This study investigated the extent to which purpose in life predicted African American women's loneliness over time. Using data from 661 African American women (M age = 44.92, SD = 8.10) across four waves of the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS), latent growth mixture modeling was employed to explore the trajectories of loneliness across approximately 10 years and whether level of purpose in life was a significant predictor of the trajectories. This study also accounted for potent influential factors such as positive and negative social support, religiosity, racial discrimination, and financial strain as covariates. Findings revealed significant between-individual differences in loneliness trajectories, with individuals reporting a higher initial level of purpose in life tending to have lower levels of loneliness over time. Thus, greater purpose in life predicted lower loneliness among African American women, highlighting the importance of these factors in their psychosocial well-being.

OBJECTIVES:The first aim of the study is to compare loneliness levels between widowed and non-widowed older adults. The second aim is to identify distinct loneliness patterns among widowed individuals and explore the impact of pre-spousal loss social support on loneliness during and after bereavement. METHOD:Data from the Health and Retirement Study were utilized to compare loneliness levels between widowed (n = 137) and non-widowed (n = 2361) older adults (Mage = 69.01). T-tests and latent growth curve models were conducted to compare loneliness levels between the two groups. Growth mixture models were computed to identify distinct loneliness patterns among the widowed individuals. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine how pre-widowhood social support was associated with the obtained classes. RESULTS:The results revealed that widowed individuals reported significantly higher levels of loneliness at T2. Among widowed individuals, three distinct loneliness patterns were identified: Increased Loneliness (IL) group (n = 32); Low and Stable Loneliness (LSL) group (n = 88); and Decreased Loneliness (DL) group (n = 17). The IL and DL group were less likely to receive social support from spouse, children, and friends compared to the LSL group. CONCLUSION:This study provides evidence of the protective effect of pre-widowhood social support on the psychological well-being of older adults after spousal loss.

Planning-based interventions are often used to help individuals form habits. Existing literature suggests a one-size-fits all approach to habit formation, but planning interventions may be optimized if tailored to individual differences and/or behavioral complexity. We test the hypothesis that planning to do a relatively complex behaviour (exercise) at a time that matches an individuals’ diurnal preference will facilitate behavioral engagement; whereas for a simpler behaviour (calcium supplementation), the optimal time-of-day for a new behavior will occur in the morning. Young, women volunteers (N = 317) were randomly assigned to take calcium supplements or to exercise for 4 weeks and to control (no planning) or to one of three planning interventions (morning plan; evening plan; unassigned-time plan). Participants reported diurnal preference at baseline and habit strength and behavioral frequency weekly. Fitbit Zips and Medication Event Monitoring System Caps (MEMS) were used to objectively assess behavioral engagement. Multilevel modelling found that calcium-supplementation was greatest for morning-types in the morning-cue condition, whereas exercise was greatest for morning-types with morning cues and evening-types with evening cues. Habit-formation strategies may depend on diurnal preference and behavioral complexity. Future research can evaluate the role of other individual differences.

Research has shown that although aggression and victimization often co-occur, individuals may differ in terms of their involvement with aggression, experiences of victimization as well as their social-psychological adjustment. Two studies investigated whether there are distinct groups of college students who experience different subtypes of aggression (e.g., reactive proactive) and victimization. We also examined whether these groups differ from one another in their psychological profiles (e.g., maladaptive personality traits and emotion dysregulation), mental health, and substance use. Study 1 included 715 undergraduate students (53.6

The current study examined associations between parental adversities as experienced in adolescence and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) 26 years later (n = 47). Specifically, bivariate correlations and linear regressions were used to examine harsh parenting as well as parental economic pressure, emotional distress, and body mass index (BMI) when their adolescent was between 15 and 16 years old (parent average age 43). HCC was measured when the adolescent was an adult (average 42 years old), at a similar age to when their parent(s) first participated in the study. We also assessed their economic pressure, emotional distress, obesity, and perceived stress in adulthood. For results across generations, parental economic pressure experienced during adolescence was significantly related to HCC when these adolescents were adults. None of the adult economic pressure, emotional distress, BMI, and perceived stress variables were associated with their HCC. Interestingly, there were significant associations among adult perceived stress, economic pressure, emotional distress, and obesity. Thus, the association between parental economic pressure and adult HCC is independent of adult adversities. Results highlight early economic adversity as a possible childhood stressor that has implications throughout the life course.

