Chronic Illness and Loneliness in Older Adulthood: The Role of Self-Protective Control Strategies
Chronic Illness and Loneliness in Older Adulthood: The Role of Self-Protective Control Strategies
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DOI：
10.1037/hea0000182
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发表时间：
2015-08-01
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Wrosch, Carsten
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Barlow, Meaghan A.;Liu, Sarah Y.;Wrosch, Carsten
目的：本研究探讨慢性疾病水平是否能预测老年人孤独感的增强。此外，研究还调查了参与健康相关自我保护（如积极的再评价），而不参与健康参与控制策略（如投入时间和精力）是否会缓冲慢性病对老年人孤独感的不利影响。方法：对121名居住在社区的老年人（时间1年龄= 64 ~ 83岁）进行了8年的纵向研究，每隔2年重复检查孤独感。此外，还在基线时评估了慢性疾病水平、健康相关控制策略和社会人口变量。结果：生长曲线模型显示，孤独感随着时间的推移呈线性增加，这种影响只在报告慢性疾病基线水平高而不是低的参与者中观察到。此外，与健康相关的自我保护，而不是健康参与控制策略，缓冲了慢性病对孤独感增加的不利影响。结论：孤独感在老年人中增加是慢性疾病的一个功能。采取自我保护策略来应对健康威胁的老年人可能不会受到这种不利影响。
Objectives: This study examined whether levels of chronic illness predict enhanced feelings of loneliness in older adulthood. In addition, it investigated whether engagement in health-related self-protection (e.g., positive reappraisals), but not in health engagement control strategies (e.g., investment of time and effort), would buffer the adverse effect of chronic illness on older adults' feelings of loneliness. Method: Loneliness was examined repeatedly in 2-year intervals over 8 years in a longitudinal study of 121 community-dwelling older adults (Time 1 age = 64 to 83 years). In addition, levels of chronic illness, health-related control strategies, and sociodemographic variables were assessed at baseline. Results: Growth-curve models showed that loneliness linearly increased over time and that this effect was observed only among participants who reported high, but not low, baseline levels of chronic illness. In addition, health-related self-protection, but not health engagement control strategies, buffered the adverse effect of chronic illness on increases in loneliness. Conclusions: Loneliness increases in older adulthood as a function of chronic illness. Older adults who engage in self-protective strategies to cope with their health threats might be protected from experiencing this adverse effect.