Poor Health and Loneliness in Later Life: The Role of Depressive Symptoms, Social Resources, and Rural Environments
Poor Health and Loneliness in Later Life: The Role of Depressive Symptoms, Social Resources, and Rural Environments
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DOI：
10.1093/geronb/gbt121
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发表时间：
2014-03-01
影响因子：
6.2
通讯作者：
Scharf, Thomas
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Burholt, Vanessa;Scharf, Thomas
目标。我们利用认知差异理论来假设和测试从健康状况不佳到晚年孤独的途径。我们假设健康状况不佳会对社会参与和社会资源产生负面影响，这些因素在健康和孤独之间起中介作用。我们假设农村环境会放大与社会参与或获取社会资源相关的任何困难，而抑郁症会缓和人们对社会接触和支持水平的反应强度。我们概念化了中介模型和被调节中介模型。使用爱尔兰共和国老年人的全国代表性数据来验证假设的途径。在中介模型中，健康通过社会资源和社会参与的中介变量对孤独感有显著的间接影响。在调节-中介模型中，乡村性调节健康与社会资源之间的路径，但不调节社会参与。抑郁症状可以调节社会资源对孤独感的影响，但不能调节社会参与。研究结果为认知差异理论提供了进一步的证据，表明抑郁症状影响认知过程，干扰对社会互动充分性的判断。通过证明环境对孤独的影响，该理论得到了扩展。
Objectives. We draw on cognitive discrepancy theory to hypothesize and test a pathway from poor health to loneliness in later life. We hypothesize that poor health will have a negative influence on social participation and social resources, and these factors will mediate between health and loneliness. We hypothesize that rural environments will amplify any difficulties associated with social participation or accessing social resources and that depression will moderate how intensely people react to levels of social contact and support.Methods. We conceptualize a mediation model and a moderated-mediation model. Nationally representative data on older people living in the Republic of Ireland are used to validate the hypothesized pathways.Results. In the mediation model, health has a significant indirect effect on loneliness through the mediating variables social resources and social participation. In the moderated-mediation model, rurality moderates the pathway between health and social resources but not social participation. Depressive symptoms moderate the effect of social resources on loneliness but not social participation.Discussion. The results provide further credence to cognitive discrepancy theory, suggesting that depressive symptoms influence cognitive processes, interfering with judgments about the adequacy of social interaction. The theory is extended by demonstrating the impact of the environment on loneliness.