Perceived Age Discrimination: A Precipitator or a Consequence of Depressive Symptoms?

Abstract

Objectives: The main purpose of the study was to examine a bidirectional temporal relationship between perceived age discrimination and depressive symptoms. A secondary goal was to examine whether the negative effects of perceived age discrimination on one's depressive symptoms are stronger among respondents older than 70 years old, compared with respondents between the ages of 51 and 70. Methods: The Health and Retirement Study is a U.S. nationally representative sample of individuals over the age of 50 and their spouse of any age. A cross-lagged model was estimated to examine the reciprocal associations of depressive symptoms and perceived age discrimination, controlling for age, gender, education, ethnicity, marital status, employment status, satisfaction with financial status, number of medical conditions, mobility, strength and fine motor skills, and memory functioning. Results: The baseline model for the overall sample resulted in adequate fit indices: CFI = .945, TLI = .940, RMSEA = .024 (90% CI = .023, .025). The cross-lagged effect of perceived age discrimination on depressive symptoms was nonsignificant (B [SE] = −.01 [.04], p = .82), whereas the cross-lagged effect of depressive symptoms on perceived age discrimination was small, but significant (B [SE] = .04 [.02], p = .03). This implies that higher levels of depressive symptoms precede a greater likelihood of perceived age discrimination, net of sociodemographic and clinical variables. The cross-lagged effects did not vary according to age group (51-70 vs >70 years old). Discussion: The subjective nature of perceived age discrimination is discussed.

Determinants of Ageism against Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Studies were limited in relation to the possibility of testing for causal relationships, in including a priori calculation sample sizes and in the lack of clarity and/or detail in describing ethical procedures or the eligibility criteria for participants. [37] 2014 OT Y F Cros E C,A,B Ayalon [38] 2013 OT Y,O F,M Cros E A Ayalon [39] 2016 S O F Long E B Bacanli [40] 1994 OT Y F Cros E C Baker [41] 1983 OT Y F Cros E C Beatty [42] 2009 OT Y F Cros E C Beck [43] 1979 OT Y -Exp E C Bell [44] 1973 OT Y,O F Exp E C Bergman [45] 2013 OT Y F Cros E C,A,B Bhana [46] 1983 OT Y F,M Exp E C Bieman-Copland [47] 2001 OT Y,O F Exp E C Bierly [48] 1985 OT Y F Cros E C Bodner [49] 2014 [106] 2002 OT Y F Cros E C Fullen [107] 2016 S O F Cros E C Fusilier [108] 1983 OT Y M Exp E C Gattuso [109] 1998 S Y F Cros E C,A,B Gattuso [110] 2002 OT Y F Cros E C,A,B Gekoski [111] 1990 OT Y F,M Exp E C Gekoski [112] 1984 OT Y F,M Exp E C Gibson [113] 1993 OT Y,O -Exp E C Gluth [114] 2010 OT Y,O M Cros E C Gordon [115] 1988 [116] 1989 OT O -Cros E C Hale [117] 1998 OT Y,O -Cros E C Harris [118] 1988 OT Y M Cros E C Harwood [119] 1994 OT Y F Exp E C Harwood [120] 2001 OT O F Cros E C Harwood [121] 2005 OT Y F Cros E C,A Haught [122] 1999 OT Y -Cros, Cohort E C Hawkins [123] 1996 OT Y F Cros E C Hehman [124] 2012 [187] 1985 OT Y,O -Cros E C Pecchioni [188] 2002 OT Y F Cros E C Randler [189] 2014 OT Y F,M Cros E C Reed [190] 1992 OT Y -Cros E C Revens...…”

“Shades of Grey”: Exploring Public Opinion about Later-Life Sexuality

“…This study has important implications because public opinion not only shapes reality but is also shaped by it. Therefore, the way young and middle-aged people think of later-life sexuality is likely to impact the behaviours of older people, constrain them and may not allow them to reach their full potential or, alternatively, the way they think about later-life sexuality could free them to explore, experiment, and behave as they wish and are able (e.g., Ayalon, 2018;Ojala, Pietilä, & Nikander, 2016). Assessing how people think about sexuality is the first stage in instilling more liberating views about the diversity of sexual expressions in old age.…”

“…These responses were explained by the cultural and societal atmospheres in which older people were raised. However, although older people were raised by parents who lived by conservative sexual norms (Ayalon et al, 2018), it should be acknowledged that many of the older adults today (baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964) in fact reached sexual maturity during the time of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement, which are characterised by increased openness towards sexual expression (Bradway & Beard, 2015;Rowntree, 2014;Vares, Potts, Gavey, & Grace, 2007). Moreover, current trends in society define heterosexual intercourse as the gold standard of sex and set high standards of beauty which are fuelled by the media (Gewirtz-Meydan & Ayalon, 2018;Hurd Clarke, Bennett, & Liu, 2014;Montemurro & Chewning, 2017).…”

Experiences of ageism and the mental health of older adults

“…Finally, given that our study was cross-sectional, it is not possible to determine directions of causality between experiences of ageism and mental health. One study, for example, used a cross-lagged model and found that higher levels of depressive symptoms can in some cases precede higher perceptions of age discrimination (Ayalon, 2016). Nonetheless, the differential relationships between ageism and mental health depending on gender, age, and sexual orientation suggests that associations between experiences of ageism and mental health are likely to be complex, and these would need to be further clarified in longitudinal studies.…”