Age as a Moderator of Health Outcomes and Trust in Physicians

Objectives: Patient trust in physicians is associated with patient satisfaction with healthcare, patients engaging in follow-up care, and positive health-related outcomes. The current study investigated whether age moderated the relation between trust in physicians and four health outcome variables, including patient satisfaction, doctor visits, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. Methods: 398 English-speaking, community-dwelling adults completed measures of physician trust and important health outcome variables via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results: Age significantly moderated relations between trust in physicians and hospital admissions, and trust in physicians and patient satisfaction, with both positive relations becoming stronger with increasing age. Discussion: The results highlight the need for a lifespan approach to the study of physician trust and related health outcomes. They offer an avenue for increasing physician trust, engagement with the healthcare system prior to the need for hospitalization, and the reduction of healthcare costs.

A Greater Variety of Social Activities Is Associated With Lower Mortality Risk

OBJECTIVES

More frequent engagement in social activity is often associated with better physical health outcomes. Yet, less is known about whether engagement in a greater variety of social activities such as a mix of volunteering and attending club meetings (social activity variety) is important for health. The current study assessed whether social activity variety relates to mortality risk after adjusting for social activity frequency, nonsocial activity frequency and variety, and sociodemographic covariates, and how this relationship varies depending on age.

METHODS

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we included 5,017 adults aged 51 and older who completed questions about social activity participation in 2008 and whose mortality status was recorded up to 2019. We also examined whether age moderated the relationship between social activity variety and mortality risk.

RESULTS

Cox proportional hazard model analyses revealed that those with higher activity variety in social activities were more likely to survive over the following 11 years than those with low social activity variety. Moreover, age moderation indicated that the association between social activity variety with mortality risk was stronger among the oldest adults.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that a greater variety of social activities is linked to mortality risk even after adjusting for social activity frequency, nonsocial activities, and health status across adulthood.

Personality traits and mediating pathways to mortality risk: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Personality traits have been regularly linked with all-cause mortality risk. However, what mechanisms may provide an indirect pathway from personality traits to mortality is unclear. We sought to systematically review the literature and provide an overview of the potential mechanisms that have been identified in the literature.

METHOD

Five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles) were searched from inception to January 27, 2023. From 611 studies initially identified, seven studies met the final inclusion criteria. These seven papers have a combined sample of 60,104 individuals (M = 8,585, SD = 14,600; range 957-44,094).

RESULTS

These papers found that several variables, such as smoking, inflammation biomarkers, blood pressure, and sleep, mediated the relationship between various personality traits and mortality. There was considerable variation in the impact of results across cohorts, even when looking at similar variables, and notable differences in methodological approaches and reporting were discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified a small pool of research looking at a range of indirect pathways (mediating variables). The review identified traits with well-established associations with mortality risk, such as neuroticism, do not have consistent findings in the mediation literature and a high level of variance in the degree to which mediators account for the personality-mortality relation between different cohorts. Despite these limitations, it is clear that examining indirect effects (mediation) has a crucial role to play in developing our understanding of the complex pathways that connect personality-mortality risk. We identify several avenues and considerations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors associated with transitions in tobacco product use states among young adults aged 18-29 years

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

This study examined young adults' tobacco use transitions based on their past 30-day use states, and identified factors associated with their transitions.

METHODS

Participants (N = 12377) were young adults aged 18-29 years at Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Self-reported tobacco use states were categorized by the number of past-month use days (0, 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-30 days) for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [e-cigarettes], traditional cigars, filtered cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco (SLT), and hookah. Multistate Markov models examined transitions between use states across Waves 1-5 of unweighted PATH data and multinomial logistic regressions examined predictors of transitions.

RESULTS

Most young adults remained nonusers across adjacent waves for all products (88%-99%). Collapsed across waves, transitioning from use at any level to nonuse (average 46%-67%) was more common than transitioning from nonuse to use at any level (average 4%-10%). Several factors that predicted riskier patterns of use (i.e., transitioning to use and/or remaining a user across adjacent waves) were similar across most products: male, Black, Hispanic, lower education levels, and lower harm perceptions. In contrast, other factors predicted riskier patterns for only select products (e.g., e-cigarette and SLT use among Whites).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Few sampled young adults escalated their tobacco use over time, and escalations for many products were predicted by similar factors.

SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

Prevention and regulatory efforts targeted towards adolescents should continue, but also be expanded into young adulthood. These same efforts should consider both shared and unique factors that influence use transitions.

Self-Acceptance and Purpose in Life Are Mechanisms Linking Adverse Childhood Experiences to Mortality Risk

OBJECTIVE

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased risk of premature mortality, but it is not clear why. Individuals with ACEs tend to have lower self-acceptance and purpose in life, which may be pathways between ACEs and risk of premature mortality. As such, we tested whether purpose and self-acceptance are mechanisms that link ACEs to mortality risk.

METHODS

We used the Midlife in the United States Survey ( N = 6218; mean [standard deviation] = 46.89 [12.94] years) to test whether these factors were indirect pathways between ACEs and mortality hazards over 24 years of follow-up. We used a comprehensive ACE measure that included 20 possible childhood adversities including emotional and physical abuse, household instability, socioeconomic climate, and ill health.

RESULTS

ACEs significantly increased mortality risk (hazard ratio = 1.028, 95% confidence interval = 1.008-1.047, p = .006). Self-acceptance and purpose accounted for an estimated 15% and 4% of the ACEs-mortality relation, respectively. These effects withstood a range of adjustments and sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEs may affect mortality risk partially through lower self-acceptance and purpose during adulthood. Given that self-acceptance and purpose may change through intervention, these factors may be useful targets for individuals with ACEs that could lead to a longer life.

U.S. College Students' Sexual Risk Behaviors Before and During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study describes changes in young adults' sexual behaviors during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Latent class growth analyses (LCGAs) conducted with four waves of data collected between July 2019 to May 2020 in N = 775 college students (Mage = 18.61, SD = 0.33; 50.3% female, 90.2% White) revealed the presence of high- and low-risk classes in separate models for oral, vaginal, and anal sexual risk taking. As anticipated, vaginal and oral risk taking declined in spring 2020. Membership in high-risk trajectories was attributable to high COVID-19-related financial problems, early sexual debut, low self-control, and being in a romantic relationship. Other COVID-19 factors and demographic control variables were not linked to trajectory membership. Thus, while many young adults' sexual risk taking changed during the early pandemic, their perceptions of and experiences with COVID-19 were not predictive of sexual risk trajectory membership.

