Dataset Information

Rumination and Sleep Quality Among Older Adults: Examining the Role of Social Support.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Although the adverse link between rumination and sleep quality is well established, much of the literature neglects the role of social factors. This study examined the role of older adults' perceived social support from spouses and from family/friends in modifying the association between trait rumination and sleep quality. Existing hypotheses suggest that social support may play 3 unique roles, each tested within the current study: (H1) support may act as a protective factor that buffers negative effects of rumination on sleep quality, (H2) support may curtail rumination and, in turn, promote sleep quality, and (H3) rumination may erode support and, in turn, undermine sleep quality.

Method

Data came from 86 partnered older adults in independent-living or retirement communities (Mage = 75.70 years). We utilized 3 waves of interview data collected annually between 2017 and 2019. The first hypothesis was tested using moderation in multilevel models; the second 2 hypotheses were evaluated with prospective associations using multilevel mediation.

Results

Negative effects of high-trait rumination on time-varying sleep quality were attenuated among those who reported high, stable levels of support from their spouses. Perceived family/friend support did not yield the same protective effect. There was no evidence that support preempted, or was eroded by, rumination.

Discussion

Perceived spousal support may act as a psychosocial resource that mitigates negative effects of trait rumination on older adults' sleep quality. Interventions aimed at mitigating maladaptive outcomes of rumination on sleep quality for older adults should consider spousal support as a key target.

SUBMITTER: Marini CM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8598998 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundDespite the generally accepted belief that social support improves caregiver adjustment in general and subjective burden in particular, the literature shows mixed findings, and a recent review concluded that the predictive strength of caregiver social support in determining caregiver burden is less evident, due to the conceptual diversity of this determinant.ObjectiveThe purpose of this review is to analyse the relationship of perceived and received social support with subjective burden among informal caregivers of an adult or older adult.MethodsA systematic search was carried out up to September 2017 in the following databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO), Scopus and ISI Proceedings, and a meta-analysis was performed with the results of the selected and included studies.ResultsFifty-six studies were included in the meta-analysis, which provided 46 independent comparisons for perceived support and 16 for received support. Most of these studies were cross-sectional. There was a moderate, negative association of perceived social support on subjective burden (r = -0.36; CI 95% = -0.40, -0.32) and a very small, negative association of received support on subjective burden (r = -0.05; CI 95% = -0.095, -0.001).Conclusions1) perceived and received support are not redundant constructs, 2) the relationships between social support and subjective burden depend on whether the social support is measured as perceived or received, 3) the relationship of perceived social support with subjective burden has a bigger effect size than that of received social support, the relation between received support and subjective burden being clinically irrelevant, 4) perceived social support may be a good predictor of subjective burden.Implications of key findingsOur findings broadly support interventions promoting social support in caregivers to prevent or alleviate subjective burden, and specifically, to intervene on the promotion of perceived social support more than on the promotion of received social support when preventing or alleviating burden.