ObjectivesThis review aims to: (1) explore the social support measures in studies examining the association between social support and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Asia and (2) the evidence of association.DesignA systematic review was conducted using electronic databases of CINAHL, PubMed, PsychINFO, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, SocINDEX and Web of Science for articles published until the 11th of January 2018.Eligibility criteriaAll observational studies investigating the association between social support and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Asia were included.ParticipantsOlder adults aged 60 years and more who are living in the community.Exposure measuresSocial support.Outcome measuresDepression.ResultsWe retrieved16 356 records and screened 66 full-text articles. Twenty-four observational studies were included in the review. They consisted of five cohort studies and 19 cross-sectional studies. Social support was found to be measured by multiple components, most commonly through a combination of structural and functional constructs. Perceived social support is more commonly measured compared with received social support. Good overall social support, having a spouse or partner, living with family, having a large social network, having more contact with family and friends, having emotional and instrumental support, good support from family and satisfaction with social support are associated with less depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Asia.ConclusionsThere were 20 different social support measures and we applied a framework to allow for better comparability. Our findings emphasised the association between good social support and decrease depression among older adults. Compared with western populations, family support has a greater influence on depression among community-dwelling older adults in Asia. This indicates that the family institution needs to be incorporated into designed programmes and interventions when addressing depression in the Asian context.Trial registration number CRD42017074897.

This article presents the results of a systematic review of the consequences of elder abuse and neglect (EAN). A systematic search was conducted in seven electronic databases and three sources of gray literature up to January 8, 2016, supplemented by scanning of citation lists in relevant articles and contact with field experts. All observational studies investigating elder abuse as a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, mortality, and health-care utilization were included. Of 517 articles initially captured, 19 articles met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Two reviewers independently performed abstract screening, full-texts appraisal, and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Across 19 studies, methodological heterogeneity was a prominent feature; seven definitions of EAN and nine measurement tools for abuse were employed. Summary of results reveals a wide range of EAN outcomes, from premature mortality to increased health-care consumption and various forms of physical and psychological symptoms. Higher risks of mortality emerged as the most credible outcome, while the majority of morbidity outcomes originated from cross-sectional studies. Our findings suggest that there is an underrepresentation of older adults from non-Western populations and developing countries, and there is a need for more population-based prospective studies in middle- and low-income regions. Evidence gathered from this review is crucial in upgrading current practices, formulating policies, and shaping the future direction of research.

Aims and objectives To explore the studies that used interventions based on the Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for decreasing psychological distress among nurses. Background Because of the demanding nature of their work, nurses often have significantly high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. MBSR has been reported to be an effective intervention to decrease psychological distress. Design Systematic review. Methods The databases included were Science Direct, PubMed, EBSCO host, Springer Link and Web of Science from 2002 to 2018. Interventional studies published in English that used MBSR among nurses to reduce their psychological distress were retrieved for review. The PRISMA guideline was used in this systematic review. The included studies were assessed for quality using “The Quality Assessment Tool For Quantitative Studies (QATFQS).” Results Nine studies were found to be eligible and included in this review. Many benefits, including reduced stress, anxiety, depression, burnout and better job satisfaction, were reported in these studies. Conclusion The adapted/brief versions of MBSR seem promising for reducing psychological distress in nurses. Future research should include randomised controlled trials with a larger sample size and follow‐up studies. There should also be a focus on creative and effective ways of delivering MBSR to nurses. Relevance to clinical practice The results of this review are substantial for supporting the use of MBSR for nurses’ psychological well‐being.

This tool can be utilized in a broad range of cultures and languages and may contribute to improved research practice. Although the core items are limited to just 15 acts of maltreatment, if these behaviorally specific questions are adopted as key indicators and incorporated into comprehensive local, national or regional surveys, eventually there should be greater comparability in survey estimates.

This study aims to examine selected factors of dementia patients and their caregivers that were associated with the burden of family caregivers. This cross sectional study involves face-to-face interview with family caregivers of patients with dementia.