Mediators of Perceptions of Stress among Community-Based Elders

Abstract

Research focusing on the relationship between the frequency of stressful life events and perceptions of stress among the aged has increased considerably over the past few decades. The present research focused on expanding the simple life-events/stress-perceptions paradigm by including several other variables that have previously been assumed to be associated with an increase in perceptions of stress among elderly persons. More specifically, the present investigation concerned evaluation of mediating effects of levels of social support, problem-solving, and frequency of daily hassles on the perceptions of stress by elderly individuals. A prospective design evaluated over a 24-mo. period was used to assess the mediating effects. A conceptual model of mediating effects was tested using path analysis statistical techniques on data from a sample of 80 community-based elderly volunteers. The postulated model accounted for 53% of the variance associated with the prediction of perceptions of stress among the elderly subjects. Implications for current theory and research in the study of mediating variables in the stress symptomatology of older adults are discussed.