Predicting positive well-being in older men and women.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of background, psychological, and social variables on older adults' well-being, and how this may differ for men and women. Participants included 800 adults from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), aged 60 to 101 years old (M = 71.22, SD = 8.46), who completed the optional positive well-being module. Gender-based regression models revealed that for men, marital status, self-rated health, and depression were significant predictors and accounted for 32% of the variability in positive well-being. Similar to men, self-rated health and depression were significant predictors of well-being for women. Additional significant predictors for women included age, the importance of religion, and volunteer work. Combined, these variables explained 35% of the variance in women's positive well-being. These results can help us understand which variables are important to target when developing interventions to improve the well-being of older men and women.

Older adults' perceptions of mentally ill older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Many mentally ill older adults are stigmatized, which reduces quality of life and discourages help-seeking. This study's goal was to identify factors associated with stigma. METHODS: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 101) were asked to indicate their attitudes toward and reactions to three hypothetical older women with depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. RESULTS: The results suggest that schizophrenic persons are viewed as most dangerous and dependent, while anxious persons are seen as most responsible for their illness. Age, gender, and educational level of participants were associated with desired social distance and differing perceptions of the hypothetical persons. CONCLUSION: These findings can be used to improve educational efforts that seek to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness in older adults.