The Positive Effects Of Psychosocial Health And Mental Health

Being a social worker with older adults for over 30 years has shown me that this population is vulnerable to social isolation due to a multitude of losses. These include the death of one’s spouse and friends, retirement, reduced finances, physical and cognitive decline. The recent advent of social media has brought the potential to improve emotional well-being by connecting people. A number of studies have explored the relationship between Internet and quality of life, however, there is little evidence available looking specifically at social engagement tools as a means to improve emotional health. I would like to focus specifically on the effects of social engagement on isolation among older adults and I believe doctoral research is necessary to achieve this goal.

Prior studies (Cohen, 2004; Melchior et al., 2003; Glass et al., 1999) suggest that social health and interactions are closely associated with a person’s mental and physical health. The changeover from work to full retirement, without much social interaction, may have a negative effect on mental and physical health. Sugisawa et al. (1997) found that retirement reduced social contacts for males over the age of 60 and induced social isolation. If social isolation leads to depression, this may also cause deterioration in physical health, since both tend to go hand in hand. On the other hand, if a job is stress-enhancing and applicability-reducing, retirement may lead to better physical and mental health.

If an individual have a good social support system in their lives, it will cause for them to have a positive physical and psychological health. But, if there are a poor social support, mental illness have been known to affect a person health. Also, it have been known that people with a poor social support are more vulnerable to morbidity and mortality that comes from different medical illnesses. Perceived social support was negatively related to stress and predictive of health and well-being (Glozah & Pevalin, 2014). Individuals who have a

This study investigated the difference between emotional and social loneliness using structural equation modeling, evaluated whether a two-dimensional or unidimensional conception of loneliness provides a better fit to the data. Second, the extent to which positive and negative social exchanges are associated with older adults’ loneliness was examined. Third, they also investigated whether the structure and social-exchange correlates of loneliness differ for currently married versus formerly married older

Today, people are living longer and with more comorbidities. With the advancement in health care more elderly are living independently. Bowling & Gabriel research (as cited in Cattan, Kime & Bagnall, 2011) has shown that there is a strong and positive association between quality of life and social participation (p. 198). One’s ability to interact with the world allows you to feel like you are apart of the world, but when you lose that connection with the world you no longer feel apart of the world. Feeling like you are no longer apart of the world leads to social isolation, loneliness, depression, low self-esteem and low self-efficacy (Cattan et al., 2011).

As mentioned above, loneliness can branch off while being in a long distance relationship. Loneliness is feelings of sadness from missing companionship from a person or people one shared feelings with (Fees, Martin & Poon, 1999). This can be felt even when surrounded by others because it is a personal feeling and there is a lack of communication and attachment (Fees et.al, 1999). The journals of gerontology series B: psychological sciences and social science addresses a journal article called A Model of Loneliness in Older Adults. The older generation faces loss of a committed relationship and communication which results in a decline in health and personal activities and waves of sadness (Fees et.al, 1999). It was found that 40% of the elderly population experience some form of loneliness (Fees et.al, 1999). The elderly population, aged 65 and older gets anxiety from missing people or activities. The frequency of contact and number of family members was not a

Social isolation is a major social problem with health and economic implications globally (Cornwell and Waite, 2009; Gallie, Paugam, and Jacobs, 2003). It is reported to be associated with poor physical and psychological health among older adults (Findlay, 2003; Pettigrew, 2007). Additionally, social isolation also affects an individual’s well-being (Victor et al., 2000). Over the past 40 years, consistent research has been done on well-being of the elderly to reduce social isolation.

