The purpose of this study is to see if contact with the dead is associated with lower death anxiety among older Mexican Americans. The data come from a nationwide survey of older Mexican Americans (N = 1,005). The study model specifies that (a) older Mexican Americans who have experienced contact with the dead are more likely to see the…

Uses social identity theory in order to evaluate whether alcohol use buffers the effects of stress on depressive symptoms in older adults. Results supported the hypothesis that alcohol effects reduce the negative impact of events arising in social roles that are not highly valued by study participants, and that alcohol consumption exacerbates the…

Examines the relationship between stress and diabetes with data provided by a recent nationwide survey of older adults. Two main findings emerged. First, stressors arising in social roles that are highly important to older adults are more strongly related to diabetes than events associated with less important roles. Second, social support buffers…

Studies exposure to life stress as an explanation for gender differences in older adults' utilization of social support. Results suggest that, as stressful events increase, elderly men and women are equally likely to become more involved in their social network, while gender differences emerge in response to chronic financial strain. (JS)

This study examined patterns of change and stability in religiosity over the life course. Open-ended interviews with 129 adults aged 65 and older provided a rich source of data for applying a life course perspective to the study of religion. Two theoretical constructs from the life course perspective (i.e., trajectories and transitions) were used…