低龄老人的精神养老

Diverse possibilities for using Group Spiritual Direction, as taught by Rose Mary Dougherty at Shalem Institute, illustrate ways in which advanced spiritual practices can be introduced to spiritual seekers at many different levels. Group Spiritual Direction can be a core growth process for spiritual directors, clergy, and seekers of deep spiritual community. However, in somewhat modified format, this gem of a spiritual process can offer depth community to church groups, enhance retreats, connect leadership groups in community, provide a depth-formation process for mentor groups, and even be used in family settings with young and old.

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In this work, attention is paid to 2 explanatory factors of successful aging. The first is material deprivation. There is growing evidence that poverty is associated with the onset of physical and mental disorders and, broadly, with aspects such as life satisfaction and happiness. The second factor is social deprivation. Social exclusion affects health due to lack of emotional and concrete support; moreover, participation in social activities among older people is associated with greater longevity and a lower risk of disability. The study describes the effect of material and social deprivation on depression (measured through the EURO-D scale) and quality of life (through CASP-12 scale), for individuals aged 50 and older in 14 European countries. Data is derived from Wave 5 of the SHARE project. To estimate the effect of material and social deprivation on outcomes and to determine whether it is moderated by the country in which people live, we apply 2 multi-group path models, respectively, for people aged 65 or younger and for those aged 66 years or older. Findings indicate that higher material and social deprivation is associated with greater levels of stress and worse quality of life. The effect of social deprivation would be stronger than that of material deprivation, and this result seems to be valid in all countries considered, although their intensity varies significantly between them.

Purpose As population aging accelerates globally, understanding the multifaceted needs of elderly individuals has become increasingly crucial. This paper aims to bridge significant research gaps in elderly well-being, particularly in the Indian context, by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review. While existing studies on aging primarily emphasize financial aspects like pensions and health insurance, this review identifies other essential yet underexplored dimensions impacting elderly well-being, such as emotional support, social connections, financial security beyond traditional income sources and spiritual well-being. Design/methodology/approach The data methodology for this paper involves a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The authors identified recurring themes, research gaps and emerging areas within the literature through thematic analysis. The combined insights from the bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review inform the development of a research agenda. Findings The findings of this study suggest that family and social support play an integral role in reducing loneliness, anxiety and depression among the elderly. However, urbanization and migration trends are diminishing traditional support structures. Financial security remains a concern, as many elderly individuals lack access to financial literacy resources and emergency funds, impacting their confidence and autonomy. Additionally, spiritual practices, which have shown positive correlations with mental health and cognitive function, are rarely incorporated into existing health-care programs for the elderly. Originality/value This paper provides several policy recommendations, advocating for integrating community-based social programs, financial literacy initiatives and culturally sensitive spiritual support in elderly care frameworks. These measures foster the aging population’s emotional resilience, financial independence and holistic health. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of future research focusing on specific subgroups within the elderly population, including differences by geographic location, educational background and socio-economic status. Ultimately, this research supports the development of inclusive and sustainable policies that promote health, independence and quality of life for the aging population.

Objective At present, urban community aging has become a new way to solve aging problem and has made outstanding contributions to alleviate current aging dilemma. However, there are still deficiencies in the services provided by this new method of community-based elderly care for the elderly who are left alone. Therefore, this paper explores the problems of government policies, facilities and services for the elderly who have lost their independence, analyzes the reasons behind them, and proposes countermeasures. Method This paper introduces and compares the government's current services for the elderly who are left alone in the city at the level of community-based elderly care services. From the existing literature, we find that most researchers have studied the single-parent family as an individual, exploring its elderly care dilemma, analyzing the causes and proposing countermeasures. It introduces and summarizes the situation of the elderly left alone in Taiyuan, the government's policies on the elderly left alone and community elderly care, the current community elderly care construction in Taiyuan, and the service models provided by the government. Results/Discussion This paper provides a detailed description and in-depth analysis of the lack of elderly care protection in communities, and analyzes the underlying causes. Activity theory suggests that even though older people are no longer in the same mental state as younger people, they can still enhance their self-worth through active participation in social activities and gain a sense of social identity through social activities. The services provided by social organizations are typical services purchased by the Health and Welfare Commission for the elderly who are left alone, and it is feasible to gradually extend the services to provide more specialized community-based elderly care services for the elderly who are left alone. Therefore, this study takes the use of services provided by social organizations as an example to understand the current situation of services received and used by the elderly who are left alone, and concludes that the services are weakly accessible, and finally proposes suggestions to improve the accessibility of services in three aspects: supply, delivery, and use.

