experienced numerous losses over a lifetime. This suggests an adaptive or resilient coping style within the context of late-life bereavement. However, much less is known about the underlying mechanisms and correlates that contribute to different bereavement outcomes. Broadly, the aim of this project was to expand our current knowledge of varying bereavement-related outcomes in an effort to enrich the current conceptualization of late-life bereavement. The current study investigated the relationships between cumulative lifetime loss, engagement in resilience-related coping/emotions-regulation strategies (affective complexity, positive emotions, and repressive coping), and resilient and non-resilient bereavement outcomes. A total of 74 recently bereaved, community-dwelling older adults completed study questionnaires assessing a variety of bereavement-related variables, including depression history; history of loss; retrospective affect; current experiences of grief, depression, anxiety, and well-being; and social and emotional functioning. Results revealed that cumulative lifetime loss was largely unrelated to bereavement-related outcomes. However, engagement in positive affect one month post-loss and the absence of a depression history were strongly associated with the following resilient bereavement outcomes: lower post-loss depression and grief and unimpaired social and emotional functioning. Although considering an individual's prior experience in coping with loss is an important aspect of the broader conceptualization of his/her current bereavement experience, the results suggest that other factors, such as psychiatric history and emotional engagement, may be more strongly related to resilient outcomes, provide implications for grief-related assessment and help discern who may benefit from grief interventions. In light of some of the methodological issues of this project (i.e. reliance on participants' retrospective report of affect), suggestions for future research involve using a prospective and longitudinal study designs that allows researchers to capture grief reactions as they unfold in an effort to minimize biased recall and examine the effects of co-occurring stressors on the grief process. Future research can also examine the relationships between cumulative impact of having experienced multiple bereavements, lessons learned/wisdom gained in the context of coping with multiple losses, and bereavement outcome.

Author: Wolfgang Stroebe
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521287104
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Does the popular notion of a 'broken heart' have some grounding in reality? How can grief affect the body in ways that necessitate medical care and may even be life-threatening? Bereavement and Health constitutes a comprehensive review of what is known about the impact of bereavement on surviving partners. Drawing on the work of psychologists, sociologists, epidemiologists, and psychiatrists, Wolfgang and Margaret Stroebe offer a theoretically coherent perspective focused on conjugal loss. After a thorough discussion of stress and depression models of bereavement, the authors present their own theoretical approach, emphasizing social contacts and the interpersonal nature of grief. They then examine the psychological and medical consequences of bereavement: Are the bereaved at higher risk than those who have not lost a partner? What has research revealed about the causes, symptoms, and outcomes of grief? Key questions about recovery from grief are also addressed: Is the health risk of bereavement severe enough to have lasting or even fatal consequences? Is it possible to identify those bereaved who are at high risk before their health suffers? What are the strategies that are most likely to lead to effective coping? Can attempts at intervention be effective? The Stroebes' combination of theoretical integration and methodological rigor will make Bereavement and Health a standard text for years to come.

Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309034388
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
"The book is well organized, well detailed, and well referenced; it is an invaluable sourcebook for researchers and clinicians working in the area of bereavement. For those with limited knowledge about bereavement, this volume provides an excellent introduction to the field and should be of use to students as well as to professionals," states Contemporary Psychology. The Lancet comments that this book "makes good and compelling reading....It was mandated to address three questions: what is known about the health consequences of bereavement; what further research would be important and promising; and whether there are preventive interventions that should either be widely adopted or further tested to evaluate their efficacy. The writers have fulfilled this mandate well."

Author: Barbara Resnick
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3030045552
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description
This updated and expanded second edition of Resilience in Aging offers a comprehensive description of the current state of knowledge with regard to resilience from physiological (including genetic), psychological (including cognitive and creative), cultural, and economic perspectives. In addition, the book considers the impact of resilience on many critical aspects of life for older adults including policy issues, economic, cognitive and physiological challenges, spirituality, chronic illness, and motivation. The only book devoted solely to the importance and development of resilience in quality of life among older adults, Resilience in Aging, 2nd Edition continues to offer evidence-based theory, clinical guidelines, and new and updated case examples and real-world interventions so professional readers can make the best use of this powerful tool. The critical insights in this volume are concluded with a discussion of future directions on optimizing resilience and the importance of a lifespan approach to the critical component of aging. The book’s coverage extends across disciplines and domains, including: Resilience and personality disorders in older age. Cultural and ethnic perspectives on enhancing resilience in aging Sustained by the sacred: religious and spiritual factors for resilience in adulthood and aging. Building resilience in persons with early-stage dementia and their care partners. Interdisciplinary geriatric mental health resilience interventions. Developing resilience in the aged and dementia care workforce. Using technology to enhance resilience among older adults. This wide-ranging and updated lifespan approach gives Resilience in Aging, 2nd Edition particular relevance to the gamut of practitioners in gerontology and geriatrics, including health psychologists, neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, geriatricians, family physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, among others.

Author: Colin Murray Parkes
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317850823
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
The loss of a loved one is one of the most painful experiences that most of us will ever have to face in our lives. This book recognises that there is no single solution to the problems of bereavement but that an understanding of grief can help the bereaved to realise that they are not alone in their experience. Long recognised as the most authoritative work of its kind, this new edition has been revised and extended to take into account recent research findings on both sides of the Atlantic. Parkes and Prigerson include additional information about the different circumstances of bereavement including traumatic losses, disasters, and complicated grief, as well as providing details on how social, religious, and cultural influences determine how we grieve. Bereavement provides guidance on preparing for the loss of a loved one, and coping after they have gone. It also discusses how to identify the minority in whom bereavement may lead to impairment of physical and/or mental health and how to ensure they get the help they need. This classic text will continue to be of value to the bereaved themselves, as well as the professionals and friends who seek to help and understand them.

Author: Andrew V. Wister
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030570894
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
Older aged adults face many adversities over the later life course. This edited volume will address the ways in which seniors bounce back from different types and combinations of adversity – termed “resilience”. While research has been accumulating that identifies inherent abilities and external resources needed to adapt and navigate stress-inducing experiences among aging and older adults, gaps remain in understanding the unique elements and processes of resilience. A series of chapters included in this book will address several overarching questions: why do some older individuals/families/communities adapt to adversity better than others; what are modifiable behavioral protective/risk factors related to resilience; and how can we foster resilience at the individual/community level and which approaches show the most promise? The spectrum of aging-related challenges and responses addressed in this book include: mental health; physical/functional health problems; multimorbidity; socio-economic deprivation; social isolation and loneliness; cultural dimensions of loneliness; housing/homelessness problems; and environmental disasters. This book presents cutting-edge science at the conceptual, methodological, empirical and practice levels applied to emerging resilience sub-fields in gerontology. It will also present potential areas of future research, policy and practice linked to these areas. During a period of the most rapid population aging in the US, Canada and many other nations, coupled with heightened global socio-political change, extending our knowledge of resilience will help society to make important adjustments to maximize health and wellness of older individuals. Supporting and enhancing resilience through technological, social and/or community-level advances in geroscience will help those facing adversity to thrive by harnessing, stretching, and leveraging a wide array of potential resources. The promotion of healthier older populations has far-reaching consequences for health care and social/community support systems, both in terms of public health including pandemic response, and the development and implementation of innovations in treatment and practice guidelines.