Research on Aging

This study examined differences in symptoms of mental illness, specifically depression, by sexual orientation and examined the protective role of social support among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older Canadians. Data were drawn from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a national study of adults aged 45–85 years at baseline (n = 46,157). We examined whether the effect of sexual orientation on depression symptoms was moderated by four types of social support: emotional/informational support, affectionate support, tangible support, and positive social interaction. LGB identification was associated with increased depression symptoms relative to heterosexual participants. After adjustment for covariates, bisexual identity remained a significant predictor of depression symptoms. Low emotional/informational social support was associated with increased depression symptoms, an effect that was most pronounced for lesbian and gay participants. The findings contribute to the growing body of research on the mental health of older LGB people.

Although the provision, receipt, and bidirectionality of support exchanges are important for generational well-being, our understanding of them is lacking in Eastern Europe, a region undergoing swift population aging and social change. This study links intergenerational support exchanges to determinants in Romania, with a focus on proximity of adult children. Data are from the Romanian Aging and Migration Survey (N = 1,398). Analyses involve two stages. First, latent class analysis (LCA) is conducted to develop an intergenerational support typology. The second uses the typology as a dependent variable in multivariate equations predicting exchange determinants. LCA analysis yielded six propensity classes. Physical distance strongly predicts class membership. Having coresident adult children increases the likelihood of bidirectional exchange. Having an international migrant adult child reduces the chances, even with coresident adult children present. International migrant children lead to a higher probability of being a nonexchanger or receiving monetary support. There is a need for continued consideration of bidirectional exchange models in rapidly developing contexts.

A large literature emphasizes the importance of social relationships during the caregiving process. Yet these issues are seldom presented in a social network framework that examines the structure of caregivers’ personal networks. In this study, I examine how older caregivers experience changes in personal network structure. Using two waves from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, I investigate whether caregivers are more or less likely to exhibit bridging or bonding capital potential compared to noncaregivers. I find that older adults transitioning into caregiving are more likely to develop the ability to bridge social ties within their personal networks than noncaregivers despite potential constraints in their personal freedom. Caregivers in the latter stages, meanwhile, do not differ from noncaregivers in terms of network change. These findings have implications for older adults’ potential to pool resources across social domains as well as negotiate stress and well-being during the caregiving process.

We examined the association between social support from adult children (SSAC) and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults, as well as the moderated mediation mechanism with the parent–child relationship as a mediator and with emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) as moderators. With a cross-sectional design, 356 Chinese older adults completed our questionnaire survey. Results revealed the negative association between SSAC and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults, and the parent–child relationship mediated this association. In addition, the indirect effect of SSAC on depressive symptoms through the parent–child relationship depended on emotion regulation strategies. Specifically, the parent–child relationship mediated the association between SSAC and depressive symptoms only for older adults with less cognitive reappraisal or more expressive suppression. Our study highlighted the complementary role of family and individual factors in ameliorating older adults’ depressive symptoms.

Studies indicate that the benefits of volunteering may extend to biological risk factors in disease development including chronic inflammation, though the pathway through which volunteer activity predicts chronic inflammation remains unclear. The current project focuses on the link between volunteering and C-reactive protein (CRP) as a measure of chronic inflammation, while paying a particular attention to sleep quality as a pathway. Using panel data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 1,124), the present study examined whether sleep quality operates indirectly linking volunteer activity and CRP (indirect pathway), compensates for the lack of volunteerism (moderation-compensation), or regulates the benefits of volunteering on CRP (moderation-regulation). The findings suggest sleep quality as a compensatory pathway, in that sufficient sleep buffers the inflammatory effect of lack of volunteerism. The findings show that helping others may be beneficial for the helpers in terms of chronic inflammation and sleep quality as interconnected health outcomes.

The purposes of this study were to (1) develop a typology of social engagement in older Korean immigrants in the United States and (2) compare the groups in the typology regarding their level of loneliness and self-rated health. Data were drawn from the Study of Older Korean Americans covering the five geographic locations (N = 2,149). Using eight criterion variables concerning the type and frequency of activities, latent profile analysis identified a six-group model as the most optimal with the following groups: diverse, active, moderately social, structured, sedentary, and restricted. When the restricted group was used as the reference, the groups that were more socially engaged were found to have lower levels of loneliness. Additionally, being a member of the active or moderately social group was associated with more favorable self-ratings of health. These findings hold implications for understanding the variability of social engagement and how it relates to health and well-being.