Everyone is different in society. There are special individuals, which are affected by mental health illnesses. Mental health issues can affect society both negatively and positively. There are cultures that treat these individuals like the reincarnations of gods. On the other side, there are cultures that isolate these individuals and look for cures to these pathologies. Mental health illnesses are important because they have to be studied to understand their cause, whether it may be biological or environmental. These issues are important because like every type of illness they have to be delicately studied, focusing on treatments to either cure them or reduce the symptoms of the pathology. These people were either conflicted with the ideals of society or they were praised by it. Cultures, which didn’t accept them, closed them up into asylums. Patients inside these facilities were brutally used as guinea pigs for their experiments. The way these people were treated shows how cruel and ignorant people were to the unknown. By learning from histories mistakes we can move forward in improving our society and achieve greatness.

Social interaction is important to every aspect of our life. This is because it connect people live together in impart for love, friend and support. Social interaction and social support are one of the important component in predicting the health and well-being. In fact, there is a relation between the degree to which a person feels connected to others or community and their health. However, some individuals are short of participation, activity and communication which is a result of social isolation. This involves low levels of social interaction and it is associated with reduce quality of life and health. This can led to a serious health risks in people who are socially isolated whether they are elderly, adult and children. Therefore, this essay will argue that social isolation adversely affects health not only on mental, physical but also heal behaviours.

The foundation of this research is based upon Copper, Okamura and Gurka (1992) and this lab report aims to partly replicate the study designed by Cooper et al. which questioned the relationship between social well-being and social activity of first year psychology students and their friends. The results of Cooper et al. study was gathered from subjects via the use of “The Satisfaction with Life Scale” and the “Social Activity Measure”. The data collected from the Cooper et al. portrayed that the subjective well-being was based upon the satisfaction of social activity rather than the frequency of a social activity.

The foundation of this research is based upon Copper, Okamura and Gurka (1992) and this lab report aims to partly replicate the study designed by Cooper et al. which questioned the relationship between social well-being and social activity of first year psychology students and their friends. The results of Cooper et al. study was gathered from subjects via the use of “The Satisfaction with Life Scale” and the “Social Activity Measure”. The data collected from the Cooper et al. portrayed that the subjective well-being was based upon the satisfaction of social activity rather than the frequency of a social activity.

The selection portion of the SOC Model of Aging involves actively or passively reducing the number of activities, goals, or domains in order to focus on areas that are most salient in one’s everyday life (Lang et al, 2002). The model suggests that it is important to focus on aspects that would be most beneficial to a person, which will vary between individuals. For myself, I would choose to focus on a healthy and active lifestyle that includes exercise and proper nutrition. In addition to physical activity and proper nutrition, I thoroughly believe that social interaction is also important in positive aging, as more interactions with others can decrease the chance of social isolation. As I aspire to

There are many reasons to why elderly persons can fall at risk of social isolation and loneliness. These factors can range anywhere from

1) The article from The Gerontologist supports the activity theory of aging. This states that as people age, it is very important for them to be engaged in various activities and social roles. As described in the lecture, studies have shown that those who stay involved have less signs of depression and have a lesser decline in mental health. In addition, they are considered more competent than others in their age group by the general population since they are actively participating in society. The research described in the article proved that those who had moderate or high participation in activities such as working, volunteering, and caregiving had a better psychological well-being. It is not necessarily just taking part in these, but the level in which one does so is also crucial. It appears that moderate participation is the best way to a better psychological well-being, as one does not want to be overworked, but should still be involved.

Feelings of loneliness can arise in any age group; however, loneliness is the biggest problem for elders due to its serious prevalence and impacts. The increase of the elderly population is one of the major contributors. In 2015, one in eight people worldwide was aged 60 or over and by 2030, older persons are predicted to account for one in six people globally (Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2015). With the number of old people is rising, the media also warned that a ‘demographic time bomb’ is about to explore in a few years (Heathcote and Hong 2009, p. 129) so it is emergent to address loneliness among the old people. Another reason is that older people are particularly vulnerable after having to witness the death of friends or spouse, experience the feelings of the loss of family, accepting reduced mobility or having limited income. Moreover, aging is associated with mental health risks. For many, the phenomenon of loneliness in old age has been highlighted as a global public health concern.