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Background: Through the filtering of information, the creation, and reinforcement of stereotypes, media moulds attitudes and set agendas on critical social issues including public policy and disability. Methods: This study explored Australian media representations of the care of people with intellectual disability during a crucial period in disability policy change: the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) rollout (2013-2018). Search criteria identified 168 news stories, examined via content analysis and news framing. Results: Four major issues were identified: Roles and responsibilities of government; housing; mistreatment of persons with intellectual disability, and responsibility of care for families. Stories tended to be presented negatively, however, regional and local/community metropolitan stories were more balanced or positive compared with major metropolitan stories. Conclusion: Despite significant disability policy change, media presentations continue to reinforce stereotypes of people with intellectual disability and position the government as one continuing to fall short in critical areas of funding, safety, and support.

PurposeGiven that emotional health is a critical component of healthy aging, we undertook a systematic literature review to assess whether current interventions can positively affect older adults' emotional health.MethodsA national panel of health services and mental health researchers guided the review. Eligibility criteria included community-dwelling older adult (aged ≥ 50 years) samples, reproducible interventions, and emotional health outcomes, which included multiple domains and both positive (well-being) and illness-related (anxiety) dimensions. This review focused on three types of interventions - physical activity, social support, and skills training - given their public health significance and large number of studies identified. Panel members evaluated the strength of evidence (quality and effectiveness).ResultsIn all, 292 articles met inclusion criteria. These included 83 exercise/physical activity, 25 social support, and 40 skills training interventions. For evidence rating, these 148 interventions were categorized into 64 pairings by intervention type and emotional health outcome, e.g., strength training targeting loneliness or social support to address mood. 83% of these pairings were rated at least fair quality. Expert panelists found sufficient evidence of effectiveness only for skills training interventions with health outcomes of decreasing anxiety and improving quality of life and self-efficacy. Due to limitations in reviewed studies, many intervention-outcome pairings yielded insufficient evidence.ConclusionSkills training interventions improved several aspects of emotional health in community-dwelling older adults, while the effects for other outcomes and interventions lacked clear evidence. We discuss the implications and challenges in moving forward in this important area.

BackgroundOlder people are at risk for health decline and loss of independence. Lifestyle interventions offer potential for reducing such negative outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a preventive lifestyle-based occupational therapy intervention, administered in a variety of community-based sites, in improving mental and physical well-being and cognitive functioning in ethnically diverse older people.MethodsA randomised controlled trial was conducted comparing an occupational therapy intervention and a no-treatment control condition over a 6-month experimental phase. Participants included 460 men and women aged 60-95 years (mean age 74.9 ± 7.7 years; 53%

Psychotherapeutic interventions utilizing cognitive–behavioral strategies have been used widely with older adults. To appropriately adapt these techniques, characteristics unique to older adults must be taken into account. These factors include aspects of the social environment, cohort effects, cognitive changes with aging, personality, and emotional development, which have been described in an emerging body of research literature from the field of gerontology. In addition, clinical studies have examined the efficacy of cognitive–behavioral interventions in treating older clients for anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other disorders. This review describes current empirical evidence in gerontology and treatment outcome research that informs the practice of psychotherapy in this population and provides recommendations for conducting therapy with older adults.

This study examines how individual patient characteristics predict substance abuse treatment initiation among older adults, in an investigation based on the behavioral health service use model. Analyses tested the impact of demographic factors, substance abuse symptoms, depression and cognitive status on subsequent treatment initiation. The sample included 250 older male veterans screened for substance abuse problems during inpatient medical treatment, who also participated in a clinical evaluation for substance abuse treatment. Measures included demographics and CAGE alcohol screening score. A subset of patients also completed the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test-Geriatric Version (MAST-G), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), and Folstein Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Patients who initiated treatment following evaluation had more years of education, better cognitive status, and more symptoms of substance abuse and depression, compared with patients who did not initiate treatment. In logistic regression analysis, CAGE and MMSE scores independently predicted treatment initiation. Findings contribute to the understanding of how clinical characteristics of older adults affect substance abuse treatment initiation.