In this article, we will provide a rationale for a web -assisted acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) approach to loneliness among older adults, drawing upon theories from the literature on adult development and aging, emotion regulation, and loneliness. The intervention program was developed using the principles of ACT, which is a cognitive behavioral approach and unified model of human behavior change and psychological growth. The ACT intervention focuses on developing nonjudgmental present -focused awareness of internal experiences (thoughts, emotions, and memories) through strategies such as acceptance and mindfulness rather than directly modifying or removing them per se. The ACT intervention appears well -suited to assist older adults in coping with the challenges of aging, as the focus is on an individual's willingness to sit with internal experiences out of one's control (ie, acceptance), stepping back from negative or critical thoughts and developing greater kindness toward oneself (ie, defusion), discerning what is most important to one's true self (ie, values), and building larger patterns of effective action based on such values (ie, committed action). The ACT intervention was developed as a resource for older adults who are socially isolated or having difficulty with social connectedness. Eight modules comprise the web -assisted ACT intervention program, which includes reading materials, video clips, and activities. Each module is followed by a summary, a homework assignment, a short quiz to assess learning, and a moderated discussion with a coach. The intervention program begins with reconnecting participants with their values. The goal of the ACT intervention program is to foster flexibility in a participant's behavior so they can behave consistently with their chosen values, rather than becoming locked into a pattern of behavior that is driven by avoiding distress or discomfort. The ACT intervention approach is both novel and innovative, as it is based on ACT and leverages a behavioral health web platform that is flexible and inclusive in its design. The ACT intervention aims to help older adults become more socially connected, less lonely, and more satisfied with their relationships with other people. The emphasis that ACT places on values and living life in accordance with one's values renders it an approach ideally suited to older adults. Finally, recommendations for future research regarding this approach to addressing loneliness among older adults is addressed.

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate loneliness among widowed and non-widowed older adults. Additionally, the study sought to identify classes with different loneliness patterns among widowed older adults over time and to determine social resources that impact loneliness patterns after spousal loss. Data from the Health and Retirement Study were utilized to compare loneliness levels between widowed (n = 137) and non-widowed (n = 2,361). Those who were married at T1 (2008/2010), widowed at T2 (2012/2014), and remained widowed at T3 (2016/2018) were defined as widowed. T-tests were conducted to compare loneliness between the two groups, revealing that widowed individuals reported significantly higher levels of loneliness at T2 only. Using growth mixture models, three distinct loneliness patterns were identified among widowed individuals: Group 1, displaying mid-level loneliness at T1 and increasing over time (n=32); Group 2, exhibiting the lowest loneliness at T1 and leveling off (n=88); and Group 3, experiencing the highest loneliness at T1 and decreasing over time (n=17). Finally, analysis of variance tests were conducted to determine whether social support and engagement as measured at T1 differed among the three identified groups. Results indicated that social support from friends and children was significantly higher among group 2 compared to the other two groups. This study provides evidence of the protective effect of social support before widowhood on the psychological well-being of older adults after spousal loss. The findings may have implications for the development of interventions aimed at supporting widowed older adults during this difficult period of transition.

Background: Older adults may be vulnerable to loneliness due to natural and age-related transitions. Lonely older adults are at an increased risk of adverse health outcomes due to their loneliness, including cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of vulnerable older adults in a web-based loneliness intervention. Methods: Older adult participants in a web-based loneliness intervention ( n = 24) participated in semi-structured interviews eliciting feedback about their experience in the program and perceived outcomes. Participants’ responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Participants reported fewer negative perceptions of their social skills and future social interactions, gaining new social skills, improved relationships, and increased confidence to initiate and maintain social contact. Conclusions: Findings suggest the efficacy of combining a web-based loneliness intervention with cognitive behavioral therapy, and provide implications for future web-based interventions for older adult populations.

Background and Objectives Current research indicates that structural and functional social network attributes influence older adults' well-being. However, these linkages may vary by sexual orientation. This study examines how social communication diversity and support diversity are related to loneliness and differ between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) and heterosexual adults. Research Design and Methods Using data from the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation's Loneliness and Social Connection Survey of adults 45+ (N = 3,009), including 10% who identified as LGB, we derive entropy scores, which capture the extent to which network size and quality of relationships are evenly distributed. A series of linear regressions were conducted to examine sexual orientation, social network indicators, and their interactions in predicting loneliness. Results We found a positive association between social communication diversity and loneliness. This finding was qualified by the interaction with sexual orientation. In addition, we found a negative association between support diversity and loneliness, an effect that was stronger for LGB participants than for heterosexual participants. The effect of support diversity on loneliness was much stronger for LGB adults than heterosexual adults. Discussion and Implications While LGB adults tend to score higher on the loneliness scale overall, the findings suggest that communication and support diversity have uniquely different patterns of associations for sexual minority groups. This study highlights the importance of considering multiple dimensions of social networks and has implications for addressing loneliness for heterosexual and LGB adults.

BACKGROUND:Social isolation and loneliness affect 61% of US adults and are associated with significant increases in excessive mental and physical morbidity and mortality. Annual health care spending is US $1643 higher for socially isolated individuals than for those not socially isolated.OBJECTIVE:We prospectively evaluated the effects of participation with a digitally enabled peer support intervention on loneliness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life among adults with loneliness.METHODS:Adults aged 18 years and older living in Colorado were recruited to participate in a peer support program via social media campaigns. The intervention included peer support, group coaching, the ability to become a peer helper, and referral to other behavioral health resources. Participants were asked to complete surveys at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 days, which included questions from the validated University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 2-Item Scale, General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, and a 2-item measure assessing unhealthy days due to physical condition and mental condition. A growth curve modeling procedure using multilevel regression analyses was conducted to test for linear changes in the outcome variables from baseline to the end of the intervention.RESULTS:In total, 815 ethnically and socially diverse participants completed registration (mean age 38, SD 12.7; range 18-70 years; female: n=310, 38%; White: n=438, 53.7%; Hispanic: n=133, 16.3%; Black: n=51, 6.3%; n=263, 56.1% had a high social vulnerability score). Participants most commonly joined the following peer communities: loneliness (n=220, 27%), building self-esteem (n=187, 23%), coping with depression (n=179, 22%), and anxiety (n=114, 14%). Program engagement was high, with 90% (n=733) engaged with the platform at 60 days and 86% (n=701) at 90 days. There was a statistically (P<.001 for all outcomes) and clinically significant improvement in all clinical outcomes of interest: a 14.6% (mean 6.47) decrease in loneliness at 90 days; a 50.1% (mean 1.89) decline in depression symptoms at 90 days; a 29% (mean 1.42) reduction in anxiety symptoms at 90 days; and a 13% (mean 21.35) improvement in health-related quality of life at 90 days. Based on changes in health-related quality of life, we estimated a reduction in annual medical costs of US $615 per participant. The program was successful in referring participants to behavioral health educational resources, with 27% (n=217) of participants accessing a resource about how to best support those experiencing psychological distress and 15% (n=45) of women accessing a program about the risks of excessive alcohol use.CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that a digitally enabled peer support program can be effective in addressing loneliness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life among a diverse population of adults with loneliness. Moreover, it holds promise as a tool for identifying and referring members to relevant behavioral health resources.

