Coping Strategies and Social Participation in Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Social participation refers to daily activities, such as personal care and mobility, and social roles, such as interpersonal relationships and leisure. Although restrictions in participation in normal aging have been recognized, little research has been done to study the coping strategies used to alleviate those restrictions. Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore the relationships between cognitive and behavioural coping strategies and the social participation of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: The Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) and the Inventory of Coping Strategies Used by the Elderly (ICSUE) were used to document social participation and coping strategies of 350 randomly recruited older adults living at home independently. Sociodemographic and health-related characteristics were also assessed. Regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between social participation, coping strategies and the other variables. Results: Behavioural coping strategies were the most important factor associated with daily activities, social roles and total participation, followed by the type of living environment and age. These variables explained 33% (p = 0.04), 13% (p = 0.02), and 28% (p = 0.00) of the variance of the models, respectively. The absence of any relationship between the cognitive coping strategies and social participation was a striking result. Conclusion: Our study suggests expanding current geriatric approaches to integrate knowledge on useful, safe and appropriate behavioural changes and to help older people acquire such strategies when they are lacking.

The role of appraisal and coping style in relation with societal participation in fatigued patients with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional multiple mediator analysis

“…Several studies have shown that psychological factors affect the societal participation of patients with chronic diseases like rheumatic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease, MS, and Spinal Cord Injury (Adler & Matthews, 1994; Cameron & Leventhal, 2003; Stanton et al, 2007; Stein & Baum, 2013). Psychological factors found to be related to societal participation include successful performance of adaptive tasks, adjustment to disability, maintenance of emotional balance, the absence of psychological disorders (Maes et al, 1996), coping styles (Demers et al, 2009; Kennedy et al, 2006; Levasseur & Couture, 2015; Lindwall et al, 2012; Peter et al, 2014), and appraisal (Barnwell & Kavanagh, 1997; Peter et al, 2014). …”

“…It appears that individuals frequently adopt certain coping preferences, and engage in particular behaviors across different situations (Endler & Parker, 1994). Consequently, the level of societal participation results from these prior coping processes (Demers et al, 2009; Kennedy et al, 2006; Levasseur & Couture, 2015; Lindwall et al, 2012; Middleton & Craig, 2008; Peter et al, 2014). …”

Is leisure beneficial for older Korean immigrants? An interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…These authors found that by participating in various activities such as gardening, cultural activity, and home-based activities, older adults developed the ability to cope well with their stressors and enhanced their health and well-being. As evidence, Demers, Robichaud, Gélinas, Noreau, and Desrosiers (2008) found that older adults used social activity participation, such as social gatherings, as a coping strategy and, as a result, they reduced the effect of stressful life events associated with age.…”

Association of Socioeconomic Status and Life-style Factors with Coping Strategies in Isfahan Healthy Heart Program, Iran

“…Individuals with different demographic characteristics including sex, age, education level, and job have different ways of coping with stress (1). In 1984, Lazarus and Folkman (2) defined coping as a way of mediating the effects of stressors on the psychological and physical level.…”