Objective: To examine the predictive value of demographic characteristics and substance abuse indicators to explain treatment seeking for substance abuse problems among older male medical patients. Design: Longitudinal analysis of screening data and treatment seeking behavior. Setting: Inpatient medical and outpatient substance abuse treatment center. Participants: Participants in the study were 855 medically ill male veterans aged 55 and over, who were screened for alcohol problems during inpatient medical treatment after clinician referral. Measurements: The CAGE alcohol screen, drug use and demographic measures administered at time of screening. Predictors of treatment seeking in the sample were examined using structural equation modeling. Results: Expressed interest in treatment and later attendance at a pre-treatment evaluation were associated with younger age and a higher CAGE alcohol screening score. Being unmarried and using drugs in addition to alcohol were associated with treatment interest but not with evaluation attendance. In the path model tested, the effect of higher CAGE score partially explained the effect of younger age on treatment seeking. Conclusions: The model examined shows utility in predicting alcohol treatment seeking in this sample. Age-related factors may deter treatment seeking among older male medical inpatients.

Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is readily adaptable to use with older adults. This review integrates discussion of cognitive and behavioral intervention techniques with recent research and clinical observations in the field of gerontology. Cognitive changes with aging, personality and emotional development, cohort effects, and the social environment of older adults are discussed in relation to psychotherapy. Applications of cognitive behaivor therapy to specific late life problems such as chronic illness and disability, depression, alcoholism and insomnia are presented. The effectiveness of cognitive and behavioral techniques in treating these disorders in older adults is discussed.

This study examined whether parental emotional support around emerging adulthood influenced well-being in midlife. We applied latent growth curve (LGC) models on 337 Baby Boomers who were in their late teens to early 20s when they entered the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG) in 1971. There was a small but significant decline in self-rated health and positive emotions through 2005, but not depressive symptoms. Greater support from fathers in 1971 was associated with better self-rated health, less depression, and a slower decline in self-rated health across midlife. Greater support from mothers was associated with more positive emotions. These associations did not significantly differ among sons and daughters. Findings are discussed in the context of cumulative advantage/disadvantage and life-stage specific challenges to highlight the importance of parental emotional support during life transitions.

Purpose: This study examined whether recalled childhood parental emotional abuse and support were associated with emotional reactivity to network stress among middle-aged and older adults. Design and Methods: Hypotheses were tested by performing 2-level multilevel modeling analysis on 787 participants aged 33-83 who participated in the Daily Stress Project (2004-2009). Results: Adult daughters who recalled more childhood emotional abuse from their mother reported a higher average level of daily emotional distress nearly a decade later. The association between network stress and emotional distress was only significant among adult daughters. This emotional reactivity was attenuated by greater childhood emotional support from mothers. Implications: Recalled childhood mother-child relationship continues to influence stress and coping across the lifespan, especially among women.

This article examines the history of accreditation in psychology and applies the lessons learned to the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education's (AGHE) consideration of forming an organization to accredit programs in gerontology. The authors identify the challenges met and unmet, the successes and failures, and the key issues that emerged from psychology's experience with accreditation. Psychology has been accrediting programs in clinical psychology for more than 65 years, and the process has been marked by several false steps, considerable tension, and some controversy and at times significant dissatisfaction. The accreditation process that has emerged today, which includes counseling, school psychology, graduate practica, and postdoctoral practica sites, is generally well received yet some tensions exist. The authors apply the lessons learned from psychology's evolution to AGHE. The experience of psychology suggests a need for clear minimum standards and consistency across programs in training goals, if not in curricula and practica. However, setting standards for specific curricula and practice content may result in a similar contentiousness that has plagued psychology. Ultimately, the authors conclude that the benefits of accreditation of programs outweigh the deficits.

Purpose of the study: Although the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) is one of the most extensively used measures in research for caregiver burden, few researchers have examined its factor structure. Furthermore, though the ZBI has also been used in cross-group comparisons of burden, there have not been studies of whether or not it measures burden equally across various groups. Therefore, this study considers the psychometric properties of a brief version of the ZBI with particular attention to its factor structure and metric equivalence across two racial groups. Design and Methods: Distribution, reliability, and confirmatory factor analyses were performed with a 14-item three-factor ZBI factor model in a sample of 175 Black and 225 White caregivers of family members with dementia. Results: The 14 ZBI items were reliable and fairly normally distributed for both groups. The three-factor model fits the data and was invariant across the Black and White caregivers for number of factors, factor loadings, and factor covariances. Implications: These findings contribute to the literature on the factor structure of the ZBI and provide new data on the invariance of the ZBI across two racial/ethnic groups of caregivers. This study provides support for the validity of findings that compare the burden scores of Black and White caregivers in studies utilizing the ZBI. The 14-item version also offers a more parsimonious way to measure burden in clinical settings, potentially increasing screening opportunities when caregiver contact time is limited.

