Well-being and physical health are central indicators of quality of life in old age. Research from a between-person difference perspective finds that people in better health than their peers also report higher well-being than their peers. However, we know very little about whether changes in one domain are accompanied by changes in the other…

We examined whether dispositional optimism relates to change in global quality of life (QOL) as a function of either chronological age or years to impending death. We used a sample of 2,096 deceased postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials who were enrolled in the 2005-2010 Extension Study and for whom at least 1…

Perceived control is interrelated with aging-related outcomes across adulthood and old age. Relatively little is known, however, about resources as antecedents of longitudinal change in perceived control and the role of perceived control as a buffer against mortality risk when these resources are low. We examined functional limitations, depressive…

Background: By 2008, 12 million children in sub-Saharan Africa were orphaned by AIDS. Cross-sectional studies show psychological problems for AIDS-orphaned children, but until now no longitudinal study has explored enduring psychological effects of AIDS-orphanhood in the developing world. Methods: A 4-year longitudinal follow-up of AIDS-orphaned…

We examined the relation of level of cognition to survival in a biracial community population of more than 10,000 older persons. At baseline, participants completed 4 cognitive tests from which a composite global cognitive measure was derived. During up to 14 years of follow-up (mean = 6.9 years), 4201 people died (41.6%). Higher level of…

Using nationwide, 7-year population-based data for 1997-2003, we examined marital status to see if it predicted suicide among the ethnic Chinese population of Taiwan. Using cause of death data, with a case-control design, two groups--total adult suicide deaths, n = 17,850, the study group, and adult deaths other than suicide, n = 71,400 (randomly…

Used the Piagetian interview and observation to investigate the understanding of death of 378 children of 2-10 years. Results showed that most children revealed a well-structured understanding of death at 4-5 years. (RJC)

Drawing from the life course perspective, racial disparities in hospitalization are considered in light of a chain of risk. We ask whether race influences admission to, length of stay in, and mortality following hospitalization. Analyses address these questions with data from a national longitudinal sample of adults to assess racial disparities in…

Utilizing Louisiana State Bureau of Vital Statistics and U.S. Census data, longevity trends with residence comparisons were examined for all persons 65 or over who died between 1962 and 1974, who were Louisiana residents at the time of death, and whose death was not due to external violence. Every third year in the 12 year period was arbitrarily…

Studied (N=120) terminally ill cancer patients over several months on quality of life variables, functional status and survival. Counseled patients changed significantly more than controls by three months. Overall, response to counseling was similar in young and old patients, with both improving. (Author/JAC)

Younger spouses initially manifested greater grief; older spouses showed exacerbated grief reactions. While denial seemed to be a defense against anxiety, elevations on the Social Isolation, Depersonalization, and Death Anxiety scales for older spouses showed the debilitating effects of loneliness and fear. (Author)

Surveyed 547 11-year-olds concerning future hopes and worries. Re-surveyed subjects 3 years later and conducted interviews with 152 of the now 14-year-olds. Worries about employment and nuclear war appeared to predominate throughout adolescence, while proportions of students worried about unemployment, own mortality, lack of money, and Acquired…