Affective Fear of Crime and Its Association with Depressive Feelings and Life Satisfaction in Advanced Age: Cognitive Emotion Regulation as a Moderator?

Fear of crime is a substantial problem for older adults and is associated with reduced subjective well-being. However, less is known about factors that could moderate the associations between fear of crime and mental health problems and well-being in advanced age. Cognitive emotion regulation could serve as a potentially buffering factor for adverse health outcomes related to fear of crime due to its potential importance in managing feelings when facing threatening situations. The current study investigated the associations between affective fear of crime with depressive feelings and life satisfaction and examined whether adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies moderated these associations in a sample of older adults (age 64–106) in Sweden (N = 622). The results showed that affective fear of crime was associated with more depressive feelings, less life satisfaction, and more frequent use of such maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies as rumination, catastrophizing, and blaming others. Moreover, rumination and self-blame moderated the associations between affective fear of crime and life satisfaction. Adaptive emotion regulation strategies were not associated with affective fear of crime and did not decrease the strength of its association with depressive feelings and with life satisfaction. These findings allow us to conclude that maladaptive emotion regulation could be considered a vulnerability factor in the association of fear of crime with life satisfaction

Older and Feeling Unsafe? Unravelling the Role of Perceived Unsafety in the Well-being of Older Adults Residing in Senior Apartments

Feeling safe in one’s place of residence is important for the well-being of older adults when ageing in place; in contrast, feeling unsafe is likely to have negative consequences for well-being while ageing. Although substantial knowledge of perceived unsafety has been accumulated within various disciplines, there are certain knowledge gaps related to perceived unsafety in older age. What perceived reasons for feeling unsafe are the most central to older adults? Can emotion regulation strengthen or buffer the negative effects of perceived unsafety on the well-being of older people? What differences exist among older adults regarding why they feel unsafe? This dissertation aimed to address these questions while investigating perceived unsafety and its associations with well-being in the context of ageing, focusing on senior apartment residents. This dissertation adopted an interdisciplinary approach integrating knowledge of perceived unsafety from psychology, gerontology, and criminology. The findings suggest that perceived unsafety in advanced age is a multifaceted phenomenon. Specifically, perceived unsafety could be explained by different perceived reasons (i.e., fear of crime, unattractive social climate in the neighbourhood, and inconvenient infrastructure at home; Study I). Furthermore, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies were associated with fear of crime and strengthened its negative association with life satisfaction (Study II). Moreover, distinct profiles of older adults could be identified based on compromises in their key life domains. Older adults belonging to different profiles differed in their perceived unsafety and well-being (Study III). Overall, this dissertation findings indicate that feeling unsafe is associated with being less satisfied with life, experiencing more anxiety and depressive feelings, and relying on more maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Therefore, safety-promotion efforts are considered an important investment in the quality of life of older adults living in senior apartments.Att känna sig trygg i sin boendemiljö är en förutsättning för välmående hos äldre som åldras i hemmet. Motsatsen, upplevelsen av otrygghet, kan däremot inverka negativt under åldrandet. Trots att olika vetenskapliga discipliner har bidragit med betydelsefull kunskap om äldres otrygghet finns fortfarande ett antal kunskapsluckor inom forskningsfältet. Vilka centrala orsaker till otrygghet uppger äldre? Kan känsloreglering stärka eller buffra negativa effekter av upplevd otrygghet på äldres välmående? Vilka skillnader finns bland äldre när det gäller orsaker till upplevd otrygghet? Syftet med denna avhandling var att undersöka upplevd otrygghet och dess samband med välmående i relation till åldrande bland äldre i seniorboenden. Avhandlingen har en tvärvetenskaplig utgångspunkt och integrerar kunskap om upplevd otrygghet från psykologi, gerontologi och kriminologi. Resultaten tyder på att äldres upplevda otrygghet är ett mångfacetterat fenomen. Flera olika förklaringar framträdde till varför äldre upplever otrygghet, närmare bestämt rädsla för brott, oattraktivt socialt klimat i bostadsområdet och bristfällig infrastruktur i hemmet (Studie I). Vidare framkom att maladaptiva kognitiva känsloregleringsstrategier var kopplade till rädsla för brott, och förstärkte sambandet med bristande livstillfredsställelse (Studie II). Vidare kunde ett antal distinkta profiler av äldre identifieras, baserade på sårbarhetsfaktorer inom viktiga livsområden. Profilerna skiljde sig åt gällande upplevd otrygghet och välmående (Studie III). Sammantaget indikerar denna avhandling att upplevd otrygghet är förknippat med lägre livstillfredsställelse, ökad ångest och depressiva symptom och att i högre utsträckning förlita sig på maladaptiva känsloregleringsstrategier. Trygghetsfrämjande insatser kan således anses vara en viktig satsning för att öka livskvaliteten hos äldre i seniorboenden

