Objectives The number of older adults with severe mental health problems such as schizophrenia is likely to double in the next 20 years. The needs of this patient group change across the life course, but difficulties with social functioning persist into older age. Poorer social functioning is associated with poorer outcomes and has been identified as a priority for intervention by patients themselves. This paper systematically reviews studies examining the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on social functioning for people with severe mental health problems in later life. Methods A systematic review of peer‐reviewed journal articles was conducted and databases were searched from inception to December 2017. The review was limited to psychosocial interventions, for mid to older aged adults (≥40 years of age) with severe mental illness that included a validated measure of social functioning. Results Fifteen studies (17 papers) met inclusion criteria. There was evidence to support skills training interventions that primarily focused on social skills training or integrated mental and physical health interventions. There was not sufficient evidence to recommend any other interventions. Conclusions The results highlight the limited nature of interventions designed specifically for older people with severe mental health problems that target social functioning and the need for more robust, large‐scale studies in the area. Current evidence suggests that cognitive behaviour therapy can be effective in targeting social functioning in younger age groups, but, as yet, there is insufficient evidence to recommend this intervention for an older population.
To examine associations between complexity of main lifetime occupation and cognitive performance in later life.
Methods:
Occupational complexity ratings for data, people, and things were collected from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles for 1,066 individuals (men = 534, women = 532) in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. IQ data were available from mean age 11 years. Cognitive ability data across the domains of general ability, processing speed, and memory were available at mean age 70 years.
Results:
General linear model analyses indicated that complexity of work with people and data were associated with better cognitive performance at age 70, after including age 11 IQ, years of education, and social deprivation.
Conclusions:
The current findings are supportive of the differential preservation hypotheses that more stimulating environments preserve cognitive ability in later life, although the continued effects into old age are still debated. Studies that have early-life cognitive ability measures are rare, and the current study offers interesting prospects for future research that may further the understanding of successful aging.
SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL IN EARLY childhood may indicate a lack of knowledge of social skills or extreme shyness. If required, an early intervention program is the best way to ensure that the behaviour does not manifest into a more significant problem for the individual. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of a video modelling intervention, demonstrating sharing, on the generalisation of social skills in a socially withdrawn preschooler. The intervention consisted of a target child watching a video—showing children of the same gender and age—that demonstrates children performing a ‘sharing’ sequence of behaviour. Interval sampling was used in the data collection. Results indicated a positive response to the intervention, demonstrated by an increase in the related social skills of positive verbalisations, maintained reciprocal play and reduced adult interaction. Results are discussed with reference to how behaviour is affected through natural contingencies and innate factors within the child.
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