Socioecological Predictors of Change in Adolescent Tobacco Use Across Waves 1-4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

BACKGROUND

Despite decreases in adolescents' cigarette use over the past decade, overall rates of adolescent tobacco use have increased. Research examining adolescents' changes across a range of tobacco products reflective of the current market, as well as multilevel predictors of use trajectories is needed.

METHODS

Data derive from Waves 1-4 (W1-4; 2013-2018) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Participants included 975 adolescents who used ≥1 tobacco product (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [ECIGs], traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, snus, smokeless tobacco [SLT], hookah) at any wave (W1 Mage = 13.29 [0.86], 54.2% male; 54.5% White, 25.9% Hispanic).

RESULTS

Utilizing latent growth curve modeling (separate models per product), adolescents displayed increases in their past 30-day use of all tobacco products from W1-4. Greater W1 use was predicted by identifying as non-Hispanic (cigarettes); lower parent education (SLT); greater externalizing problems (cigarillos); greater motives (all products except cigarillos); greater youth-reported household smoking rules (cigarillos); and greater isolation (ECIGs). More use across time (i.e., higher slope) was predicted by older age (cigarettes); identifying as male (ECIGs, SLT), Black (vs. White; cigarillos), White (vs. Black, Hispanic; ECIGs, SLT); fewer externalizing problems (SLT); fewer motives (ECIGs); fewer youth-reported rules (cigarillos, SLT); and greater geographic isolation (cigarettes, SLT).

DISCUSSION

Although some individual-level factors (i.e., motives, externalizing problems) predicted greater W1 use (i.e., intercept) only, interpersonal- (parent rules) and community-level (geographic isolation) factors were associated with changes in use over time (i.e., slope). Intervention efforts may address such factors to reduce adolescents' escalations in use.

Understanding the Intersectional Relationship of Pain Stigma, Weight Bias Internalization, and Clinical Indicators in a Rural Population with Back Pain: A Survey-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Stigma is understood to be intersectional, meaning multiple characteristics can be stigmatizing, and they may be both overlapping and coconstitutive. Chronic pain and overweight are common complaints in the spinal surgery clinic. Since being overweight may relate to back pain in a complex fashion, we sought to understand if there is a moderating effect between weight bias and pain stigma.

METHODS

This study involves a survey-based, quantitative, cross-sectional, observational design using previously validated measures and demographic and clinical information. There were 192 participants. Statistical calculations were done with statistical package for the social sciences.

RESULTS

Pain stigma was not significantly correlated with BMI (body mass index), and weight bias was not significantly correlated with back pain. There was a strong positive correlation between weight bias and pain stigma. There was a strong positive correlation between weight bias and BMI when pain stigma was also high.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the relationship between weight stigma and pain, the intersection of weight and pain stigma is important because it indicates the vulnerability of patients with higher BMI to other forms of stigma, such as stigma for their pain complaints. Clinicians should be mindful of expressing pain stigma more significantly amongst patients with higher BMI.

Transitions in risk-behavior profiles among first-year college students

ObjectiveThe current study utilized a longitudinal person-centered approach (latent transition analysis [LTA]) to assess transitions into and out of risk-behavior profiles during the transition into and throughout the first year of college. Participants: Participants included 579 first-year college students (Mage = 18.13, SD = .94) from a large mid-Atlantic university. Methods: Participants completed surveys at five points throughout their freshman year. Results: LTA suggested that most individuals either abstained from engaging in risk behaviors or transitioned toward profiles of less risk over time. A smaller portion of individuals either began and ended the year in the same risk profile or transitioned into profiles of greater risk. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of utilizing person-centered analyses to examine change in multiple health-risk behaviors.

Personality and health: Disentangling their between-person and within-person relationship in three longitudinal studies

Personality traits and physical health both change over the life span. Theoretical models and empirical evidence suggest that these changes are related. The current study investigated the dynamic relations between personality traits and physical health at both the between-person and the within-person levels. Data were drawn from three longitudinal studies: the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (NAS; N = 1,734), the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS; N = 13,559), and the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA, N = 2,209). Using random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) and the continuous time (CT) models, after controlling the between-person variance, generally, evidence was found for bidirectional associations between changes in neuroticism and extraversion and changes in self-rated health and general disease level. Bidirectional associations between changes in neuroticism and change in cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system diseases were observed only when time was modeled as continuous. We also found within-person associations between changes in neuroticism and extraversion and changes in performance-based ratings of motor functioning impairment. According to the current findings, the dynamic within-person relations between personality traits and health outcomes were largely in the direction consistent with their between-person connections, although the within-person relationships were substantially smaller in strength when compared their between-person counterparts. Findings from the current study highlight the importance of distinguishing between-person and within-person effects when examining the longitudinal relationship between personality traits and health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the question of financial incentives for training amongst non-adopters of MOUD in rural primary care

BACKGROUND

Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) includes administering medications such as buprenorphine or methadone, often with mental health services. MOUD has been shown to significantly improve outcomes and success of recovery from opioid use disorder. In WV, only 18% of providers including physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners are waivered, and 44% of non-waivered providers were not interested in free training even if compensated. This exploratory research seeks to understand intervention-related stigma in community-based primary care providers in rural West Virginia, determine whether financial incentives for training may be linked to levels of stigma, and what level of financial incentives would be required for non-adopters of MOUD services provision to obtain training.

METHOD

Survey questions were included in the West Virginia Practice-Based Research Network (WVPBRN) annual Collective Outreach & Research Engagement (CORE) Survey and delivered electronically to each practice site in WV. General demographic, staff attitudes and views on compensation for immersion training for delivering MOUD therapy in primary care offices were returned. Statistical analysis included logistic and multinomial logistic regression and an independent samples t-test.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 102 participants. Perceived stigma did significantly predict having a waiver with every 1-unit increase in stigma being associated with a 65% decreased odds of possessing a waiver for buprenorphine/MOUD (OR = 0.35; 95% CI  0.16-0.78, p = 0.01). Further, t-test analyses suggested there was a statistically significant mean difference in perceived stigma (t(100) = 2.78, p = 0.006) with those possessing a waiver (M = 1.56; SD = 0.51) having a significantly lower perceived stigma than those without a waiver (M = 1.92; SD = 0.57). There was no statistically significant association of stigma on whether someone with a waiver actually prescribed MOUD or not (OR = 0.28; 95% CI  0.04-2.27, p = 0.234).

