Week 3 Flashcards
What is psycholgical distress
A state of emottional suffering associated with stressors and demands that are diffcult to cope with in daily life
What is loneliness
Refers to a deficiency in the qualtiy and quanity of social relationships (with family and friends, colleagues, community)
What does loneliness arise from
Discrepancy between actual and desired levels of social interacation as social realtonships are a source of mental stimulation: insufficent or poor social realtionships can be psycholgically distressing to older adults
What are the three types of loneliness
Social- arise from no or limited social contacts/networks
Emotinal- arises from the absence of intimate figiure
Existential lonelilness - withdrawl from others and outside world due to fear of disappearing fear of death or solitary confine for creative purposes
What are the most common types of loneliness
Social and emotional
What are factors associated with loneliness in older adults
Post world II changes in family structure
Loss of family and friend due to death
Gray divorced
Retirment
Low self-esteem
Change of residence
Poor health
Why might loneliness be underestimated
Stigma associated with admitting loneliness
What are sociodemographic difference in loneliness
Sex- more older women than men experience loneliness (due to sex difference in mortality)
Age - loneliness increases with age
Socioecmonic status - low SES higher prevlance of loneliness
Living- linving alone higher prevlance of loneliness
What is depression impact on lonineless
Lonely older adults are generally unhappy, less satisfied with life and more pesstimatic
What is anxiety impact on loneliness
Loney older adults may experience insomnia restlessness and fear
What is cogntive decline imapct loneliness
lack of mental stimulation due to limited social interactions can lead to cognitive decline in older adults
What is the reltaonship between psycholgoical impariments and loneliness
Bi directions when depression anxiety and cognitve decleine can predict loneliness
How can you mitigate loneliness in older adults
Create oppotunties for social interactions
Social enrichment programs especially in long term care settings
Age friendly communities
Community particiaption
What is comorbidility
2 or more physical problems or 2 or more physical psycholgical/cognitive problems
What is the relationship between physical comorbidity and psychological distress
Chronic comorbidities may inflict physical pain and emotional distress
Chronic conditions and related treatments may interfere with social life and lead to loneliness
Physical apperance may change
Physical disability may occur leading to loss of independence and reduced quality of life
Suffferes of physical illense may feel demorlaized hopless and purposless icompetemt and burdesome
What happens with vision and hearing impariantments
Lead to social isolation and loneliness and eventually depression
What can increase depressive symptoms
demoralization hopelessness
Whaat is common in older adults with comorbidities
Euthansation and sucide or suicide ideation
What is the reltanoship between physical and mental health
Bidirectional physical health problems can cause depression and vice versa depressive modd can lead to unhealth behaviours that affect physical health positive mood can lead to healthier lifestyles
What are the interventions
Medical and mental services are currently separated. Mental services are not readily accessible in Canada
Depressed older adults use more medical services, increasing costs to healthcare systems
Integration of medical and mental services are critcal to the wellbeing of older adults
Intergrated care models ensure older adults presenting medical problems are also screened for mental health problems
