Although religion has not been a mainline topic of empirical inquiry in the gerontological social work literature, there has been growing recognition in the past two decades of the health protective effects of religious involvement on both physical and psychological well-being. Depression interferes with both individual and social functioning that…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between functional disability and the use of health care services in a nationally representative sample of older adults by using the Andersen behavioral model of health services utilization. Design and Methods: The study used 12 years of longitudinal…

Presents an inventory of social science published reports about the elderly in Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban subnationalities in the United States. Assesses information on service availability and utilization, extended family support, migration, and also research problems. Indicates that Cuban and Puerto Rican elderly have been disregarded by…

Changes in the geographic distribution of Hispanics have created a new focus on Hispanic populations removed from the traditional Hispanic population centers. To focus on the needs of rural elderly Hispanics, interviews with 110 rural elderly Hispanic subjects were conducted that emphasized the reliance of the rural elderly on family members. A…

The monograph presents state-of-the-art assessments of available research pertaining to the American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Asian, Hispanic, and Black elderly. These assessments, prepared by five prominent minority gerontologists (John Red Horse, Sharon Y. Moriwaki, Sylvia Yuen Schwitters, Jean Keith Crawford, and Maurice Jackson), reflect…

Purpose: More than 14 million persons are projected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2020; therefore, it is not surprising that the literature contains numerous caregiver intervention studies. What is surprising is that although minority elders represent one of the fastest growing segments of the older population, they are…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,804 non-institutionalized Hispanic individuals age 55 and over were analyzed in an attempt to understand how formal and informal social support systems and awareness of available social services (environmental awareness) affect the ability of elderly Hispanics to remain independent within their communities. The…

Multiple regression and path analyses of 29 demographic, social, and psychological variables were carried out to determine those variables that influenced the use of community-based mental health services by the Hispanic elderly. The variables were classified using the Andersen and Newman framework which conceptualizes the individual's demand for…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,804 non-institutionalized Hispanic elderly (age 55 and over) were analyzed to determine what factors best predict this group's use of informal mental health support (i.e., spouse, relatives, and friends). The study was a secondary analysis of data collected in 1979-80 using a national sample stratified by…

Data obtained from interviews with 1,039 non-institutionalized Hispanic elderly (55 and older) who identified themselves as having one or more psychological difficulties were analyzed to determine what factors best predicted subjective well-being. The study was a secondary analysis of data collected in 1979-80 using a national sample stratified by…