Judith van Diepen, Gert-Jan Hendriks, Marij Zuidersma, Richard Oude Voshaar, Noortje Janssen
{"title":"Data-driven subtypes of late-life depression-secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized RCT.","authors":"Judith van Diepen, Gert-Jan Hendriks, Marij Zuidersma, Richard Oude Voshaar, Noortje Janssen","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2468406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2468406","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Cognitive performance varies among depressed older patients and is known to affect treatment outcome. We used a data-driven approach to create subtypes of late-life depression and exploratively visualized the course of depression during either behavioural activation (BA) or treatment as usual (TAU).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Among 161 depressed (PHQ ≥ 10) older (≥65 years) participants of a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care (NL5436), we performed latent class analysis (LCA) on individual depressive symptoms and performance on several cognitive tests. The course of depressive symptoms during treatment was plotted to explore whether differences between the classes differed between BA and TAU.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five classes best fitted the data: (1) mild depression without cognitive deficits, (2) moderate depression with insomnia and cognitive deficits, (3) severe depression with cognitive deficits, (4) moderately severe depression with hypersomnia and cognitive deficits, and (5) moderately severe depression with cognitive-affective symptoms but no cognitive deficits. Graphs showed that depressive symptoms of subgroups with severe depressive symptoms improved more during BA compared to TAU, regardless of cognitive deficits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We identified five subgroups. Graphs suggest that effectiveness of BA is similar across all subgroups, whereas TAU seems less effective in the more severely depressed subgroups. Replication is warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143484663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Age and gender disparities in joint associations of physical activity and sleep duration with depressive symptoms trajectories: a longitudinal analysis of Chinese middle-aged and older adults.","authors":"Danxia Liu, Chen Xing, Jing Guo","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2465771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2465771","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The combined effects of physical activity and sleep duration on depressive symptoms trajectories, and age and gender disparities remain inadequately understood. The objective of this study was to identify the joint relationship of physical activity and sleep duration with depressive symptoms trajectories in Chinese middle-aged and older adults, and explored disparities in the joint associations.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This longitudinal analysis draws upon data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The analysis comprised 35063 observations. Linear mixed-effect models were employed to discern independent and joint correlation of physical activity and sleep duration with depressive symptoms trajectories.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Chinese middle-aged and older adults showed increasing depressive symptoms trajectory. Physical activity and sleep duration interplayed to impact depressive symptoms trajectory in different ways. Compared to participants engaged in lower physical activity and short sleep, depressive symptom trajectories of those with higher physical activity and optimal sleep, and higher physical activity and short sleep increased less rapidly among group aged 60-70 years, as well as in women group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study emphasized the importance of combining interventions targeting habits of physical activity and sleep for middle-aged and older adults to improve their mental health, especially for women and those aged 60-70 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143469904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Serena Sabatini, Shelbie G Turner, Blossom C M Stephan
{"title":"Correlates of self-perceptions of aging in dementia caregivers: findings from the German Aging Survey.","authors":"Serena Sabatini, Shelbie G Turner, Blossom C M Stephan","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2464705","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2464705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study investigated the associations between dementia caregivers' self-perceptions of aging (SPAs) and demographic, care related, and stress variables.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional (2021) data collected online and from the German Aging Study comprising 190 dementia caregivers (Mean age= 65.69 years; SD= 10.11) were used. Predictive variables were age, sex, education, marital status, type of district of residence, caregiving hours per week, relationship to the person with dementia, care burden, and the Relative Stress Scale. Outcome variables were one item assessing felt age, the Lawton's Attitudes toward Own Aging Scale, and the age-related cognitions scales. Univariable, multivariable, and multivariate linear regression models were used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multivariable and multivariate linear regression models showed that those dementia caregivers who are older, have lower education, experience higher levels of caregiving-related burden and stress, and live in urban compared to rural districts, experience more negative SPAs compared to dementia caregivers without these characteristics. Associations were of moderate size for stress and of small size for the remaining variables.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results suggest that key characteristics in dementia caregivers are associated with more negative SPAs. Given that more negative SPAs are associated with poorer health outcomes, these individuals may benefit the most from interventions promoting positive SPAs.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143451075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gerrie van Voorden, Raymond T C M Koopmans, Martin Smalbrugge, Sytse U Zuidema, Anne M A van den Brink, Richard C Oude Voshaar, Debby L Gerritsen
{"title":"Patient characteristics, behavior, and discharge locations of patients with dementia and very severe challenging behavior.","authors":"Gerrie van Voorden, Raymond T C M Koopmans, Martin Smalbrugge, Sytse U Zuidema, Anne M A van den Brink, Richard C Oude Voshaar, Debby L Gerritsen","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2465780","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2465780","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To gain insights into the characteristics, behavior, and discharge location of patients with dementia and very severe challenging behavior admitted to highly specialized units that are specialized in the diagnostics and treatment of this patient group.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In this observational study, 11 units participated from 2020 - 2023. Measurements included demographics; dementia type; severity of cognitive decline; presence of delirium; location before admission; compulsory admission; medical history; drug use; and behavior during the first 2 weeks of admission, assessed by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>127 patients (67.7% males) participated. Nine in ten patients had moderately severe or severe cognitive decline. Behavior was rather heterogeneous, with agitation, general restlessness and verbal aggression present in 70% or more. Agitation was severely or extremely distressful for nursing staff in relation to one in four patients. Half of the patients were discharged to a regular dementia special care unit (DSCU), one in ten could not be discharged, and one-third died during their stay.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite heterogenous and highly prevalent behaviors of patients, about half of the patients could be discharged to DSCUs after treatment in a highly specialized unit. Future studies should explore whether and how treatment is effective.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143451077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F Kårelind, L Johansson, S Zarit, H Wijk, T Bielsten, D Finkel
{"title":"Factors influencing time to support in young-onset dementia: survival analysis of data from the Swedish Dementia Registry (SveDem).","authors":"F Kårelind, L Johansson, S Zarit, H Wijk, T Bielsten, D Finkel","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2464710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2464710","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Understanding the timing of service access for persons with young-onset dementia is essential for developing adequate support. This study aims to describe the formal support available for persons with young-onset dementia in Sweden and identify factors influencing its provision over time.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A prospective cohort study was carried out using data from the Swedish Dementia Registry (SveDem), focusing on persons diagnosed with young-onset dementia between January 2009 and April 2022 (<i>n</i> = 2592). Descriptive statistics provided a comprehensive overview of the population, and Cox Regressions were used to analyse factors associated with the time to receive support services post-diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Living with another adult and higher MMSE scores were significantly associated with later access to home help services (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and care facilities (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Higher MMSE scores (<i>p</i> < 0.001), older age (<i>p</i> = 0.023), living with another adult (<i>p</i> = 0.010) and diagnosis at primary care centres (<i>p</i> = 0.016) were also associated with later access to day-care services. No significant associations were found between age, sex, medications, care setting, living arrangement, or MMSE score or with the time to access counselling services.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The timing of access to support services for persons with young-onset dementia varies significantly, particularly for those living with another adult. These patterns may reflect a hidden caregiver burden.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B Wild, V S Wurmbach, F H Boehlen, M Kusch, C Paul, H-C Friederich, M Hartmann, J Slaets, H M Seidling
{"title":"What do we need to know to enhance treatment for multimorbid older patients?-Results from the PACT study.","authors":"B Wild, V S Wurmbach, F H Boehlen, M Kusch, C Paul, H-C Friederich, M Hartmann, J Slaets, H M Seidling","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2459231","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2459231","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The aim of the PACT (Prioritization by pArticipation) study was to evaluate the 'Life and Vitality Assessment' (LAVA) in terms of visualizing and exploiting priorities, resources, and problem areas of elderly people.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In total, <i>n</i> = 164 older persons (mean age: 68.6, 51.8% females) with multimorbid conditions were included. All patients completed the LAVA, additional questionnaires, and the INTERMED for the Elderly interview. The LAVA is a non-normative approach, applied in two steps: First, participants assign 25 aspects of life to three groups (not important, important, most important). Second, they rate their current satisfaction with the most important aspects on a scale from 1 to 10.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The majority of patients indicated that family (84.1%), mental health (84.8%), physical health (78.7%), and independent decision making (76.2%) were very important aspects of their life, mostly considered as resources. Variables related to negative well-being in older age-such as sleep quality and pain-were mostly considered as problem area. There was a high variability across patients regarding the number of resources and problem areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The LAVA provides important information on resources and problem areas, which might be helpful to improve quality of life for multimorbid patients by considering their resources for treatment planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yan Su, Annie T Chen, Jasmine Kaneshiro, Kimiko Domoto-Reilly, Oleg Zaslavsky
{"title":"Pilot quasi-experimental single-arm study of a virtual intervention for caregivers of persons with Lewy body dementia.","authors":"Yan Su, Annie T Chen, Jasmine Kaneshiro, Kimiko Domoto-Reilly, Oleg Zaslavsky","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2462758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2462758","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This pilot study evaluated a web-based intervention, guided by problem-solving therapy, to address challenges faced by caregivers of individuals with Lewy body dementia (LBD).</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A quasi-experimental single-arm study was conducted with 39 family caregivers (mean age: 67.62 years; 69% women; 95% White). The 8-week program, Virtual Online Communities for Aging Life Experiences Lewy Body Dementia (VOCALE LBD), included a discussion platform, peer support, training, and problem-solving practice. Measurements were taken at baseline, post-intervention, and one month later. Effect sizes and confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using bootstrapping, and demographic impacts were assessed through linear mixed-effects models (LMMs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 39 participants, 29 completed the study. There were no significant differences in demographics between completers and withdrawals. Participants' engagement was high, defined as posting substantive comments at least twice weekly. Significant reductions were observed in depressive (<i>d</i> = -0.54), burden (<i>d</i> = -0.31), and stress scores (<i>d</i> = -0.45), while social support (<i>d</i> = 0.46), positive attitudes (<i>d</i> = 0.32), and negative attitudes towards problem-solving (<i>d</i> = -0.63) improved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This intervention shows promise in reducing caregiver burden and improving emotional well-being, offering a flexible, effective solution for LBD caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143426717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teshome Kondale Gurara, Yekoyealem Desie, Margaret E Adamek