CONCLUSION

This survey of rural primary care providers demonstrates that stigmatizing beliefs related to MOUD impact the desired financial incentive to complete a one-day immersion, and that currently unwaivered providers endorse more stigmatizing beliefs about MOUD when compared to currently waivered providers. Furthermore, providers who endorse stigmatizing beliefs with respect to MOUD require higher levels of compensation to consider such training.

Cross-lagged relationships between sense of purpose in life, memory performance, and subjective memory beliefs in adulthood over a 9-year interval

OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have found a positive association between having a sense of purpose in life and memory functioning in old age. We extend these findings by examining the relationships between sense of purpose, memory performance, and subjective memory beliefs over time in a large sample of adults in mid to later adulthood.

METHOD

We used data from 3633 participants of the second and third wave of the MIDUS study. Cross-lagged panel analysis investigated the relationships between the variables at the two points, which were approximately 9 years apart, while controlling for gender, age, education, positive and negative affect, and self-rated health.

RESULTS

Sense of purpose in life, memory performance, and subjective memory beliefs were all cross-sectionally related to each other at both times. Longitudinally, sense of purpose was a positive predictor of subjective memory beliefs. Memory performance and subjective memory beliefs positively predicted each other over time. Furthermore, all three variables showed correlated changes over time. Exploratory analyses suggest that the covariates of affect and self-rated health are possible mediators or confounders in respectively the relationship between subjective memory beliefs and later sense of purpose, and sense of purpose and later objective memory performance.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore once more the relevance of sense of purpose in life as a predictor of positive late life functioning, as it is related to both performance-based and subjective cognitive outcomes. More work is needed to understand mechanisms underlying the purpose-memory association in order to develop and implement purpose interventions.

Cumulative disadvantage as a framework for understanding rural tobacco use disparities

Traditional tobacco product (cigarettes and smokeless tobacco) and polytobacco use rates are significantly higher among rural adolescents and adults compared to their nonrural counterparts. Such disparities are due to several factors that promote tobacco use initiation and continuation, including individual-level psychopharmacological factors and structural-level factors such as fewer tobacco control efforts (e.g., fewer smoke-free policies and lower tobacco excise taxes), targeted tobacco marketing, less access to health-relevant resources, and more positive cultural norms surrounding tobacco use in rural communities. In this review, we use cumulative disadvantage theory as a framework for understanding how psychopharmacological and structural-level factors serve as drivers of tobacco use in rural areas. We start by describing how structural-level differences between rural-nonrural communities impact psychopharmacological influences and, when available, how these factors influence tobacco use. We conclude by discussing the interplay between factors, providing suggestions for ways to assess our application of cumulative disadvantage theory empirically and making recommendations for research and policy implementation in rural areas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Internalizing psychopathology and all-cause mortality: a comparison of transdiagnostic vs. diagnosis-based risk prediction

Previous studies have documented the utility of a transdiagnostic internalizing factor in predicting important future outcomes (e.g., subsequent mental disorder diagnoses). To date, however, no study has investigated whether an internalizing factor predicts mortality risk. Also, while pre-vious studies of mortality risk have emphasized its associations with particular internalizing disorders, no study has assessed how the transdiagnostic internalizing factor vs. disorder-specific variance differently predict that risk. The primary aims of this study were to explore: a) whether the internalizing factor predicts mortality risk, b) whether particular internalizing psychopathologies uniquely predict mortality risk over and beyond the transdiagnostic internalizing factor, and c) whether there is a significant interaction of internalizing with self-reported health in the prediction of mortality risk. We utilized a large national sample of American adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), a longitudinal study that examined midlife development of individuals across multiple waves between 1995 and 2015. Data were analyzed for the 6,329 participants who completed the phone interview and self-administered questionnaire in MIDUS 1 (1995-1996) and were then followed up until October 31, 2015 or until death. To investigate the association between internalizing and mortality risk, we used the semi-parametric proportional hazards Cox model, where survival time was regressed on a latent internalizing factor. Overall findings indicate that a transdiagnostic internalizing factor significantly predicts mortality risk over a 20-year period (hazard ratio, HR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.05-1.16, p<0.01) and that internalizing outperforms disorder-specific variance (e.g., depression-specific variance) in the prediction of that risk. Further, there was a significant interaction between transdiagnostic internalizing and self-reported health, whereby internalizing psychopathology had a specific association with early death for individuals with excellent self-reported health condition (HR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.17-1.84, p<0.05). This highlights the clinical utility of using the transdiagnostic internalizing factor for prediction of an important future outcome, and supports the argument that internalizing psychopathology can be a meaningful liability to explore in public health practice.

Personality Traits Predict Long-Term Physical Health via Affect Reactivity to Daily Stressors

Researchers hypothesize that how people react to daily stressful events partly explains the relationship between personality and health, yet no study has examined longitudinal associations between these factors. The current study focused on the role of negative affect reactivity to daily stressful events as a mediating pathway between personality and physical health outcomes using three waves of data spanning 20 years from a nationwide probability sample of 1,176 adults. Results indicated that negative affect reactivity partially mediated personality and physical health. Wave 1 neuroticism was associated with greater negative affect reactivity at Wave 2, which predicted the development of chronic conditions and functional limitations at Wave 3. Higher conscientiousness at Wave 1 was associated with less negative affect reactivity at Wave 2, which predicted better physical health at Wave 3. These findings highlight the usefulness of using a daily-stress framework for understanding how personality impacts health over time, which has important implications for stress management and disease prevention.