Mentoring in doctoral programs in professional psychology has its roots in mentoring in science programs of all types. Professional psychology in general may suffer from conflating mentoring with clinical supervision. Using the Pikes Peak Model competencies as a framework, mentoring in attitudes, knowledge, and skills related to professional geropsychology training are described.

The aging of the population will increase demand for psychological services for older adults, which challenges the profession of psychology to provide those services. In response to that challenge, professional geropsychology has been developing over the past few decades to meet current and prepare for anticipated future demand. The development of a range of training opportunities is important to enable psychologists to work effectively with older adults. This article describes the Pikes Peak model for training in professional geropsychology. The model is an aspirational, competencies-based approach to training professional geropsychologists that allows for entry points at multiple levels of professional development.

Purpose: This study investigated direct and indirect effects of caregiver status on the physical health of Korean American caregivers in terms of caregiver coping styles and the quantity and the quality of informal social support. Design and Methods: Using a sample of 87 caregivers and 87 matched noncaregivers, we analyzed a path model, employing both subjective (self-reported general health) and objective (blood pressure and cortisol levels) health indicators. For the intervening variables the path model employed coping styles and two aspects of social support (the quantity of informal social support and the quality of informal social support). Results: Our findings supported the association of caregiver status with poor health outcomes among Korean American caregivers. Of interest, the adverse effects of caregiver status on the physical health of caregivers were reported only with objective health markers (blood pressure and cortisol levels), not with subjective health indicators. The proposed indirect effects of caregiver status were supported only for cortisol levels, through the quality of informal social support. Implications: The demonstration of the physical health effects of caregiving in one of the nation's fastest growing ethnic groups, and the finding that these physiological effects occur without self-reported poor health, call attention to a potentially serious health problem in an understudied group providing family care to frail older family members.

Summarizes articles from 1980 to 1990 on psychosocial interventions and respite care for caregivers. Review is limited to controlled studies that attempted to change emotional distress in caregivers. Cumulatively, studies reviewed suggest that individual psychosocial interventions and respite programs are moderately effective; psychosocial interventions with groups are less so. (Author/NB)

Evaluated intensive case management program for older persons admitted to county inpatient unit. Found length of stay reduced from 27 days during baseline to 12 days during intervention. Older patients were young-old, mostly first admissions, and had mostly functional rather than organic diagnoses. Reduction in length of stay would save about $6,750 per geriatric admission. (Author/NB)

This review revises the sociocultural stress and coping model for culturally diverse family caregivers proposed in 1997 by Aranda and Knight. Available research on the influence of cultural values on the stress and coping process among family caregivers supports a common core model that is consistent across ethnic groups and that links care recipients' behavior problems and functional impairments to caregivers' burden appraisals and health outcomes. Familism as a cultural value appears to be multidimensional in its effects, with obligation values often being more influential than family solidarity. The effects of cultural values and other ethnic differences in stress and coping appear to involve social support and coping styles rather than burden appraisals. Implications of the revised model for research and practice are discussed. Key Words: Caregiver burden--Culture--Ethnicity--Familism--Social support--Stress and coping. doi: 10.l093/geronb/gbp096.

The aging of the population will increase demand for psychological services for older adults, which challenges the profession of psychology to provide those services. In response to that challenge, professional geropsychology has been developing over the past few decades to meet current and prepare for anticipated future demand. The development of a range of training opportunities is important to enable psychologists to work effectively with older adults. This article describes the Pikes Peak model for training in professional geropsychology. The model is an aspirational, competencies-based approach to training professional geropsychologists that allows for entry points at multiple levels of professional development. Keywords: aging, older adults, doctoral programs, internships, postdoctoral training

We examined how mood and activation of old age schema influenced attentional focus on physical symptoms in older adults. Seventy-one individuals aged 60 years or above participated in an experiment that manipulated mood and old age schema. They completed a modified Stroop task that measured attentional bias to physical symptoms. Controlling for baseline processing speed, the two variables had significant main and interaction effects on attentional focus on symptoms. Sad mood and old age schema independently minimized the bias to avoid attending to symptoms. When combined, these two variables contributed to greater attentional focus on symptoms. These findings highlight psychological influences on current attention to symptoms. Key Words: Aging--Mood--Physical symptoms.