{"title":"'Age should never be a barrier to pursuing our passions': older adults' conceptualization of subjective well-being in Ethiopia.","authors":"Teshome Kondale Gurara, Yekoyealem Desie, Margaret E Adamek","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2464711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2464711","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>While several studies from the gerontology and lifespan development perspective address the well-being of older adults, studies that directly pertain to the subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults from a resource-poor context are lacking. This study was conducted to gain insights about older adults' conceptualization of their SWB in Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We employed an exploratory qualitative approach to investigate older adults' perspectives of their well-being. Thirty-one participants, 20 men and 11 women, were purposively selected for the study. We used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to collect data. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis yielded six prominent themes: physical and mental health, family and social interactions, financial stability and security, optimism and autonomy, religious faith and practices, and the opportunity to work and contribute to the community.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study provided insights about older adults' conceptualization of well-being from a low-income country context. Older adults viewed their well-being holistically as a combination of physical, mental, family, social, financial, religious, and community dimensions. The findings point to a need for comprehensive and contextually-relevant psychosocial and economic interventions and rehabilitative plans to enhance older adults' well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143426714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tuan Anh Tran, Siti Maisarah Mattap, Narelle Warren, Jaclyn Hui Jie Teng, Minh Duc Duong, Van Minh Hoang, Shajahan Yasin, Devi Mohan
{"title":"Caregiver burden among dementia caregivers in low-and middle-income countries in Asia: a systematic review.","authors":"Tuan Anh Tran, Siti Maisarah Mattap, Narelle Warren, Jaclyn Hui Jie Teng, Minh Duc Duong, Van Minh Hoang, Shajahan Yasin, Devi Mohan","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2462110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2462110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Long-term caregiving can lead to a high caregiver burden for caregivers of community-dwelling people with dementia in Asia's low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is essential to assess the level of caregiver burden and its factors in such settings to understand the impact on caregivers' well-being.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA. Articles were identified from seven databases published from 2000 to November 2023. Each article's methodological quality was assessed with an appraisal checklist developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>64 studies with 12 measurement tools were identified from 9 countries. Only 20% of studies using 22-item ZBI show caregivers experienced no or little burden while caring for their care recipients. The mean 22-item ZBI score ranged from 24.5 in Turkey to 34.7 in India, while the mean CBI score varied from 24.0 in Thailand to 47.8 in China. Patient, caregiver characteristics, and caregiving context are associated with caregiver burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Dementia caregivers in Asian LMICs exhibit a wide variation in caregiver burden. Programs that promote protective factors and address modifiable factors are imperative to mitigate burdens and enhance caregivers' quality of life in these settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143416328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jerry Norlin, Kevin J McKee, Carin Lennartsson, Lena Dahlberg
{"title":"Quantity and quality of social relationships and their associations with loneliness in older adults.","authors":"Jerry Norlin, Kevin J McKee, Carin Lennartsson, Lena Dahlberg","doi":"10.1080/13607863.2025.2460068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2460068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Loneliness arises from a discrepancy between the relationships one desires and those one experiences. This study examines the relative importance of relationship quantity and quality for loneliness in older adults.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study was a cross-sectional, representative survey of 474 adults aged 77 and above living in Dalarna, Sweden. Loneliness was measured using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Four ordinal logistic regression models of loneliness were developed: one for quantity of relationships and three for quality of relationships (closeness; conflict; closeness and conflict combined). Perceived social support was included in the quality models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The quality models explained the most variance in loneliness and had better model fit. Having a partner was associated with less loneliness, even when there was conflict. Having a close relationship with children was associated with less loneliness, but a lack of closeness or the presence of conflict was associated with more loneliness. Perceived social support was associated with less loneliness.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Quantity and quality of relationships are both associated with loneliness in older adults, but relationship quality appears to have greater importance. Specific types of relationships are also relevant, highlighting the need to consider relationship dynamics when designing interventions to reduce loneliness.</p>","PeriodicalId":55546,"journal":{"name":"Aging & Mental Health","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143416336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}