Background Mental health is an important fundamental element of health that influences different dimensions of an older individual’s life. There are various factors that affect the mental health of older adults, such as resilience and social support. However, the relationship between various factors and mental health is unclear. Purposes of the study were to investigates whether resilience and social support affect the mental health of older adults and to analyze the structural equation model of mental health among the older adults with resilience as a mediating variable. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 964 older adults by multi-stage random sampling. The data were collected using the following questionnaires: Thai Elderly Resilience Scale, Social Support Scale, and Thai Geriatric Mental Health Assessment. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and Path analysis. Results The older adults had a high level of resilience, social support, and mental health (MH). The best model we obtained demonstrated that social support and resilience had directly statistically significant influences the MH. Social support also had statistically significant indirect effect via resilience to the MH. Conclusion Understanding the factors that influence mental health of older adults can be beneficial for health professionals to provide appropriate social support and resilience, including helping the older adult can join with others, be confident in life, have necessities, live with spiritual security, and be able to de-stress and management problems were recommended.

Objective : This study aimed to compare predictors of depression between young-old adults (aged 65-74) and old-old adults (aged 75 and older), focusing on functional status, digital literacy, participation in social activities, and subjective satisfaction, and to identify the need for age-specific mental health management strategies. Methods : This study utilized raw data from the 2023 Korean National Survey on Older Adults. A total of 3,385 young-old and 2,015 old-old adults were included. Variables such as depression, functional status (ADL, IADL), digital literacy, social activity participation, and subjective satisfaction were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted separately for each age group. Results : In both groups, lower instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scores and lower satisfaction with health and overall life were common predictors of depression. Among the young-old adults, kiosk usage ability and senior center participation reduced the risk of depression, whereas chewing difficulties increased the risk. Among the old-old adults, satisfaction with economic status and spousal relationship served as protective factors, while mobility limitations and experience of watching videos were associated with higher depression risk. Conclusion : There were significant differences in predictors of depression between young-old and old-old adults. Age-specific strategies are required for effective depression prevention and management among older adults. For the young-old, promoting social participation and enhancing practical digital skills are essential, while for the old-old, strengthening economic and emotional support and maintaining mobility are crucial.

This study focused on the issue of elderly suicide as South Korea has entered a super-aged society due to the rapid increase in the elderly population. Using the Seoul Senior Survey (2nd dataset), the study examined the current state of elderly suicide and analyzed the factors influencing suicidal ideation among the elderly. The analysis classified the variables into individual psychological factors (life satisfaction, sense of isolation), social factors (use of digital electronic devices), and social support factors to identify their effects on suicidal ideation. The results revealed that, among sociodemographic characteristics, the young-old group (aged 65–69) showed a higher level of suicidal ideation than the old-old group. Among individual psychological factors, life satisfaction (–) and isolation (+) had significant effects on suicidal ideation; in other words, lower life satisfaction and higher isolation were associated with higher suicidal ideation. Social factors (–) also showed a significant effect, indicating that those who did not use electronic devices were more likely to experience suicidal ideation. In contrast, social support factors were not found to have a significant effect. These findings suggest that not merely the presence of someone who can provide help, but the actual quality, frequency, and emotional depth of supportive relationships may be more important in reducing suicidal ideation. This study is meaningful in that it empirically verified the factors influencing suicidal ideation among the elderly and approached the issue from a multidimensional perspective. However, since the analysis was based on secondary data from elderly residents in Seoul, the generalizability of the results is limited. Based on these findings, the study discusses policy intervention strategies for elderly suicide prevention and suggests the need for future research considering regional characteristics and levels of social support.

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Abstract Objectives Research has highlighted under-utilisation of mental health services by older adults. This review aims to systematically review existing literature on older adults’ experiences of accessing community mental health support from secondary care services. The review aims to develop recommendations to improve the mental health support older adults receive. Method A comprehensive systematic search was conducted across four databases. Terms relating to older adult experiences and factors impacting access to secondary mental health community services were included. Nineteen eligible papers were identified. Data were thematically synthesised. Results Four analytical themes and 12 descriptive subthemes were identified. Overarching themes included social influences and service factors which impacted engagement and accessibility, and personal factors. Sub-themes included mental health knowledge and beliefs, the impact of past experiences and social factors including discrimination and support. Help-seeking behaviours were influenced by accessibility of services, service support and clinician factors. Conclusion Educational initiatives can help to increase mental health knowledge of older adults and their families allowing for improved access to services. Increased training for clinicians can improve referral processes and enable services to adapt to the unique needs of older adults. Studies reviewed were worldwide and reflected a range of views supporting relevance of outcomes globally.

