This study examines the differences between rural and urban older adults on level of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, focusing on the effect of social support. Data were collected through structured interviews at senior centers and senior meal sites in eastern and southeastern Iowa. The Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), the Life Satisfaction Index-Z (LSI-Z), and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS15) were used. Correlations (Pearson's r), independent sample t-tests, and multiple regression were computed. Findings indicated that urban residents reported more depressive symptoms, as compared to rural residents. Subjective level of social support was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction and was more negatively related to depressive symptoms among rural than among urban older adults. Results suggest that social workers who work with aging people need to be aware of rural-urban differences in mental health. Furthermore, social workers need to have knowledge of older adults' social networks and work to ensure greater opportunity for social interaction.
). As a result, it should be understood that this chapter is written through a lens shared by the authors. This lens emanates from clans within the D'harawal nation or language group located in south-west Sydney, Australia. In our own ways, we have each struggled against the longstanding and continuing impact of colonisation, ranging from popular media misinformation to our location, learnings, stories and oral histories being contested by quasi-anthropological works relying on, and selectively ignoring, confl icting evidence from the diaries and scribblings of the early colonisers (cf. Kohen 1993 ).Despite family histories of dislocation and imposed reserve life, Stolen Generations, and forced denial of identity, we have retained and maintained our cultural values and Creation and Law Stories that are integral to our strong sense of kinship today.By engaging with the works of respected Indigenous scholars and the traditional D'harawal Law Story of the 'Burra'gorang' ('Giant Kangaroo') , we invite you to embark on an intellectual quest to identify some of the learnings within this story that, in part, parallel the identity violence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are forced to endure today. We share this story because within the D'harawal context, storytelling is one of our most important methods of communication, learning, and promoting mutual respect and understanding (Bodkin 2013b ). This story offers insights into our traditional philosophies and we challenge you to attempt to discover some of its layers of meaning. We also hope that you understand that the knowledges shared here are as much for our community, and our future generations, as it is for yours.
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