Personality pathways to mortality: Interleukin-6 links conscientiousness to mortality risk

Personality is associated consistently with mortality hazards, but the physiological pathways are not yet clear. Immune system dysregulation may be one such pathway due to its role in age-related morbidity and mortality. In this preregistered study, we tested whether interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) mediated the associations between personality traits and mortality hazards. The sample included 957 participants (M ± SD = 58.65 ± 11.51 years; range = 35-86 years) from the Midlife in the United States Survey that had 14 years of follow-up. Higher conscientiousness was associated with lower mortality hazards, with each one standard deviation higher conscientiousness associated with a 35% lower mortality risk. IL-6, but not CRP, partially mediated this association, with IL-6 accounting for 18% of this association in the fully adjusted model. While there was initial evidence that the biomarkers mediated both neuroticism and agreeableness and mortality risk, the indirect effects were not significant when controlling for the sociodemographic variables. Taken together, higher conscientiousness may lead to a longer life partially as a result of lower IL-6. This work highlights the importance of biological pathways that link personality to future mortality risk.

Associations Between Peer Use, Costs and Benefits, Self-Efficacy, and Adolescent E-cigarette Use

OBJECTIVE

Prior research identified peer use as a salient risk factor of adolescent electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, but has not expanded on the mechanisms of this association.

METHODS

Participants were 562 adolescents recruited from rural and suburban public high schools and an adolescent medicine clinic in the mid-Atlantic United States. Participants completed a packet of questionnaires that assessed demographics, substance use, expectations about the consequences of e-cigarette use, and perceptions of their own self-efficacy to resist using e-cigarettes. We estimated a series of mediation models using the MODEL INDIRECT command in MPLUS statistical software. In all models, significance of indirect effects from peer e-cigarette use to self-reported e-cigarette use were tested via two variables: (a) expected costs, (b) benefits of e-cigarette use, and (c) the perceived self-efficacy of the individual to refrain from e-cigarette use.

RESULTS

Adolescents with more peers using e-cigarettes were more likely to have ever used an e-cigarette and perceived greater benefits and fewer costs, which was associated with a reduced self-efficacy to refrain from e-cigarette smoking (Model 1). Those with more peers using e-cigarettes were more likely to be currently using e-cigarettes themselves because they perceived greater benefits and fewer costs, which was associated with a reduced self-efficacy to refrain from e-cigarette smoking (Model 2).

CONCLUSION

Peer use, self-efficacy to resist use, and expectations of cost and benefits of e-cigarette use should be considered as possible targets when devising tailored interventions and policies to prevent or reduce negative health consequences of long-term e-cigarette use.

Positive Affect Is Associated With Less Memory Decline: Evidence From a 9-Year Longitudinal Study

Memory decline is a concern for aging populations across the globe. Positive affect plays an important role in healthy aging, but its link with memory decline has remained unclear. In the present study, we examined associations between positive affect (i.e., feeling enthusiastic, attentive, proud, active) and memory (i.e., immediate and delayed recall), drawing from a 9-year longitudinal study of a national sample of 991 middle-age and older U.S. adults. Results revealed that positive affect was associated with less memory decline across 9 years when analyses controlled for age, gender, education, depression, negative affect, and extraversion. Findings generalized across another measure that assessed additional facets of positive affect, across different (but not all) facets of positive affect and memory, and across age, gender, and education; findings did not emerge for negative affect. Reverse longitudinal associations between memory and positive affect were not significant. Possible pathways linking positive affect and memory functioning are discussed.

Is Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Chronic Conditions? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis

Early investigations of the neuroticism by conscientiousness interaction with regards to health have been promising, but to date, there have been no systematic investigations of this interaction that account for the various personality measurement instruments, varying populations, or aspects of health. The current study - the second of three - uses a coordinated analysis approach to test the impact of the neuroticism by conscientiousness interaction on the prevalence and incidence of chronic conditions. Using 15 pre-existing longitudinal studies (N > 49,375), we found that conscientiousness did not moderate the relationship between neuroticism and having hypertension (OR = 1.00,95%CI[0.98,1.02]), diabetes (OR = 1.02[0.99,1.04]), or heart disease (OR = 0.99[0.97,1.01]). Similarly, we found that conscientiousness did not moderate the prospective relationship between neuroticism and onset of hypertension (OR = 0.98,[0.95,1.01]), diabetes (OR = 0.99[0.94,1.05]), or heart disease (OR = 0.98[0.94,1.03]). Heterogeneity of effect sizes was largely nonsignificant, with one exception, indicating that the effects are consistent between datasets. Overall, we conclude that there is no evidence that healthy neuroticism, operationalized as the conscientiousness by neuroticism interaction, buffers against chronic conditions.

Is Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Longevity? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis

Individual differences in the Big Five personality traits have emerged as predictors of health and longevity. Although there are robust protective effects for higher levels of conscientiousness, results are mixed for other personality traits. In particular, higher levels of neuroticism have significantly predicted an increased risk of mortality, no-risk at all, and even a reduced risk of dying. The current study hypothesizes that one potential reason for the discrepancy in these findings for neuroticism is that interactions among neuroticism and other key personality traits have largely been ignored. Thus, in the current study we focus on testing whether the personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness interact to predict mortality. Specifically, we borrow from recent evidence of "healthy neuroticism" to explore whether higher levels of neuroticism are only a risk factor for increased mortality risk when conscientiousness levels are low. We conducted a pre-registered integrative data analysis using 12 different cohort studies (total N = 44,702). Although a consistent pattern emerged of higher levels of conscientiousness predicting a reduced hazard of dying, neuroticism did not show a consistent pattern of prediction. Moreover, no study provided statistical evidence of a neuroticism by conscientiousness interaction. The current findings do not support the idea that the combination of high conscientiousness and high neuroticism can be protective for longevity. Future work is needed to explore different protective factors that may buffer the negative effects of higher levels of neuroticism on health, as well as other behaviors and outcomes that may support the construct of healthy neuroticism.

Trajectories of Big Five Personality Traits: A Coordinated Analysis of 16 Longitudinal Samples

This study assessed change in self-reported Big Five personality traits. We conducted a coordinated integrative data analysis using data from 16 longitudinal samples, comprising a total sample of over 60 000 participants. We coordinated models across multiple datasets and fit identical multi-level growth models to assess and compare the extent of trait change over time. Quadratic change was assessed in a subset of samples with four or more measurement occasions. Across studies, the linear trajectory models revealed declines in conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness. Non-linear models suggested late-life increases in neuroticism. Meta-analytic summaries indicated that the fixed effects of personality change are somewhat heterogeneous and that the variability in trait change is partially explained by sample age, country of origin, and personality measurement method. We also found mixed evidence for predictors of change, specifically for sex and baseline age. This study demonstrates the importance of coordinated conceptual replications for accelerating the accumulation of robust and reliable findings in the lifespan developmental psychological sciences.

