25OBJECTIVE: The current study presents a new comprehensive educational group intervention that offers psycho-education about cognitive aging and contextual factors (i.e., negative age stereotypes, beliefs, health, and lifestyle), focuses on skills and compensatory behavior, and incorporates group discussion. Its effects were investigated in communitydwelling older women who report normal age-related cognitive complaints. emotional reactions towards cognitive functioning, which seems a prerequisite for improved subjective cognitive functioning and wellbeing. It can potentially contribute the wellbeing of an important and large group of older adults.
The Memory Compensation Questionnaire (MCQ; de Frias & Dixon, 2005) is a psychometrically sound instrument which assesses the variety and extent to which an individual compensates for actual or perceived memory losses. Until now, only an English version of the MCQ has been psychometrically evaluated. The aim of the present study was to establish a Dutch version of the MCQ and evaluate its psychometric properties. The MCQ data of N=556 cognitively healthy adults (61.8% females) aged between 50.1 and 95.3 years (M=73.9 years, SD=8.0) were analyzed. The results showed that the factor structure of the Dutch version of the MCQ corresponded well with that of the English version of the MCQ. The reliabilities of the scales of the Dutch version of the MCQ were all high (all Cronbach’s α-values ≥ .77). Demographic variables (especially age and gender) affected most of the MCQ scale scores. Regression-based normative data which take these demographic influences into account were established, and a user-friendly computer program was provided to facilitate the scoring and norming of the MCQ.
This paper presents a comprehensive intervention for older adults with cognitive complaints. It offers psycho-education about cognitive aging and contextual factors, focuses on skills and compensatory behavior, and incorporates group discussion. The intervention reduced negative emotional reactions towards cognitive functioning in healthy women aged 60 to 75 years. Its background and content are described in detail to enable application and replication. To investigate the possibility for large-scale implementation, a process evaluation was carried out. The results support participants' appreciation and point to better self-evaluations after intervention. This intervention may offer a valuable contribution to public health care for older adults.
Neurovegetative and somatic symptoms (such as headaches, heart palpitations, and dizziness) have a high prevalence. These symptoms are often indicative for 'masked depression' or 'depression without sadness', especially in older adults. At present, no instrument exists that enables the assessment of these symptoms. The current study presents a questionnaire that assesses neurovegetative and somatic complaints, as well as reactive emotional complaints: the 'Neurovegetative Complaints Questionnaire' (NCQ). The factor structure, internal consistency, and validity of the NCQ were Demographically corrected regression-based norms were provided for use in research and clinical settings. The NCQ is a psychometrically sound questionnaire that is specifically aimed at assessing neurovegetative/somatic and reactive/emotional complaints, symptoms that often are indicative for a 'masked depression'.
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