In this article, we will provide a rationale for an Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach to loneliness among older adults, drawing upon theories from the literature on adult development and aging, emotion regulation, and loneliness. We will provide a brief description of the ACT model of treatment and review the literature on investigations of ACT-related processes among older adults. Finally, important adaptations that need to be considered when using ACT with older adults will be discussed along with recommendations for future research regarding this approach to addressing loneliness among older adults.

Previous research has highlighted the enduring negative impact of family economic adversity on youth emotional well-being. However, the longitudinal mechanism underlying the link between economic adversity and emotional distress is less explored. The present study examined the longitudinal pathway of parent economic adversity, and parent and adolescent emotional distress at age 16, parental support at age 21, youth self-esteem and mastery at age 23, and adult emotional distress at age 27. Data came from the Family Transitions Project ( N = 441, 57% female), a 30-year study of families from the rural Midwest. Structural equation models revealed that economic adversity exerted a long-term negative influence on adult emotional well-being through parent and adolescent emotional distress and youth self-esteem and mastery. Additionally, parental support was associated with adult emotional distress through youth self-esteem and mastery. The current study advances our understanding of youth emotional well-being by suggesting a longitudinal family process and resilience pathways from adolescence to early adulthood.

The present study examined the intergenerational transmission of economic adversity, as well as physical and mental health across generations. Specifically, we examined the effects of parental economic adversity, body mass index (BMI), and emotional distress during the child's adolescence on their economic adversity, BMI, and emotional distress in middle adulthood. The study included 366 Generation 1 (G1) mothers and fathers and their adolescents (Generation 2; G2) in middle adulthood. G1 behavior was examined when G2 was 16 years old and G2 behavior was assessed at Age 42. In line with aspects of the family stress model, economic hardship was related to economic pressure, which in turn was related to emotional distress for both G1 and G2. For each generation, economic pressure was also associated with BMI. There was also evidence of the intergenerational transmission of economic hardship, BMI, and emotional distress from G1 to G2. Finally, the intergenerational transmission of economic adversity in the family of origin to adult health outcomes was explained by these same health behaviors of the first generation. Results suggest that economic adversity and parental health behaviors as experienced in adolescence have long-term economic and health consequences into middle adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The present study used a latent growth curve modeling approach to (a) examine the effectiveness of a brief self-compassion intervention on reducing impostor phenomenon, maladaptive perfectionism, and psychological distress and (b) explore who would benefit more from this intervention. A total of 227 college students at a large Midwest university were randomly assigned to participate in either a 4-week brief self-compassion intervention group or a nonintervention control group. Analyses of the effectiveness of the intervention suggested the brief self-compassion intervention had significant treatment effects for reducing impostor phenomenon and maladaptive perfectionism. Moreover, this study also examined whether participants with different levels of fear of self-compassion and core self-evaluation would report different levels of treatment effectiveness. Fear of self-compassion was found to be a significant moderator of the intervention effects in reducing maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress. Specifically, participants in the intervention group with higher levels of fear of self-compassion reported a greater decline in both maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress over time when compared to those with lower levels of fear of self-compassion. Core self-evaluation significantly moderated the effectiveness of this intervention in reducing participants' levels of impostor phenomenon and maladaptive perfectionism. Specifically, participants in the intervention group with lower core self-evaluation reported a greater reduction in maladaptive perfectionism over time when compared to those with higher core self-evaluation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The current study examined how two theoretical constructs change individually and in conjunction with each other over a twelve-year period during young adulthood (i.e., ages 19 to 31). Assessments included prospective self-report measures ( n = 546) collected during seven developmental time points at two-year intervals. Research questions regarding intra-individual variability in the change and inter-individual differences in economic pressure and positivity and the interplay between these developmental processes were investigated by using an autoregressive latent trajectory model. Results showed that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between economic pressure and positivity while there were correlational associations between economic pressure and positivity across time. The negative correlations may imply that individuals who generally had high levels of economic pressure were more likely to have low levels of positivity during young adulthood. These results suggest that prevention efforts should strive to promote positivity as well as reduce the root causes of economic pressure. Further implications of the results are discussed.