Is Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Health Behaviors? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis

Current literature suggests that neuroticism is positively associated with maladaptive life choices, likelihood of disease, and mortality. However, recent research has identified circumstances under which neuroticism is associated with positive outcomes. The current project examined whether "healthy neuroticism", defined as the interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, was associated with the following health behaviors: smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Using a pre-registered multi-study coordinated integrative data analysis (IDA) approach, we investigated whether "healthy neuroticism" predicted the odds of engaging in each of the aforementioned activities. Each study estimated identical models, using the same covariates and data transformations, enabling optimal comparability of results. These results were then meta-analyzed in order to estimate an average (N-weighted) effect and to ascertain the extent of heterogeneity in the effects. Overall, these results suggest that neuroticism alone was not related to health behaviors, while individuals higher in conscientiousness were less likely to be smokers or drinkers, and more likely to engage in physical activity. In terms of the healthy neuroticism interaction of neuroticism and conscientiousness, significant interactions for smoking and physical activity suggest that the association between neuroticism and health behaviors was smaller among those high in conscientiousness. These findings lend credence to the idea that healthy neuroticism may be linked to certain health behaviors and that these effects are generalizable across several heterogeneous samples.

THE TRUTH ABOUT AGE DIFFERENCES IN PERFORMANCE ON VARYING LENGTHS OF LIKERT-TYPE TEST ITEMS

Guidelines for self-report assessment with older adults emphasize the use of shorter Likert-type or agree/disagree response formats to reduce cognitive load (e.g., Yesavage et al., 1983). However, these suggestions are not founded on empirical studies directly comparing younger and older adults’ responses on different scales. Thus, the current study tested differential responding on varying Likert-type response scale lengths between younger, middle-aged, and older adults. Participants completed three versions of the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Neuroticism scale with 3, 5, and 7 Likert-type response scale lengths in counterbalanced orders with other questionnaires between versions. Six multi-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) assessed measurement invariance across scale lengths and age groups. Invariance of convergent validity networks was also assessed with multi-group CFAs of the associations between the IPIP and measures of depression, anxiety, anger, worry, and affect. The final sample consisted of 835 adults (327 18-44; 279 45-64; and 229 65 or older) via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Measurement invariance was supported in analyses by age within each scale length and by scale length within each age group, indicating that response patterns across all scale lengths and age groups did not significantly differ. Analyses of convergent validity also supported invariance, suggesting that responses across all scale lengths and age groups reflect the same underlying construct. This study indicates that, among community-dwelling adults, shortened response scale lengths do not yield significantly different or more valid responses for older adults compared to younger adults.

CHILDHOOD MISFORTUNE PREDICTS LIFESPAN HEALTH INTO LATE ADULTHOOD

Childhood misfortune encompasses a diverse set of negative early life experiences that have damaging effects on lifespan development. We extended this topic by examining how early life misfortunes predicted changes in measures of physical functioning (FUNC) and body mass index (BMI) in adulthood (ages 25-75). We used 3-wave data (N = 6,000) from the Midlife Development in the U.S. study across 20 years. Unconditional latent growth curve models (adjusting for age, sex, education) suggested significant (p < .05) mean-level change and variability in change for FUNC (Int = 1.47; Slope = 0.24) and BMI (Int = 26.71; Slope = 0.90). Higher levels of childhood misfortune (e.g., abuse, financial strain) significantly predicted worse FUNC (Int = 0.05; Slope = 0.02) and higher BMIs (Int = 0.24; Slope = 0.07) at baseline and steeper increases over time. Findings underscore the need to address adult health problems that emerge much earlier in life.

Cigarette smoking duration mediates the association between future thinking and norepinephrine level

Fixating on the present moment rather than considering future consequences of behavior is considered to be a hallmark of drug addiction. As an example, cigarette smokers devalue delayed consequences to a greater extent than nonsmokers, and former smokers devalue delayed consequences more than nonsmokers, but less than current smokers. Further, cigarette smokers have higher norepinephrine levels than nonsmokers, which is indicative of poor future health outcomes. It is unclear how duration of cigarette smoking may impact these associations. The current secondary analysis of publicly available data investigated whether extent of future thinking is associated with smoking duration, as well as norepinephrine level, in a large national US sample (N = 985) of current, former, and never smokers. Individuals scoring lower on future thinking tended to smoke for longer durations and had higher norepinephrine levels relative to individuals scoring higher on future thinking. In addition, duration of cigarette abstinence interacted significantly with future thinking and smoking duration for former smokers. Specifically, the mediation relationship between future thinking, smoking duration, and norepinephrine level for former smokers was strongest at shorter durations of cigarette abstinence and decreased as a function of increasing duration of cigarette abstinence. Overall, results from this study suggest the potential importance of implementing smoking cessation treatments as early as possible for smokers and support future thinking as a potential therapeutic target for smoking cessation treatment.

Parental warmth during childhood predicts coping and well-being in adulthood

Numerous studies have shown that early life experiences can affect well-being later in life. Additionally, previous literature has emphasized the importance of exploring the role of mediators in developmental research (e.g., coping strategies). The present study used 3 waves of longitudinal data across 20 years from the national survey Midlife Development in the United States (N = 2,088) to examine the link between retrospectively reported parental warmth and well-being in adulthood by exploring 2 categories of coping strategies (emotion- and problem-focused strategies) as possible mediators. Three cross-lagged panel models, exhibiting good fit, were conducted in Mplus. Significant indirect effects were found where both negative and positive affect (Time 2) partially mediated the association between perceived parental warmth (Time 1) and emotion-focused coping (Time 3). Further, evidence for bidirectional effects were shown by the observed significant indirect effects of problem-focused coping (Time 2) partially explaining the association between perceived parental warmth (Time 1) and eudaimonic well-being (Time 3) as well as eudaimonic well-being (Time 2) partially explaining the link between parental warmth (Time 1) and problem-focused coping (Time 3). These findings suggest that it is important to consider early life experiences when examining both well-being and coping during adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record

Sense of Purpose Moderates the Associations Between Daily Stressors and Daily Well-being

Background

Having a sense of purpose in life has been consistently demonstrated as a predictor of positive health outcomes, including less perceived stress, yet, little is known about the role of sense of purpose on stressful days.