The article presents the results of an analytical review of modern publications and an empirical study of life satisfaction among women and men of elderly and senile age. The problems of studying life satisfaction and psychological well-being among older respondents, related to the formation of gender-balanced samples and the selection of adequate instruments, are noted. The results of studies of the examined characteristics in women and men, as well as in representatives of different age groups, are demonstrated. Unique factors of psychological well-being in different samples are shown. Elderly respondents noted a greater importance of health, prosperity and peace in the family, a positive attitude towards themselves and others, as well as spirituality, compared to younger respondents who were more focused on self-development and activity. A distinctive feature of this work is the comparison of the results in two groups equalized by age, level of education, professional and family status, which included 36 women and 36 men aged from 64 to 89 years. When comparing the results of these groups, differences were found only in emotional support and self-esteem of character. Life satisfaction in old and senile age does not differ between men and women, but it is associated with different variables. For women, the indicators that reflect the success of social interaction — emotional and instrumental support and self-esteem of character are the most important. Self-esteem of appearance at this age is not a resource for life satisfaction. Life satisfaction among older men is related to their self-esteem and does not differ depending on social support or sociotropy/self-sufficiency, nor on involvement in family interactions. The question is raised about the effectiveness of using the Differential Loneliness Questionnaire in this age group.

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The rapid increase in the global aging population presents significant psychosocial and economic challenges, especially in underdeveloped nations. This study examines the experiences of elderly retired government employees (65+) in Debre Tabor Metropolitan City, Ethiopia, using a qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological approach. Structured interviews with 15 participants revealed key issues affecting their well‐being. Findings show severe isolation and loneliness, with many feeling abandoned by their families and society. Emotional distress is common, with some expressing a desire for death due to neglect and a perceived loss of purpose. Financial instability worsens their hardships, as rising inflation and inadequate pensions make necessities unaffordable. Social marginalization and economic struggles lead to declining mental and physical health, increasing vulnerability. Elder abuse is a major concern, with many experiencing neglect, psychological distress, and a lack of respect from younger generations. Malnutrition further impacts their quality of life. The study emphasizes the need for stronger social support, policy reforms, and economic measures to protect elderly individuals. Recommendations include strengthening intergenerational relationships, revising pension policies, improving healthcare access, and implementing social programs to enhance community integration and support.

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PurposeThis research aims to analyze the primary social factors influencing the mental health and happiness of older adults. Specifically, the paper identifies the elements of social influences on the psychological well-being of elderly individuals.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a quantitative research methodology, survey data were collected to examine the psychological well-being of older adults, utilizing SPSS software version 28.0 for data analysis.FindingsPsychological well-being in the elderly is intricately linked to personal, cognitive, emotional and social aspects. Seniors experiencing reduced loneliness, ample communication opportunities, active social engagement and living with family members demonstrate higher levels of psychological well-being. Surprisingly, details of daily activities in senior age showed little impact on psychological well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThe research results may lack generalizability due to the chosen approach, prompting a need for further testing of proposed propositions.Originality/valueThis study fulfills an identified need to explore how psychological well-being is established in an elderly society, shedding light on critical social determinants.

Objective: The study aimed to assess the psychological well-being of older people in Bangladesh. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 selected participants using convenience sampling. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. After data collection, it was analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: it was found that the mean age of the participants was 67.52 years (SD=6.21), and higher-aged people had lower scores of psychological well-being. There were statistically significant correlations with age, family income, family members, duration of illness and Number of hospital admissions. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study will enhance older people's excellence and productivity by boosting their psychological well-being. These findings open up opportunities for studies on how psychological interventions can improve psychological well-being, ease the burden and stigma associated with sickness, and facilitate early recovery from any illness.

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Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify impacts of low income seniors’ social participation on social isolation and psychological happiness. Methods To this end, a structural equation model and mediation effect analysis were conducted using SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 28.0 on survey data collected from 226 low-income elderly residents in W City, Gangwon Province. Results The research results based on the research hypothesis are as follows. first, hypothesis 1 that social participation would have an impact on psychological happiness was adopted. Second, hypothesis 2 that social participation would have an impact on social isolation was also adopted. Third, hypothesis 3 that social isolation would have an impact on psychological happiness was adopted as well. Fourth, hypothesis 4 that social participation mediating social isolation would have an impact on psychological happiness was adopted. Conclusions The research results are significant that the research emphasized importance of social participation to reduce low income seniors’ social isolation and to enhance their psychological happiness.

