While aging is associated with increased health problems and disability, most seniors subjectively rate their health positively, and view aging as a positive period of life evaluation, increased wisdom and maturity. The somewhat paradoxical nature of these findings suggests that later life well-being is multidimensional and variable. Drawing on data from a nationally representative survey, this paper describes the subjective well-being of a sample of Canadian seniors, using the Ryff multidimensional measure of well-being, and investigates the effects of various demographic, health and socio-economic conditions on reported levels of well-being. Seniors’ well-being is robust in terms of the dimension of autonomy, which is resilient to the physical and social circumstances of later life. But, as seniors age, they experience declines in their sense of purpose in life and opportunities for personal growth, in part, due to socio-economic factors. Good health and functional status are important for seniors’ sense of mastery over their surrounding world.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the coping strategies of older persons and the relationship between coping and mental health following widowhood. A subsample of a longitudinal study, composed of 32 subjects aged 65 years and over, was interviewed at home three times within a 24 month interval. These subjects had been widowed for 18 to 23 months at the third data collection period. Standardized questionnaires and ethnographic open-ended interviews were used as data collection methods. Non parametric statistics revealed no significant difference between the use of coping strategies by women before and after widowhood. The only change found for men was a significant increase in the use of formal social support from services after the loss of their partner. Content analysis of qualitative data suggests a pattern in the use of coping strategies following widowhood. Refraining, a cognitive strategy, was the only coping strategy positively associated with the mental health of spouses and widows. There was no significant difference in the strength of this relationship before and after widowhood. Refraining, a cognitive strategy, was the only coping strategy positively associated with the mental health of spouses and widows. There was no significant difference in the strength of this relationship before and after widowhood. These results suggest a stability in the repertoire of coping strategies in spite of the stressfulness of the situation of losing a lifelong partner and give credence, in part, to the notion of trait or style of coping. Results of this study also provide guidance for gerontological intervention.

Palmore, Nowlin, and Wang (1985) posit a theoretical framework in which to predict the health status of older adults over time as a function of social, economic, physical and mental health variables. The current study provides the first independent, empirical test of this model based upon longitudinal data derived from a representative sample of older British Columbians. The results of this study support the basic structure of the Palmore model; however, various revisions were required to improve the fit of data. Findings indicate that demographic and socio-economic variables have a direct effect upon functional status at baseline. Results further suggest significant consistency in the functional status of older adults over a two-year interval. Directions for future research as well as limitations of the current study are discussed.

Little research has focussed on nursing home residents with a history including a non-dementia related chronic mental illness (HCMI) that manifested before placement in a nursing home. Data from the 1993 Minimum Data Set for Nursing Home Resident Assessment and Care Screening (MDS) on over 70,000 residents in Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, and South Dakota were used to investigate differences in characteristics and care between these residents and more traditional residents. HCMI residents were more likely to be under 65 years of age, male, Medicaid recipients, less functionally impaired, to exhibit higher levels of problem behaviours, and to receive psychoactive medications and psychological therapy, though therapy prevalence rates were low. These data may indicate that appropriate care for HCMI residents is a concern.