Beyond Caregiving: Daily Pleasant Activities among Caregivers to Older Adults with and without Dementia.

Objectives: Limited research has explored caregivers' activities beyond caregiving duties, which may offer positive experiences and counterbalance caregiving stress. This study aimed to (a) identify the most pleasant non-caregiving activities, (b) assess time allocation based on activity categories and pleasantness, and (c) investigate the association between activity pleasantness and duration, considering differences between caregivers to older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) and those without.

Methods: This study included 2,136 caregivers (33% ADRD) from the 2017 National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) who participated in a time diary interview.

Comparative effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy, modafinil, and their combination for treating fatigue in multiple sclerosis (COMBO-MS): a randomised, statistician-blinded, parallel-arm trial.

Background: Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms reported by people with multiple sclerosis. Although behavioural and pharmacological interventions might be partly beneficial, their combined effects have not been evaluated for multiple sclerosis fatigue, or examined with sufficient consideration of characteristics that might affect treatment response. In this comparative effectiveness research trial, we compared the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), modafinil, and their combination for treating multiple sclerosis fatigue.

Do friends get under the skin?: Everyday social encounters and cardiovascular functioning among Black and White adults in the United States.

Objective: Studies have shown that contact with friends enhances emotional health, but little is known about whether friends influence cardiovascular health. This study investigated (a) whether encounters with friends and the quality of these encounters were associated with cardiovascular reactivity in everyday life and (b) whether these associations varied by race.

Method: Participants were from the Stress and Well-being in Everyday Life Study which included Black ( = 76; aged = 34-76) and White ( = 87, aged = 34-91) adults residing in the United States.

Switching it up: Activity diversity and cognitive functioning in later life.

Participating in a broad and balanced range of daily activities (i.e., activity diversity) has been associated with better cognitive functioning in later life.

Neighborhood Cohesion Across the Life Course and Effects on Cognitive Aging.

Objectives: Greater neighborhood cohesion is associated with better cognitive function in adulthood and may serve as a protective factor against cognitive impairment and decline. We build on prior work by examining the effects of perceived neighborhood cohesion across the life course on level and change in cognitive function in adulthood.

Methods: Utilizing longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2016) and its Life History Mail Survey, we leveraged data from 3,599 study participants (baseline age: 51-89) who participated in up to 10 waves.

Friendships and Emotional Well-Being in the Context of Race and Age.

Background And Objectives: Research suggests that friendships are associated with better emotional outcomes. Still, little is known about the implications of daily friend encounters on emotional well-being in the context of race and age. Guided by the integrative conceptual framework for friendship research, this study considers racism and cultural beliefs associated with racial groups and different social and emotional goals associated with age and investigates whether the frequency of friend encounters and the link between friend encounters and emotional well-being in everyday life would vary by race and age.

Who Has Active Lifestyles? Sociodemographic and Personality Correlates of Activity Diversity in Two Samples of Adults.

Objectives: Activity diversity-an index of active lifestyles that captures variety (number) and evenness (consistency) in activity engagement-is known to support health in adulthood. However, less is known who has higher or lower activity diversity, information that helps identify individuals who may be at greater risk for poor health. This article examined sociodemographic characteristics and Big Five personality traits that may be associated with activity diversity.

Television Viewing, Physical Activity, and Loneliness in Late Life.

Background And Objectives: Television viewing is the most common leisure activity in late life and may ease loneliness but encourage sedentary behavior. These associations may be particularly evident among older adults who live alone and who may lack other forms of companionship throughout the day.

Research Design And Methods: Adults aged 65+ (N = 257) participated, of whom 34% lived alone.

Late Life in the Living Room: Room Décor, Functional Limitations, and Personality.

Background And Objectives: Environmental gerontology and environmental psychology theories address adaptations of living space for disability and individual preferences. This study combines these perspectives to examine how room décor (i.e.

Older Adult's Marital Status, Conversation Frequency, and Well-Being in Everyday Life.

Objectives: Marital status contributes to differences in social experiences and well-being in late life. Yet, we know little about the role of conversation in these processes. Drawing on a functionalist perspective and hierarchical compensatory model, this study aimed to understand (a) whether older adults' marital status is associated with conversation frequency throughout the day, (b) whether contacts with nonspousal ties elicit more conversations among unmarried older adults, and (c) whether conversations exert a stronger effect on mood for unmarried older adults than married older adults.

Functional Limitations, Social Integration, and Daily Activities in Late Life.

Objectives: Disability in late life has been associated with increases in receiving care and loss of autonomy. The Disablement Process Model suggests that physical impairments lead to functional limitations that contribute to disabilities in managing household, job, or other demands. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how functional limitations are related to activities throughout the day among community-dwelling adults or the possible moderating role of social integration on these associations.

Empathy and Coping: Older Adults' Interpersonal Tensions and Mood throughout the Day.

Introduction: Scholars have proposed that empathy is a key feature of strong social ties, but less is known about the role empathy plays when tensions arise.

Objective: We examined whether older adults' empathy was associated with (a) coping strategies for interpersonal tensions, and (b) mood when there were tensions throughout the day. We also explored whether coping strategies explained the potential buffering effect of empathy on older adults' momentary mood.

Living Alone During COVID-19: Social Contact and Emotional Well-being Among Older Adults.

Objective: The COVID-19 outbreak and associated physical distancing measures altered the social world for most older adults, but people who live alone may have been disproportionately affected. The current study examined how living alone was associated with daily social contact and emotional well-being among older adults during the pandemic.

Method: Adults (N = 226) aged 69+ completed a brief survey assessing their living situation, social contact with different social partners (in person, by phone, electronically), and emotions during the morning, afternoon, and evening the prior day.

Positive Encounters as a Buffer: Pain and Sleep Disturbances in Older Adults' Everyday Lives.

To test whether older adults' pain was bidirectionally associated with nighttime sleep disturbances and whether daily positive encounters attenuated these associations. Participants ( = 292, = 73.71 years old) from the indicated pain and positive encounters with close partners (e.

Friendships in Old Age: Daily Encounters and Emotional Well-Being.

Objectives: Having friends in old age is linked to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Yet, we know little about older adults' emotional experiences when they encounter friends throughout the day. This study examined whether older adults reported (a) more pleasantness, (b) fewer conversations about stressful experiences, and (c) better mood when they had contact with friends compared to when they had contact with other social partners or were alone throughout the day.