Aging is a developmental issue just like any other stage of human life-span. Everyone is expected to grow old except sudden death occurs. Therefore, as aging manifests, one is not expected to be strong and agile as before. Due to such changes, one may grow old with a lot of worries, tension, distress and stress. This study investigated relationship between social support and psychological well-being among the elderly persons in terms of their age, marital status and their income in Oyo State. Stratified probability sampling was employed to obtain representative of retirees totaling 330 samples. Perceived Social Support (r = 0.86) and Adapted Oxford Happiness (r = 0.91) scales were used to collect data. The inferential statistics of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the data. There was a significant difference in the perceived social support and psychological well-being of older persons on the basis of age {F(3,326) = 8.976}. Also, significant difference was established in the perceived social support and the psychological well-being of the elderly persons on the basis of marital status {F(2,327) = 10.254} and, a significant difference was confirmed in the perceived social support of the elderly persons on the basis of educational level {F(3,326) = 7.653}. Pathways were recommended for experts in home management, home economics, policy makers and researchers to support the elderly persons whose health conditions are fragile.

Background Social isolation and loneliness can be detrimental to the overall functioning of the older adults. The study examines the impact of social isolation and loneliness on the psychological well-being of older adults residing in various old-age homes in India and investigates the mediating role of gender, marital status, and education level in the way social isolation and loneliness affect psychological well-being. Methods Data has been collected from 320 individuals aged sixty years or above. Data were collected using standardized measures like Lubben Social Network Scale- 6, revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and shortened version of psychological well-being scale by Ryff & Keyes (1995). Multivariate and mediation analysis were performed to understand the associations of social isolation and loneliness with psychological well-being. Results A statistically significant MANOVA effect was obtained for social isolation (F = 3.836, p < .01), and loneliness (F = 3.782, p < .01). Gender and education as independent factors were significantly associated with the psychological well-being of individuals. However, both gender and education did not mediate the impact of social isolation and loneliness on the psychological well-being of older adults. Further, marital status had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between social isolation, loneliness, and psychological well-being. Conclusions The findings of the study can be incorporated into measures aiming at alleviation of feelings of social isolation and loneliness among the elderly. Further, the findings can be used to design various intervention strategies aimed at the reduction of social isolation and loneliness among older adults and the restoration of their psychological well-being.

Mental health disorder risks of young and old age groups hold considerable importance for understanding present and future risk burdens. However, assessing mental health risks is significantly constrained by the influence of shared and age group-specific spatial processes and risk factors. Therefore, this study employed Bayesian shared component spatial modeling (BSCSM) to analyze mental health disorder data obtained from young (20–44 years) and old (65+ years) age groups in Toronto. BSCSM was employed to model the shared and age group-specific disorder risk and to identify hotspot areas. The unmeasured covariates, overdispersion, and latent spatial processes were adjusted using spatial and non-spatial random effect terms. The findings from BSCSM were finally compared with non-shared component modeling approaches. The results suggest that over 60% of variations in mental health disorder risk for both age groups could be explained by the shared component. The high-risk neighborhoods were mainly localized in southern and north-central Toronto for the young and old age groups. Deviance information criterion values suggested that models from BSCSM outperformed non-BSCSM models. BSCSM risk maps were also better at identifying high-risk areas. This work demonstrated that both shared and age group-specific risks are essential for assessing mental health disorder risk and devising targeted interventions.

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Social isolation and loneliness among the elderly have become significant global issues, negatively impacting their mental and physical health. With the advancement of technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, various potential solutions can be utilized to address these challenges. This study explores the possible involvement of AI in enhancing elderly social interactions, focusing on technologies that help them stay connected with family, friends, and their social environment. This research employs a qualitative approach, including a literature analysis of AI applications that can support elderly social interaction. The findings reveal that AI systems such as social robots, virtual assistants, and chatbot applications hold great potential in reducing loneliness and increasing social connectivity among the elderly. These technologies not only facilitate more frequent social interactions but also provide emotional and cognitive support, ultimately improving their quality of life. Although AI systems offer numerous benefits, challenges such as dependence on technology, initial resistance from the elderly, and limitations in non-verbal communication remain obstacles that need to be addressed. This study concludes that AI involvement in supporting elderly social interactions has great potential. However, its implementation must consider accessibility, comfort, and proper training to ensure its effectiveness in reducing social isolation.

