Department of Consumer Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Sejong, South Korea.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2022 Sep 1;77(9):1686-1698. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbac058.
We examined the extent to which optimism buffers the effects of physical limitations on depressive symptoms across 4 mid- and later-life age groups (ages 40-49, 50-64, 65-74, 75 and older at baseline). Analyses are motivated by stress theories, which propose that the protective effects of coping resources are evidenced only at high levels of stress. We further explore whether these purportedly protective effects diminish with age, as health-related stressor(s) intensify and become irreversible.
We use data from 2 waves (2004-2006 and 2013-2014) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, n = 4,515) and Midlife in the United States (MIDUS, n = 2,138). We estimate ordinary least squares regression models with 3-way interaction terms to examine prospectively the benefits of optimism as a coping resource for persons with physical limitations across 4 age groups. Physical limitations are assessed with a composite measure encompassing mobility and activity of daily living limitations.
In HRS and MIDUS, persons with 3+ limitations reported significantly more depressive symptoms than persons with 0-2 limitations, yet these disparities diminished at higher levels of optimism. Buffering effects of optimism vary by age. For midlife and young-old persons with 3+ limitations, optimism is strongly and inversely related to depressive symptoms at follow-up. Comparable protective effects are not evident among the oldest sample members.
Stress and coping models should consider more fully factors that limit older adults' capacity to deploy purportedly protective personal resources. Investments in structural or institutional supports may be more effective than interventions to enhance positive thinking.
我们考察了乐观情绪在多大程度上缓冲了身体限制对抑郁症状的影响，研究对象涵盖了中年和晚年的 4 个年龄组（基线时年龄为 40-49 岁、50-64 岁、65-74 岁和 75 岁及以上）。这些分析的动机是基于压力理论，该理论提出，应对资源的保护作用仅在高压力水平下才显现出来。我们进一步探讨了这些据称的保护作用是否会随着年龄的增长而减弱，因为与健康相关的压力源会加剧并变得不可逆转。
我们使用了来自健康与退休研究（HRS）和美国中期生活研究（MIDUS）的 2 个波次的数据（HRS，n=4515；MIDUS，n=2138）。我们使用带有 3 向交互项的普通最小二乘回归模型，前瞻性地检验了乐观情绪作为身体限制者应对资源的益处，研究对象涵盖了 4 个年龄组。身体限制是通过一个包含行动和日常生活活动限制的综合指标来评估的。
在 HRS 和 MIDUS 中，有 3 种以上限制的人报告的抑郁症状明显多于有 0-2 种限制的人，但这些差异在更高水平的乐观情绪下会减小。乐观情绪的缓冲效应因年龄而异。对于有 3 种以上限制的中年和年轻老年人来说，乐观情绪与随访时的抑郁症状呈强烈的反比关系。在最年长的样本中，没有明显的类似保护效应。
压力和应对模型应该更充分地考虑限制老年人利用据称保护个人资源能力的因素。对结构或制度支持的投资可能比增强积极思维的干预措施更有效。
