Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T A Revenson

Publications and source records attributed to T A Revenson.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Vulnerability to economic stress.

A stress vulnerability model was applied to the relationship between economic stress and mental health. Longitudinal data were obtained by reinterviewing 291 respondents from a prior community survey of economic change and health (Catalano & Dooley, 1983). The follow-up survey was conducted at the height of the last recession, approximately 1 year after the first. As predicted, increases in self-reported economic stress adversely affected psychological health, controlling for prior mental health status. However, individuals with poor prior mental health status were more vulnerable to economic stress: They were more likely to experience it during this economic contraction and were somewhat less likely to recover from it. Economic stress and mental health appear to have reciprocal effects, suggesting a spiral model of adaptation. Implications for interventions concerning economic change and mental health are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1984

Social and demographic correlates of loneliness in late life.

Although loneliness is often viewed as a serious problem of old age, few studies have addressed either its measurement or prevalence among older populations. The present study analyzed survey data from newspaper questionnaires circulated in three North American cities (N = 2,026) in order to examine the prevalence of loneliness across the life-span and some of its correlates in late life. Loneliness decreased across the adult life-span, with respondents age 65 and older the least lonely; elders were also more satisfied with their social relationships. Neither gender nor living alone was related to loneliness for older people. The data also partially confirm the desolation hypothesis, suggesting that desolation, or the loss of an intimate attachment, rather than isolation per se is a major correlate of loneliness in late life. Further, recency of loss was strongly related to increased loneliness. Directions for future research and intervention are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Stress and coping in the explanation of psychological adjustment among chronically ill adults.

This study evaluates the utility of a stress and coping paradigm for explaining individual differences in psychological adjustment to chronic illness. Using data from the first wave of a longitudinal study of 170 middle-aged and elderly adults faced with one of four chronic illnesses (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis), this paper examines the relationship between the stresses of chronic illness and coping, and the ability of coping to explain psychological adjustment. Results show coping strategy use tends to be minimally explained by medical diagnosis. Cognitive strategies, including information seeking, are related to positive affect while emotional strategies, particularly those involving avoidance, blame and emotional ventilation, are related to negative affect, lowered self-esteem and poorer adjustment to illness. While the findings suggest that a stress and coping model may be valuable in understanding adjustment among the chronically ill, the general modesty of coping effects and the failure of the stress buffering hypothesis to explain adjustment indicates a need for new research approaches and some modification of current theories of coping.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1983

Social supports as stress buffers for adult cancer patients.

Although a growing body of research evidence suggests that persons encountering stressful life circumstances are protected from potential declines in health and well-being by supportive relationships, the evidence for the stress-buffering qualities of social support for cancer patients is equivocal. This study examines the relationship between naturally occurring, supportive behaviors and psychological adjustment to the illness for 32 nonhospitalized adult cancer patients, and includes follow-up data collected 7 months after the initial interview. Results indicated that although support appeared to have few effects on adjustment at either time point for the sample as a whole, social support was related to poorer adjustment for patients not undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, or for those with many limitations on physical functioning. These findings, though tentative because of the sample size, point to the need to consider the specific contextual stresses the cancer patient is experiencing in evaluating psychosocial adjustment to the illness, and suggest caution in assuming social supports to be a universal boon.

Aged↗