As the global population continues to age, the number of the elderly significantly grows. The aging of the body, combined with the awareness of physical decline, can negatively affect the elderly's mental health[4]. The negative impacts on physical and mental health caused by loneliness and social isolation could increase the use of healthcare services, leading to burdens on the healthcare system[2]. The gradually decreasing potential support ratio also increases the pressure on society to provide care for the elderly[1]. This means that the problems of elderly care are becoming a growing challenge for the working-age population. Loneliness could be improved by interactions[2], and the emergence of large language models (LLMs) allows smart technologies to manage interactions. In the past, chatbots based on smart technology had limited levels of personalization and emotional interaction. However, achieving greater personalization requires collecting more user information, which can lead to privacy concerns[3]. This study uses a literature review approach to examine existing research in smart technologies from Universal Village's perspectives. We propose an elderly emotional support chatbot with emotional understanding and personalized memory management that can effectively mitigate LLM hallucination, enhance information security, and increase privacy protection. This could enhance elderly's mental health and improve the quality of life, reducing the burden on family caregivers and the healthcare system.

This study identified the direct effect of social support on depression and life satisfaction in the elderly and the mediating effect on life satisfaction through depression. The subjects of analysis were seniors aged 65 years or older, and the 6th year supplementary survey data and 7th year main survey data of the National Old Age Security Panel Data were used. The analysis method used Baron and Keney's analysis method for multiple regression analysis and mediation effect analysis, and then verified significance through the Sobel test. To summarize the research results, first, emotional support and material support were found to have a direct effect on depression. Second, emotional support, informational support, and material support had a direct effect on life satisfaction. Lastly, in social support, only emotional support was found to have a partial mediating effect on life satisfaction through depression. Based on the research results, policy and practical suggestions that can improve life satisfaction by alleviating depression by strengthening emotional support for the elderly were discussed.

Background: psychological alienation and Social support networks affect the elderly's meaning in life. Strong social connections provide emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging. Psychological alienation, which causes feelings of isolation and disengagement, might raise stress, depression, and life dissatisfaction in older people. Aim: The study aimed to compare the perceived meaning in life, psychological alienation and social support in community-dwelling and institutionalized elderly. Design: descriptive, comparative design was utilized. Sample: a purposive sample of 100 institutionalized and 100 community-dwelling elderly people was recruited. Sitting: institutionalized sample from three residential homes. Non-institutionalized sample was taken from the waiting areas of governmental banks and Egyptian post offices affiliated to Cairo governorate. Tools : Socio demographic Data Profile, Meaning in life Questionnaire, Dean’s alienation scale& Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support scale. Results: Statistically significant differences between community-dwelling elderly group and institutionalized elderly group regarding psychological alienation and social support. While there was no statistically significant difference between both groups regarding meaning in life. Social support was statistically significant correlated negatively with alienation and positively with meaning in life in both groups. Additionally negative correlation between alienation and meaning in life in community dwelling group was reported. However no statistically significant correlation was found between alienation and meaning in life among the institutionalized group. Conclusion: the institutionalized elderly individuals experienced higher levels of psychological alienation and lower levels of social support compared to the community-dwelling group. However, the two groups experienced the same level of perceived MIL. Recommendation more emphasis should focus on creating positive social support atmosphere and encouraging elderly to search for or maintain a meaningful life.

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In the context of transnational families, especially among the Indian diaspora, elderly parents often experience emotional isolation due to physical separation from their children. This study explores how digital communication technologies—such as video calls, messaging apps, and social media serve as tools of virtual caregiving, offering emotional support and a sense of connection. Using a narrative approach, this research analyzes the lived experiences of elderly parents left behind in India to understand how they perceive, engage with, and are impacted by these virtual interactions. The findings reveal that while digital communication mitigates loneliness and fosters emotional reassurance, it also exposes gaps in digital literacy and emotional fulfillment. This article argues that virtual caregiving, though not a substitute for physical presence, has become an essential component of modern eldercare in diasporic contexts.

Elderly conditions that experience various declines or deterioration of biological and psychological functions can affect mobility and social contact, one of which is loneliness. The elderly need a family to understand their condition, to be a good listener to meet their needs. This study aims to determine the relationship between family support and the level of loneliness in the elderly. This study was conducted at the Rw 2 Posyandu, Johar Baru Village, Jakarta, September 2024 - February 2025. The study used a cross-sectional design with a quantitative method with a sample of 72 elderly people. The data collection tool used a family support questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.881, meaning ‘acceptable reliability’, and the UCLA Loneliness Scare version 3 questionnaire. The results showed that the majority of elderly people had high emotional support 94.4%, high esteem support 79.2%, high instrumental support 94.4%, high information support 93.1%, and high overall family support 94.4%. The level of loneliness for the elderly is high at 52.8%. There is a relationship between emotional support (p-value 0.040), appreciation support (p-value 0.001), instrumental support (p-value), and family support (p-value 0.040) and loneliness, but there is no relationship between information support and loneliness (p-value 0.109). Suggestions for elderly respondents are expected to maintain good relations with their families and continue to inform their families regarding the needs they need