TY - JOUR T1 - Subjective memory problems and availability of emotional support JF - Research on Aging Y1 - 2018 A1 - Jung-Hwa Ha A1 - Pai, Manacy KW - Cognition & Reasoning KW - Depressive symptoms KW - Memory KW - Social Support AB - This study examines (1) whether subjective memory problems (SMP) influence perceived emotional support from and frequency of contact with family and friends; and, (2) the extent to which this relationship is moderated by gender, education, and functional limitations. We use the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel survey of adults aged 51 and over in the United States. While SMP does not affect perceived emotional support for younger group (YG; aged 51-64), in older group (OG; aged 65+), SMP is associated with reduced perceived support from friends. Also, SMP is predictive of fewer writing-based contact with children and friends among OG but not among YG. Lastly, we find that the effect of SMP on support from children is contingent upon activity of daily living (YG) and gender (OG), while the effect of SMP on writing-based contact with both children and friends is contingent upon education (YG only). VL - 40 IS - 10 JO - Res Aging ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Reciprocal Effects Between Health and Social Support in Older Adults' Relationships With Their Children and Friends. JF - Res Aging Y1 - 2017 A1 - Jung-Hwa Ha A1 - Kahng, Sang Kyoung A1 - Namkee G Choi AB -

This study examined the longitudinal reciprocal effects between health and social support in older adults' relationships with their children and friends. Data are from the 2006 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 3,760). We focused on three specific aspects of social support: frequency of contact, positive interactions, and negative interactions. We used autoregressive cross-lagged models to examine the bidirectional effects between social support and health. When the bidirectional effects between health and social support were simultaneously examined, the longitudinal effect of social support on health was not significant. In contrast, older adults' poor health was associated with decreased contact and decreased positive interactions with friends as well as with increased negative interactions with their adult children and friends. The findings suggest that older adults' poor health has a negative impact on their social relationships and that such effect surpasses the impact of social relationships on health.

VL - 39 UR - http://roa.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/10/15/0164027515611182.abstract IS - 2 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26475653?dopt=Abstract U4 - health/social support/social relationships/autoregressive cross-lagged models ER - TY - JOUR T1 - The effects of positive and negative support from children on widowed older adults' psychological adjustment: a longitudinal analysis. JF - Gerontologist Y1 - 2010 A1 - Jung-Hwa Ha KW - Adaptation, Psychological KW - Aged KW - Aged, 80 and over KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Longitudinal Studies KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Parent-Child Relations KW - Widowhood AB -

PURPOSE: This article examines the extent to which positive and negative support from children prior to and after spousal loss and changes in support from pre- to post-loss affect widowed older adults' depressive symptoms, anxiety, and anger 18 months following widowhood.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Analyses are based on the Changing Lives of Older Couples, a prospective study of 1,532 married individuals aged 65 years and older. The analytic sample includes 148 widowed persons who have at least one living child and participated in the baseline and two follow-up interviews conducted 6 and 18 months following widowhood.

RESULTS: The analyses revealed that higher levels of positive support from children 6 months following widowhood were associated with fewer depressive symptoms at the 18-month follow-up, whereas higher levels of negative support 18 months after loss and a decrease in positive support following loss were associated with more depressive symptoms. Greater negative support both prior to and after loss was associated with greater anxiety, whereas greater negative support 6 months after loss and an increase in negative support following loss were related to greater anger.

IMPLICATIONS: Given their differential impact on widowed persons' psychological adjustment, both positive and negative aspects of social support as well as its changing nature should be considered in working with bereaved older adults.

PB - 50 VL - 50 IS - 4 N1 - Using Smart Source Parsing pp. Aug Gerontological Society of America, Washington DC U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20019179?dopt=Abstract U2 - PMC2908534 U4 - socioeconomic Status/Poverty/income/assets/Medical Expenditures/Public Policy/social Security ER -