Attachment to God, depression and loss in late life: A longitudinal study

Prior research shows that being anxiously and avoidantly attached to God is associated with psychologically problematic outcomes including depressive feelings. However, a clear understanding of how these insecure attachments to God are associated with depressive feelings is still missing. Therefore, a longitudinal study among 329 nursing home residents aged 65–99 was set up to investigate the prospective relation between anxious and avoidant attachment to God and the experience of depressive feelings, as well as whether this relation is moderated by a loss experience. That is, the loss of close relatives can be particularly stressful in late life, challenging existing attachment relationships and placing older adults at risk for depression. Results confirm that insecure attachments to God are distinctly related to depressive feelings, but that this relation is not moderated by a loss experience. Our results also show that depressive feelings predicts attachment to God, instead of the other way around.status: publishe

TiMe-project

Mixed method cross-sectional project focusing on meaning in life, future time perspective, and possible correlate

Attachment to God, depression and loss in late life: A longitudinal study

Prior research shows that being anxiously and avoidantly attached to God is associated with psychologically problematic outcomes including depressive feelings. However, a clear understanding of how these insecure attachments to God are associated with depressive feelings is still missing. Therefore, a longitudinal study among 329 nursing home residents aged 65–99 was set up to investigate the prospective relation between anxious and avoidant attachment to God and the experience of depressive feelings, as well as whether this relation is moderated by a loss experience. That is, the loss of close relatives can be particularly stressful in late life, challenging existing attachment relationships and placing older adults at risk for depression. Results confirm that insecure attachments to God are distinctly related to depressive feelings, but that this relation is not moderated by a loss experience. Our results also show that depressive feelings predicts attachment to God, instead of the other way around.status: publishe

Understanding Work Ability in Employees with Pain and Stress-Related Ill-Health : An Explorative Network Analysis of Individual Characteristics and Psychosocial Work Environment

Purpose: There is a wide range of individual and work environment factors that influence work ability among workers with pain and stress-related ill-health. The multiple interactions and overlap between these factors are insufficiently understood, and a network approach could mitigate limitations of previous research. This pilot study aimed to explore interactions between individual characteristics and psychosocial work environment and potential links to long-term work ability. Methods: Prospective data from a prevention project was used. Individuals (N = 147) with pain and/or stress-related ill-health (95% women) at public sector workplaces filled out baseline questionnaires about a collection of individual and work environment factors, which were used for constructing undirected networks. The model was run in three subsamples of workplaces. Finally, a separate model was established with work ability at 6-month follow-up as outcome variable. A shortest pathway analysis was calculated to identify mediators of work ability. Results: Symptom catastrophizing and perceived stress were the most influential factors in all network models. Symptom catastrophizing and pain-disability risk were found to mediate the relation between perceived stress and long-term work ability. Further, demand-control-support factors were interrelated, and patterns of interaction differed between different types of workplaces. Conclusion: The findings support the importance of individual factors, specifically symptom catastrophizing in an individual’s coping with pain or stress-problems and its influence on long-term work ability. Catastrophizing might play a role in stress-related disorders which should be further investigated. Individual and work environment factors interact and vary across context, which needs to be taken into consideration to prevent pain and stress-related ill-health at work.