Purpose

The current study investigated the sense of purpose as a moderator of stressor-related changes in daily physical symptoms, positive affect, and negative affect.

Methods

A subset of the Midlife in the United States study (n = 1949, mage: 56.4 years) reported their sense of purpose, along with up to eight daily assessments of stressors, affect, and physical symptoms. Multilevel models evaluated whether sense of purpose was associated with deviations in affect or physical symptom reporting on days when participants reported a stressor versus days when stressors did not occur.

Results

Sense of purpose was associated with higher daily positive affect, lower daily negative affect, and fewer daily physical symptoms. Compared with individuals who reported lower levels of purpose, those reporting higher levels encountered the same number of daily stressors, yet showed less of an increase in negative affect and physical symptoms on stressor days than on stressor-free days. Purpose did not predict changes in positive affect in response to daily stressors.

Conclusions

Findings provide evidence that a purposeful life may be characterized by lower negative affect and physical symptom reporting on stressful days.

Childhood Misfortune, Personality, and Heart Attack: Does Personality Mediate Risk of Myocardial Infarction?

Objective

Previous research has revealed a link between childhood experiences and adult health, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less clear. To elucidate this relationship, we investigated the pathway from childhood misfortune to nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) via individual differences in personality.

Method

Longitudinal data were drawn from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, which sampled 3,032 men and women aged 25-74 years at baseline. Big 5 personality traits and multiple measures of childhood misfortune were used to assess whether personality mediated the effect of childhood misfortune on MI risk.

Results

A series of proportional hazards models revealed that neuroticism mediated the effect of additive childhood misfortune on adult MI risk.

Discussion

Childhood misfortune may be formative in the development of personality, which, subsequently, can be consequential to health. These findings highlight the salient roles of early-life experiences and personality to shape health and aging.

Physical activity mediates the association between personality and biomarkers of inflammation

Objectives:

The current study investigated whether personality traits and facets were associated with interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen, and whether physical activity mediated the relationship between personality and biomarkers of inflammation.

Methods:

Personality was assessed in the Midlife Development in the United States study using the Multi-Dimensional Personality Questionnaire and Midlife Development Inventory personality scale. Data were included from 960 participants (mean age = 57.86 years, standard deviation = 11.46). Personality was assessed from 2004 to 2009. Serum levels of interleukin-6, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein were assessed in 2005–2009 as part of the Midlife Development in the United States biomarkers subproject.

Results:

Lower neuroticism was associated with elevated interleukin-6, and achievement was associated with lower fibrinogen. Higher physical activity was associated with lower interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Mediation models suggested that physical activity mediated the associations between achievement and both interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein.

Discussion:

Physical activity is an important factor in the Health Behavior Model of personality and explains some of the associations between personality and inflammation. These findings contribute to the fields of aging and health by linking individual difference factors to markers of inflammation, and showing that these processes may function partially through specific behaviors, in this case physical activity.

Affective reactivity to daily stress and 20-year mortality risk in adults with chronic illness: Findings from the National Study of Daily Experiences

OBJECTIVE

Daily stress processes have been previously linked to health-related outcomes, but implications for longevity remain unclear. The present study examined whether daily stress exposure and/or affective responses to daily stressors predicted mortality risk over a 20-year period. Based on the hypothesis that chronic illness confers vulnerability to deleterious effects of stress, we also examined whether its presence accentuated the association between daily stress processes and later mortality risk.

METHOD

Participants were 1,346 middle-aged adults from the survey of Midlife Development in the United States who also completed the National Study of Daily Experiences. Participants reported on their experiences of stress and affect for 8 consecutive evenings, and mortality data were collected over the next 20 years, using the National Death Index and other methods.

RESULTS

There was a positive association between total number of stressors experienced across days and mortality risk. There was also a positive association between increases in negative affect on stressor days relative to nonstressor days and risk for mortality. The presence of a chronic illness moderated this association such that negative affective reactivity predicted mortality risk among individuals with at least one chronic illness but not among otherwise healthy individuals. This association was independent of sociodemographic characteristics, typical levels of negative affect on nonstressor days, and total number of endorsed stressors.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that greater increases in negative affect in response to stress in everyday life may have long-term consequences for longevity, particularly for individuals with chronic illness. (PsycINFO Database Record

Lifetime trauma, perceived control, and all-cause mortality: Results from the Midlife in the United States Study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether lifetime-trauma exposure predicts all-cause mortality and whether this association is mediated or moderated by perceived control.

METHOD

A sample of middle-aged and older adults (N = 4,961) who participated in the second wave of the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) provided data. Lifetime trauma was operationalized using the reported number of potentially traumatic experiences spanning childhood through adulthood. Both the perceived constraints and mastery dimensions of perceived control were examined. Cox regression models tested main effects and interactions of lifetime trauma with mastery and constraints predicting 10-year mortality risk.

RESULTS

There was a significant main effect of lifetime trauma, b = .06, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.07, p = .032, and an interaction of trauma with mastery, b = -.08, p = .004. A greater number of traumatic experiences was associated with increased mortality risk at below-average levels of mastery, -1 SD; HR = 1.14, p < .001, but not at above-average levels, +1 SD; HR = 0.97, p = .48. This interaction persisted after further adjustment for health status, psychological, and behavioral covariates. An association of constraints with elevated mortality risk, HR = 1.33, p = .008, was attenuated in a fully adjusted model, HR = 1.06, p = .26.

CONCLUSION

A strong sense of mastery may buffer elevated mortality risk associated with exposure to traumatic experiences. Findings extend evidence that mastery may foster resilience to the adverse health effects of traumatic stressors, whereas constraints may show stronger independent associations with health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Big Five personality and health in adults with and without cancer

Personality is associated with health, but examinations in patients with illnesses are lacking. We aimed to determine whether personality-physical health associations differed between community and cancer samples. This cross-sectional study involved 168 participants without cancer, 212 men with prostate cancer, and 55 women with breast cancer. We examined whether the Big Five personality dimensions were associated with health behaviors and multiple health indicators. Higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism were associated with better health behaviors and health (r_max = .31), with few differences between community and cancer samples. Findings call for research on the implications of personality in patients with serious illnesses.

