How Tough Times Become Good Times: Studies on socioeconomic inequality, resilience, and successful aging

Huisman, M. [Promotor]Deeg, D.J.H. [Promotor

Capturing the diversity of successful aging: an operational definition based on 16-year trajectories of functioning

Purpose of the Study: To determine the prevalence and extent of successful aging (SA) when various suggestions proposed in the previous literature for improving models of SA are incorporated into one holistic operational definition. These suggestions include defining and measuring SA as a developmental process, including subjective indicators alongside more objective ones, and expressing SA on a continuum. Design and Methods: Data were used from 2,241 respondents in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a multidisciplinary study in a nationally representative sample of older adults in the Netherlands. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify successful 16-year trajectories within nine indicators of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. SA was quantified as the number of indicators in which individual respondents showed successful trajectories (range 0-9). Results: Successful trajectories were characterized by stability, limited decline, or even improvement of functioning over time. Of the respondents, 39.6% of men and 29.3% of women were successful in at least seven indicators; 7% of men and 11% of women were successful in less than three indicators. Proportions of successful respondents were largest in life satisfaction (>85%) and smallest in social activity (<25%). Correlations of success between separate indicators were low to moderate (range r = .02-.37). Implications: Many older adults age relatively successfully, but the character of successful functioning over time varies between indicators, and the combinations of successful indicators vary between individuals

The effects of life events and socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood on successful aging

Objectives: Building on social stress theory, this study has 2 aims. First, we aim to estimate the effects of stressful life events in childhood and adulthood on Successful Aging (SA). Second, we examine how unequal exposure to such life events between individuals with different socioeconomic position (SEP) contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in SA. Method: We used 16-year longitudinal data from 2,185 respondents aged 55-85 years in 1992 in the Dutch nationally representative Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Measurement of SA was based on earlier work, in which we integrated trajectories in 9 indicators of functioning into an index of SA. Using path analysis, we investigated direct and indirect effects of parental and adulthood SEP as well as of self-reported childhood and adulthood life events on SA. Results: Almost all included life events had negative direct effects on SA. Parental SEP had no direct effect on SA, whereas adulthood SEP had. Higher Parental SEP increased the likelihood of parental problems and parental death in childhood, resulting in negative indirect effects on SA. Higher adulthood SEP had both positive and negative indirect effects on SA, through increasing the likelihood of divorce and unemployment, but decreasing the likelihood of occupational disability. Discussion: SEP and particular stressful life events are largely, but not entirely independent predictors of SA. We found that high and low SEP may increase exposure to particular events that negatively affect SA. Findings suggest that low (childhood) SEP and stressful life events are interrelated factors that may limit individual opportunities to age successfully

Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination: A comparison between persons with different chronicity of pre-pandemic depressive, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorders

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

The impact of conscientiousness, mastery, and work circumstances on subsequent absenteeism in employees with and without affective disorders

Background High numbers of employees are coping with affective disorders. At the same time, ambitiousness, achievement striving and a strong sense of personal control and responsibility are personality characteristics that are nowadays regarded as key to good work functioning, whereas social work circumstances tend to be neglected. However, it is largely unkown how personality characteristics and work circumstances affect work functioning when facing an affective disorder. Given the high burden of affective disorders on occupational health, we investigate these issues in the context of affective disorders and absenteeism from work. The principal aim of this paper is to examine whether particular personality characteristics that reflect self-governance (conscientiousness and mastery) and work circumstances (demands, control, support) influence the impact of affective disorders on long-term absenteeism (>10 working days). Methods Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from 1249 participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) in 2004–2006 was employed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, including interaction effects between depressive, anxiety, and comorbid disorders and personality and work circumstances. Results In general, mastery and conscientiousness increased nor diminished odds of subsequent long-term absenteeism, whereas higher job support significantly decreased these odds. Interaction effects showed that the impact of affective disorders on absenteeism was stronger for highly conscientious employees and for employees who experienced high job demands. Conclusions Affective disorders may particularly severely affect work functioning of employees who are highly conscientious or face high psychological job demands. Adjusting working conditions to their individual needs may prevent excessive work absence