Department of Psychology, Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Health Psychol. 2011 Nov;30(6):763-70. doi: 10.1037/a0024019. Epub 2011 May 23.
This longitudinal study examined the associations between older adults' goal adjustment capacities (i.e., goal disengagement and goal reengagement capacities), functional disability, and depressive symptoms. It was expected that goal disengagement capacities would prevent an adverse effect of heightened functional disability on increases in depressive symptoms.
Multivariate regression analyses were conducted, using four waves of data from a six-year longitudinal study of 135 community-dwelling older adults (>60 years old).
Depressive symptoms and functionality disability increased over time. Moreover, poor goal disengagement capacities and high levels of functional disability forecasted six-year increases in depressive symptoms. Finally, goal disengagement buffered the association of functional disability with increases in depressive symptoms. No associations were found for goal reengagement capacities.
The findings suggest an adaptive role for goal disengagement capacities in older adulthood. When confronted with increases in functional disability, the capacity to withdraw effort and commitment from unattainable goals can help protect older adults from experiencing long-term increases in depressive symptoms.
本纵向研究考察了老年人的目标调整能力（即目标脱离和目标重定能力）与功能障碍和抑郁症状之间的关联。预计目标脱离能力将防止功能障碍加剧对抑郁症状增加的不利影响。
使用一项为期六年的 135 名社区居住的老年人（>60 岁）的纵向研究的四波数据进行了多元回归分析。
抑郁症状和功能障碍随时间增加。此外，较差的目标脱离能力和较高的功能障碍预示着抑郁症状在六年内会增加。最后，目标脱离缓冲了功能障碍与抑郁症状增加之间的关联。而目标重定能力则没有关联。
研究结果表明，目标脱离能力在老年期具有适应性作用。当面临功能障碍增加时，从无法实现的目标中撤回努力和承诺的能力可以帮助老年人避免长期的抑郁症状增加。