Early Life Adversity as a Predictor of Sense of Purpose during Adulthood

Feeling a sense of purpose in life appears to hold consistent benefits for positive aging and well-being. As such, it is important to consider the potential factors that promote or hinder the development of purposefulness over the lifespan. For instance, it remains unclear whether early life experiences, particularly adverse ones, may hold lasting influences on whether one feels purposeful into adulthood. The current study examined whether early life adversity predicted a diminished sense of purpose in adulthood using data from participants (N = 3835) in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Reports of early life adversity were associated with lower levels of purpose in adulthood, and chronological age failed to moderate this relationship.

Socioeconomic Status Interacts with Conscientiousness and Neuroticism to Predict Circulating Concentrations of Inflammatory Markers

BACKGROUND

Socioeconomic health disparities research may benefit from further consideration of dispositional factors potentially modifying risk associated with low socioeconomic status, including that indexed by systemic inflammation.

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to investigate interactions of SES and the Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality traits in predicting circulating concentrations of the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

METHOD

Using a sample of middle-aged and older adults from the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS) biomarker project (N = 978), linear regression models tested interactions of each FFM trait with a composite measure of SES in predicting IL-6 and CRP, as well as the explanatory role of medical morbidity, measures of adiposity, and health behaviors.

RESULTS

SES interacted with conscientiousness to predict levels of IL-6 (interaction b = .03, p = .002) and CRP (interaction b = .04, p = .014) and with neuroticism to predict IL-6 (interaction b = -.03, p = .004). Socioeconomic gradients in both markers were smaller at higher levels of conscientiousness. Conversely, the socioeconomic gradient in IL-6 was larger at higher levels of neuroticism. Viewed from the perspective of SES as the moderator, neuroticism was positively related to IL-6 at low levels of SES but negatively related at high SES. Interactions of SES with both conscientiousness and neuroticism were attenuated upon adjustment for measures of adiposity.

CONCLUSIONS

Conscientiousness may buffer, and neuroticism amplify, excess inflammatory risk associated with low SES, in part through relationships with adiposity. Neuroticism may be associated with lower levels of inflammation at high levels of SES.

Training Community-Based Clinicians in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: The Interaction Between Expert Consultation and Caseload

Professional psychologists are increasingly encouraged to utilize evidence-based treatments (EBTs), and therefore have a need to participate and provide the most efficient training methods for these treatments. Multicomponent trainings, which commonly include ongoing support, are more effective than brief methods such as 1-day workshops or reading treatment manuals. The present study examined the effectiveness of 1 form of ongoing support, consultation, as part of a multicomponent training protocol. Thirty-two community-based clinicians were trained in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as part of a statewide implementation effort, and data were collected on clinician and implementation outcomes at pre-, mid-, and posttraining. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to predict posttraining knowledge, skill, acceptability, and feasibility, as well as to examine clinician variables that might moderate these relations. Greater consultation call attendance significantly predicted higher posttraining skill; however, this association was qualified by a significant interaction with PCIT caseload. Implications for training guidelines are discussed.

Personality Predicts Mortality Risk: An Integrative Data Analysis of 15 International Longitudinal Studies

This study examined the Big Five personality traits as predictors of mortality risk, and smoking as a mediator of that association. Replication was built into the fabric of our design: we used a Coordinated Analysis with 15 international datasets, representing 44,094 participants. We found that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness were consistent predictors of mortality across studies. Smoking had a small mediating effect for neuroticism. Country and baseline age explained variation in effects: studies with older baseline age showed a pattern of protective effects (HR<1.00) for openness, and U.S. studies showed a pattern of protective effects for extraversion. This study demonstrated coordinated analysis as a powerful approach to enhance replicability and reproducibility, especially for aging-related longitudinal research.

Retrospective Reports of Childhood Misfortune Are Associated With Positive and Negative Affect in Adulthood

Childhood misfortune refers to nonnormative experiences individuals encounter at younger ages that affect development across the life span. This study examined whether retrospectively reported childhood misfortune was associated with negative and positive affect in adulthood. In addition, we explored whether perceived control beliefs would moderate these associations. We used archival data from 6,067 adults ( Mage = 46.86; range = 20-75) from the Midlife Development in the United States study. Higher levels of misfortune were associated with higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of positive affect in adulthood. However, control beliefs moderated this association such that the combination of higher perceived control and misfortune resulted in less of a decrease in positive affect and less of an increase in negative affect. Overall, early life events were associated with later life emotional health, and control beliefs were an important psychological resource that buffered the negative effects of childhood misfortune.

Personality and stressor-related affect

Greater increases in negative affect and greater decreases in positive affect on days stressors occur portend poorer mental and physical health years later. Although personality traits influence stressor-related affect, only neuroticism and extraversion among the Big Five personality traits have been examined in any detail. Moreover, personality traits may shape how people appraise daily stressors, yet few studies have examined how stressor-related appraisals may account for associations between personality and stressor-related affect. Two studies used participants (N = 2,022; age range: 30-84) from the National Study of Daily Experiences II to examine the associations between Big Five personality traits and stressor-related affect and how appraisals may account for these relationships. Results from Study 1 indicate that higher levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience and lower levels of neuroticism are related to less stressor-related negative affect. Only agreeableness was associated with stressor-related positive affect, such that higher levels were related to greater decreases in positive affect on days stressors occur. The second study found that stressor-related appraisals partially accounted for the significant associations between stressor-related negative affect and personality. Implications for these findings in relation to how personality may influence physical and emotional health are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Purpose in life and cognitive functioning in adulthood

With an increasingly aging population, more work is needed to identify factors which may promote the maintenance of normal cognitive functioning. The current study tested the concurrent association between sense of purpose in life and the cognitive variables of episodic memory, executive functioning, and composite cognitive functioning in adults (N = 3489, M_age = 56.3 years, SD = 12.27, Range = 32-84 years) from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS). Correlational analyses suggested that purpose in life was associated with higher scores for memory, executive functioning, and overall cognition. Bootstrapping tests of moderation found no evidence for a moderating effect of age on purpose and the cognitive variables. Future studies should attempt to explain the mechanisms behind this relationship and explore the potential for interventions to promote healthy cognitive and purposeful aging.

