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Stress experiences of elite older persons
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine the stress experiences of 200 socially active, retired professionals and to test the reliability of revised uplifts, hassles, and coping method use frequency and effectiveness scales. Participants provided data about age, sex, health status, level of formal education, and years of retirement and rated the intensity of 36 uplifts and hassles. They also rated the frequency of use and helpfulness of 24 coping methods in general management of distress. Cronbach alphas for the revised scales ranged from.86 to.95. Twenty uplifts and 10 hassles were identified by at least 50% of the participants; uplifts related to social activities, social relationships, personal resources, and characteristics of the environment. Hassles were news events and political issues, weather, physical abilities and appearance, exercise, home repairs, housework, cooking, and car maintenance. Only one of the 24 coping methods was not used by at least 50% of the participants. The two most helpful methods were pray, put faith in God, and think positive/hope. Three-way analyses revealed the only significant difference between mean scores of uplift and hassle intensity and coping method use and helpfulness on age, years of retirement, and marital status was between mean uplift scores and marital status ($F$ = 10.09, p $<$.001). Differences in participant ratings of the emotional significance of the same types of events, coping method use frequency, and helpfulness support the use of a cognitive phenomenological rather than a stimulus response model of stress in research, program planning, and direct services to clients related to stress and stress management.
Subject Area
Adult education|Continuing education|Educational psychology|Gerontology|Social psychology
Recommended Citation
Garrett, Mary Jane, "Stress experiences of elite older persons" (1991). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9211469.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9211469