Objective:The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) is a screening test of global cognitive function used in research and clinical settings. However, the CASI was developed using face validity and has not been investigated via empirical tests such as factor analyses. Thus, we aimed to develop and test a parsimonious conceptualization of the CASI rooted in cognitive aging literature reflective of crystallized and fluid abilities. Design:Secondary data analysis implementing confirmatory factor analyses where we tested the proposed two-factor solution, an alternate one-factor solution, and conducted a chi(2) difference test to determine which model had a significantly better fit. Setting:N/A. Participants:Data came from 3,491 men from the Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Measurements:The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument. Results:Findings demonstrated that both models fit the data; however, the two-factor model had a significantly better fit than the one-factor model. Criterion validity tests indicated that participant age was negatively associated with both factors and that education was positively associated with both factors. Further tests demonstrated that fluid abilities were significantly and negatively associated with a later-life dementia diagnosis. Conclusions:We encourage investigators to use the two-factor model of the CASI as it could shed light on underlying cognitive processes, which may be more informative than using a global measure of cognition.

Personalised nutrition is a novel public health strategy aiming to promote positive diet and lifestyle changes. Tailored dietary and physical activity advice may be more appropriate than a generalised 'one-size-fits-all' approach as it is more biologically relevant to the individual. Information and computing technology, smartphones and mobile applications have become an integral part of modern life and thereby present the opportunity for novel methods to encourage individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle. This article introduces the European Union-funded PROTEIN project (PeRsOnalised nutriTion for hEalthy livINg) consortium and introduces the associated work packages. The primary objective of the PROTEIN project is to produce a novel adaptable mobile application suite based on sound nutrition and physical activity advice from experts in their field, accessible to all population groups, with differing health outcomes, whose behaviour can be tracked with a variety of sensors and health hazard perception. The mobile application 'ecosystem' that will be developed by the consortium includes a platform, mobile suite, cloud services, artificial intelligence advisor, game suite, modelling of expert's knowledge, users' behaviour data collection, data analysis and a dashboard for healthcare professionals. It is proposed that users will find the provision of personalised nutrition advice and real-time data capture through a smartphone application useful, and importantly, will be encouraged by this to make positive health behaviour changes.

The purpose of this research was to develop a brief assessment of health personality, defined as a set of individual dispositions that are directly related to health. In Study 1, an initial pool of items was developed with 615 older adults, 65 years of age and older. The scale was reduced to a 15-item version for use in applied health care settings. Results indicated that the 'Health Personality Assessment scale' has good internal consistency, and the five-factors correlated significantly with self-reported measures of physical health and well-being. In Study 2, the scale was cross-validated with 254 older adults from the Health Literacy and Cognitive Function among Older Adults Study. The scale was refined and a third study consisted of 3,907 older adults. Reliability and validity of the scale were confirmed. Future research should evaluate the usefulness of this scale in applied healthcare settings.

The purpose of this study was a cross-cultural examination of centenarians’ personality through a person-centered approach to examine if there is a “resilient” personality profile consistent across cultures. Proxy reports information was obtained from family and close friends of 239 U.S. centenarians from the Georgia Centenarians Study and 272 Japanese centenarians from the Tokyo Centenarian Study. Latent profile analyses were conducted to identify personality profiles in centenarians from the United States and Japan. Two personality profiles were identified in both samples: a “resilient” personality profile and “nonresilient” personality profile. The “resilient” group had higher levels of positive personality traits with higher scores on agreeableness and extraversion and lower scores on neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness. The “nonresilient” group had higher scores on neuroticism and lower scores on extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Fifty percent of U.S. centenarians and 65% of Japanese centenarians were in the “resilient” group.