Objectives: Although wisdom is a desirable life span developmental goal, researchers have often lacked brief and reliable construct measures. We examined whether an abbreviated set of items could be empirically derived from the popular 40-item five-factor Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS). Design: Survey data from 709 respondents were randomly split into two and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Setting: The survey was conducted online in Australia. Participants: The total sample consisted of 709 participants (Mage = 35.67 years; age range = 15–92 years) of whom 22% were male, and 78% female. Measurement: The study analyzed the 40-item SAWS. Results: Sample 1 showed the traditional five-factor structure for the 40-item SAWS did not fit the data. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on Sample 2 offered an alternative model based on a 15-item, five-factor solution with the latent variables Reminiscence/Reflection, Humor, Emotional Regulation, Experience, and Openness. This model, which replicates the factor structure of the original 40-item SAWS with a short form of 15 items, was then confirmed on Sample 1 using a CFA that produced acceptable fit and measurement invariance across age groups. Conclusions: We suggest the abbreviated SAWS-15 can be useful as a measure of individual differences in wisdom, and we highlight areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated direct and indirect effects of caregiver status on the physical health of Korean American caregivers in terms of caregiver coping styles and the quantity and the quality of informal social support. Design and Methods: Using a sample of 87 caregivers and 87 matched noncaregivers, we analyzed a path model, employing both subjective (self-reported general health) and objective (blood pressure and cortisol levels) health indicators. For the intervening variables the path model employed coping styles and two aspects of social support (the quantity of informal social support and the quality of informal social support). Results: Our findings supported the association of caregiver status with poor health outcomes among Korean American caregivers. Of interest, the adverse effects of caregiver status on the physical health of caregivers were reported only with objective health markers (blood pressure and cortisol levels), not with subjective health indicators. The proposed indirect effects of caregiver status were supported only for cortisol levels, through the quality of informal social support. Implications: The demonstration of the physical health effects of caregiving in one of the nation's fastest growing ethnic groups, and the finding that these physiological effects occur without self-reported poor health, call attention to a potentially serious health problem in an understudied group providing family care to frail older family members. Key Words: Blood pressure, Caregiving, Cortisol, Ethnicity, Self-reported general health

In this study we assessed the new transactional stress and social support model, postulating the role of neuroticism, ethnicity, familism, and social support in perceived burden in dementia caregivers. We used a convenience sample (N = 77) of African American and White dementia caregivers. Results substantiated interrelationships among social support variables, and the influence of perceived positive social support on burden. Neuroticism was related to the perception of positive social support and burden. Results corroborated the model, focusing on neuroticism and quality of social support in modeling perceived burden in family caregivers. Findings call attention to the role of presumably long-standing individual differences in neuroticism that influence caregiver appraisals of stress and social support.

Panel data collected in 1991 as part of the University of Southern California Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG) were used to predict reported preparation activities prior to and in response to the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake. In late 1994 and early 1995, 163 panelists (representing 107 multigenerational families) were interviewed by phone about their earthquake experiences. The best 1991 predictor of pre-quake preparation was the extent of instrumental support respondents provided to network members. Earthquake preparation activities undertaken after the quake were associated with the amount and cost of damage experienced during the quake, 1991 neuroticism scores, age (inversely), and having preparedness encouraged by multiple network sources. The results highlight the importance of social roles (e.g., support provision) and discussion by informal network sources in the adoption of public health and safety messages.

This study examined predictors of depression in a sample of 95 elderly Korean immigrants aged 60 or over. Depression among Korean immigrants was hypothesized to be associated with socio-demographic and cultural factors, including health status, gender, education, financial status, acculturation level, familism, social support, especially from the family, and family relationships. A face-to-face interview was conducted in Korean using a structured questionnaire. Depression in this study was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression (CES-D) Scale. A substantial percentage of the sample was experiencing a high level of depression. The mean score on the CES-D scale was 15.1, slightly below 16, a cut-off score for clinical depression, and almost 40% of the respondents scored 16 or above on the scale, indicating a high rate of clinical depression for the study sample. In multiple regression analyses, perceived health status and education were significant predictors among socio-demographic factors. Among cultural factors, acculturation status was not a significant predictor; however, positive support from the family and family relationships were significantly associated with depression. The role of family as a risk factor for depression in older Korean immigrants and implications for mental health policy, programs, and future research are discussed. KEYWORDS. Depression, elderly Korean immigrants, perceived health status, cultural factors