Search

Losing a child prior to midlife may be a uniquely traumatic event that continues to compromise parents' well-being in later life. This study compared psychological well-being between bereaved and non-bereaved parents, and examined whether volunteering protects bereaved parents. Because most families have more than one child, we further explored whether the number of living children parents had differentiated bereaved parents in their well-being. We analyzed a pooled sample of parents aged 50+ (N = 12,023) from the Health and Retirement Study (2010/2012–2012/2014), including parents who lost a child prior to 50 and those who never lost a child. Two-level linear regression models were estimated to test the associations between child loss, volunteering, and psychological well-being, and examine the moderating effect of number of living children. Bereaved parents reported more depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction than their non-bereaved counterparts, which was more evident among parents with fewer children alive. Among bereaved parents, volunteering, particularly volunteering 100+ hours/year, was associated with better psychological well-being at baseline; yet, volunteering 1–99 hours/year led to a larger increase in life satisfaction over time. The benefits of volunteering held true regardless of the number of living children. This study adds to our understanding of the lasting effect of parental bereavement and suggests volunteering as a potential intervention aimed at helping bereaved older parents. Findings identify parents with fewer children as a particularly vulnerable population in the face of child loss and calls for more resources allocated to help them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment theory indicates that romantic partners' availability and responsiveness provide individuals with a sense of security and the repeated experience of which could have enduring effects on individuals' subjective well-being and relationship outcomes. We proposed that retrieving episodic memory and episodic simulation related to secure-base support could also help individuals obtain information about partners' responsiveness, which in turn would promote long-term subjective well-being and relationship satisfaction. To provide the evidence of this notion, the current study investigated the relationship between partner's responsiveness in episodic memory/simulation of secure-base support and relationship satisfaction as well as subjective well-being. We recruited 136 young adults (M age = 21.89, SD = 2.57) who were currently involved in a romantic relationship for at least 6 months. Participants completed measures of relationship satisfaction and subjective well-being; then, they provided specific episodic memory and simulations related to secure-base support as well as rated partners' responsiveness in each event. Results indicated that partners' responsiveness in both episodic memory and simulations was significantly positively related to participants' relationship satisfaction and subjective well-being. These results provide novel implications for the function of episodic memory and episodic simulation of secure-base support in the attachment system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population ages, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to well‐being in the elderly. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis of research on well‐being among elderly people conducted particularly within the framework of self‐determination theory and, more precisely, to study the relationships among basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well‐being. Therefore, a systematic search of the literature was conducted using the databases PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic Onefile, MEDLINE, Science Direct, and ERIC to find studies published in English and French. China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was used to find studies published in Chinese. Ultimately, 23 studies (mainly from the United States, Canada, and Europe; no studies published in China were found) in the field of aging were used for the systematic analysis, 17 of which were used for the meta‐analysis. The results reported in these publications are relatively congruent with the idea that basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation (autonomous types) are positively associated with positive indicators of well‐being (meaning in life, life satisfaction, positive affect, self‐esteem, etc.) and negatively associated with negative indicators of well‐being (depression, apathy, etc.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders among older people. Consistent with the Marital Discord Model of Depression (MDMD), research in Western cultures has found that marital distress is one of the risk factors for depression among older adults. However, the effect of marital distress on depression among older adults has not been examined in a collectivistic society, such as China. Objectives:The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between marital satisfaction and depressive symptoms in a sample of Chinese older adults. Considering the dyadic nature of the data, the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model was used to test for the actor and partner effects. Methods:The study investigated 139 older couples who were recruited from communities in Beijing, the capital of China. The Lock–Wallace Marital Adjustment and the CES-D scales were administered to the participants. Results:The results indicated that neither of the actor effects was significant. One of the partner effects was significant, with the husbands’ marital satisfaction predicting their wives’ depressive symptoms. Conclusions:The MDMD was only partially supported among older couples in China. An asymmetrical pattern of cross-spouse effects was found, suggesting that the husbands’ perception of marital dissatisfaction could significantly predict their wives’ depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]