The Value of a Purposeful Life: Sense of Purpose Predicts Greater Income and Net Worth

Having a sense of purpose in life appears valuable across life domains, though it remains unclear whether purpose also provides financial value to individuals. The current study examined sense of purpose as a predictor of concurrent and longitudinal income and net worth levels, using two waves of the MIDUS sample of adults (N = 4660 across both assessments). Participants who reported a higher sense of purpose had higher levels of household income and net worth initially, and were more likely to increase on these financial outcomes over the nine years between assessments. Interaction tests suggested some evidence of age moderation, but gender did not appear to moderate the influence of purpose on economic outcomes.

Association of Reports of Childhood Abuse and All-Cause Mortality Rates in Women

IMPORTANCE

Research has linked childhood abuse to a variety of adult psychiatric problems, but little is known about associations of child abuse with adult mortality.

OBJECTIVE

To test associations of retrospective reports of physical and emotional abuse in childhood with all-cause mortality rates in adulthood.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

National sample of 6285 adults (aged 25-74 years at baseline) from the survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Baseline psychosocial data were collected in 1995 and 1996, with follow-up mortality data collected through October 2015.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Participants completed questionnaires at baseline about self-report of childhood emotional abuse, moderate physical abuse, and severe physical abuse. Mortality data during the next 20 years was tracked using the National Death Index.

RESULTS

Of the 6285 participants included in the study sample, 2987 were men (48%) and 5581were white (91%), with a mean (SD) age of 46.9 (12.95) years. Women who reported childhood emotional abuse (hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.49; P = .04), moderate physical abuse (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.60; P = .02), or severe physical abuse (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.20-2.08; P = .001) were at increased risk for all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Reports of more types of childhood abuse were also associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality in women (all vs none HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.24-2.30; P = .001; some vs none HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.01-1.52; P = .04). These effects could not be accounted for by childhood socioeconomic status, personality traits, or adult depression. No associations were observed in men.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These results suggest that in addition to the established psychiatric consequences of abuse, women who report childhood abuse also remain vulnerable to premature mortality into adulthood. Thus, reported childhood abuse may have long-term ramifications for health and longevity in women.

Living longer with help from others: Seeking advice lowers mortality risk

Associations between self-sufficiency and advice seeking with mortality risk were examined to assess the long-term implications of individualistic and interpersonally oriented strategies. Wave 1 participants from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States ( N = 6116, 25–75 years, Mage = 46.38 years) completed questionnaires assessing demographics, self-sufficiency, advice seeking, social support, and health. Cox proportional hazard models indicated that each standard deviation increase in seeking advice was associated with an 11 percent decreased hazard of dying 20 years later. Self-sufficiency was not significantly related. Future research should examine contexts in which interpersonal strategies are adaptive, as seeking advice from others promotes longevity.

Personality Predicts Utilization of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction During and Post-Intervention in a Community Sample of Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a promising intervention for older adults seeking to improve quality of life. More research is needed, however, to determine who is most willing to use the four techniques taught in the program (yoga, sitting meditation, informal meditation, and body scanning). This study evaluated the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and use of MBSR techniques both during the intervention and at a 6-month follow-up. The hypothesis was that those with higher levels of openness and agreeableness would be more likely to use the techniques.

METHODS

Participants were a community sample of 100 older adults who received an 8-week manualized MBSR intervention. Personality was assessed at baseline by using the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Use of MBSR techniques was assessed through weekly practice logs during the intervention and a 6-month follow-up survey. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between each personality dimension and each indicator of MBSR use both during and after the intervention.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, openness and agreeableness predicted greater use of MBSR both during and after the intervention, while controlling for demographic differences in age, educational level, and sex. Openness was related to use of a variety of MBSR techniques during and after the intervention, while agreeableness was related to use of meditation techniques during the intervention. Mediation analysis suggested that personality explained postintervention MBSR use, both directly and by fostering initial uptake of MBSR during treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Personality dimensions accounted for individual differences in the use of MBSR techniques during and 6 months after the intervention. Future studies should consider how mental health practitioners would use these findings to target and tailor MBSR interventions to appeal to broader segments of the population.

Health Conditions and Passive Suicidal Ideation in the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe

OBJECTIVES

To examine the associations between health conditions and passive suicidal ideation in middle-aged and older adults.

METHOD

Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted on data from 35,664 middle-aged and older adults from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Mediation analyses were also conducted to test the roles of disability and depression in risk of ideation.

RESULTS

After including demographic variables, disability, depression, and other health conditions as covariates, heart attack, diabetes/high blood sugar, chronic lung disease, arthritis, ulcer, and hip/femoral fractures were associated with increased odds of passive suicidal ideation. When grouped by organ systems, conditions affecting the endocrine, respiratory, and musculoskeletal systems were associated with increased odds of passive suicidal ideation, as was the total number of conditions. Individuals with greater numbers of health conditions exhibited greater levels of disability and depression, which partially explained the increased risk of passive suicidal ideation among those with more health conditions.

DISCUSSION

Certain specific health conditions, as well as total number of conditions, are associated with passive suicidal ideation in middle age and older adulthood. Health is a critical risk factor for suicidal ideation in late life and should be further studied in this particularly at-risk population.

Understanding inter-individual variability in purpose: Longitudinal findings from the VA Normative Aging Study

Research has demonstrated the importance of having a purpose in older adulthood; however, little is known about whether and how individuals vary on sense of purpose over time. The current study examined patterns of mean- and individual-level change in purpose among men in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (n = 587, M(age) = 74 years) across a 3-year span. Findings demonstrate that while little mean-level change was present, there was interindividual variability in change. Further research is needed to understand why these changes occur, as age, health status, and personality failed to predict individual fluctuations in purpose.

Purpose in life as a predictor of mortality across adulthood

Having a purpose in life has been cited consistently as an indicator of healthy aging for several reasons, including its potential for reducing mortality risk. In the current study, we sought to extend previous findings by examining whether purpose in life promotes longevity across the adult years, using data from the longitudinal Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) sample. Proportional-hazards models demonstrated that purposeful individuals lived longer than their counterparts did during the 14 years after the baseline assessment, even when controlling for other markers of psychological and affective well-being. Moreover, these longevity benefits did not appear to be conditional on the participants' age, how long they lived during the follow-up period, or whether they had retired from the workforce. In other words, having a purpose in life appears to widely buffer against mortality risk across the adult years.