Social Connectedness Moderates the Relationship Between Warfare Exposure, PTSD Symptoms, and Health Among Older Adults.

ABSTRACT: Objective: The goal of the current study is to examine whether social connectedness among older adults mitigates the risk of poor health due to exposure to warfare and related symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior research has indicated a protective role for social connectedness in the face of trauma in general. However, this same association has not been examined among older adults exposed to warfare, even though they are potentially a more vulnerable population with unique social needs. Method: The study used cross-sectional data from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel; N = 1,557, mean age = 69.03, age range = 50 to 105). It employed a composite scale of social connectedness, data on exposur

SUBMITTER: Schwartz E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6504622 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature