Dana Burr Bradley

The Sex Difference in Depression Across 29 Countries

The sex difference in depression is well documented in westernized, developed societies, although there has been little quantitative cross-cultural research on the topic. In this study, we use multilevel logit models to examine sex differences in depression across 29 countries using data from the World Values Survey. We find that in no country are males more likely to be depressed than females. We also find that while levels of depression are higher in low gender equity countries, the gender gap in depression is larger in high gender equity countries.

The Baby Boomer Effect: Changing Patterns of Substance Abuse Among Adults Ages 55 and Older

Between now and 2030, the number of adults aged 65 and older in the United States will almost double, from around 37 million to more than 70 million, an increase from 12% of the U.S. population to almost 20%. It was long held that, with only a few isolated exceptions, substance abuse simply did not exist among this population. In light of the impact of the baby boom generation, this assumption may no longer be valid. The authors examined admissions of persons 55 years and older (n = 918,955) from the Treatment Episode Data Set (1998–2006). Total admissions with a primary drug problem with alcohol have remained relatively stable over this time. Admissions for problems with a primary drug other than alcohol have shown a steady and substantial increase. Clearly, data from the Treatment Episode Data Set indicate a coming wave of older addicts whose primary problem is not alcohol. The authors suspect that this wave is led primarily by the continuing emergence of the baby boomer generation.

INCORPORATING FIELD SITES INTO SERVICE-LEARNING AS COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

This article, which describes the service-learning program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, advocates incorporating the needs and perspectives of field sites selected for involvement in service-learning projects. Information is gathered through interviews with field site supervisors. Service-learning requires the active participation of both members of the college or university (e.g., students, faculty members, and administrators) and community partners in a collaborative process. When successful, this collaboration focuses on both mutual interests and common goals. Involving all partners throughout the process is crucial for successful collaboration. This article offers suggestions for the development of strong service-learning collaborations with community organizations. These suggestions fall into three broad categories: (a) level of site involvement throughout the project, (b) conceptualization of the project, and (c) managerial aspects of the collaboration.This article, which describes the service-learning program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, advocates incorporating the needs and perspectives of field sites selected for involvement in service-learning projects. Information is gathered through interviews with field site supervisors. Service-learning requires the active participation of both members of the college or university (e.g., students, faculty members, and administrators) and community partners in a collaborative process. When successful, this collaboration focuses on both mutual interests and common goals. Involving all partners throughout the process is crucial for successful collaboration. This article offers suggestions for the development of strong service-learning collaborations with community organizations. These suggestions fall into three broad categories: (a) level of site involvement throughout the project, (b) conceptualization of the project, and (c) managerial aspects of the collaboration.

Developing Research Questions through Grant Proposal Development.

Developing good research ideas is both a science and an art. Teaching students how to select and then conceptualize the research idea requires both tools and practice. This paper discusses the identification of an appropriate research question and the refinement of it into a working research plan in the format of a grant proposal. The author has used the development of a grant proposal to demonstrate the linkages between theoretical models of aging policy and aging policy research in a masters level Aging and Public Policy Course. In this course students choose, develop, and refine a research statement in response to a request for proposal from an independent foundation. The theoretical knowledge cycle is used to discuss how these students learn over time to refine and reformulate their ideas into workable research questions. Students report that writing for a real funding entity allows them to develop both proficiency with the construction of a research question and research plan and develop expertise with aging policy.

Influence of Satisfaction with Services on Assisted Living Resident Satisfaction

The purpose of our investigation was to provide insight into the service domains that most heavily influenced self-reported resident satisfaction among residents in assisted living facilities. Data was gathered from the 2008 Press Ganey Assisted Living Survey. Satisfaction with service domains was measured using 7 subscales addressing the areas of activities, staff attentiveness, meals, apartment space, facility attractiveness, personal issues, and management. Generalized linear mixed models were specified to assess the influence of demographics, functional status, self-rated health, and satisfaction with service domains on resident satisfaction. In the final multivariate model self-rated health, independence with laundry and finances, and satisfaction with aides, meals and management demonstrated a significant positive effect on resident satisfaction. As the number of assisted living facilities continues to increase, senior management would be wise to consider which domains of service are particularly salient in assisted living environments.

Substance Abuse Policies in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Survey with Implications for Education of Long-Term Care Providers

The aging of the Baby Boom presents long-term care with many new challenges. Among these are the historically high levels of drug use by this cohort. This study surveyed administrators of licensed skilled nursing facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky regarding their perception of current drug use by residents, facility policies and procedures currently in place regarding illicit drug use, and their attitudes toward use of illicit drugs by residents. The results of interviews with 40 administrators or their designees revealed that they have experienced little problem with use or abuse of illegal drugs by residents. Fewer than one-third of the facilities had formal policies in place regarding illegal drug use. Only 10% had any experience with requests for medical marijuana, but almost one in five had a policy on the matter and nearly one-third stated they would support medical marijuana use by some of their residents if the matter arose. These authors recommend the following: (a) that the issue of illicit drug use needs to be addressed now before the situation becomes critical, (b) that administrators and staff need to be educated about recreational drug use and appropriate responses to drug abuse, (c) that screening instruments for drug abuse in this population should be developed and implemented, and (d) that policies regarding medical marijuana need to be adopted by all such facilities.

What Should Gerontology Learn From Health Education Accreditation

Quality assurance and accreditation are closely tied together. This article documents the work toward a unified and comprehensive national accreditation program in health education. By exploring the accreditation journey of another discipline, the field of gerontology should learn valuable lessons. These include an attention to inclusivity, a generous timeline, ample communication, and abundant resources.

Federal Policies and Local Realities: The Case of Appalachian Senior Programs

ABSTRACT National senior service programs have had a long and relatively successful history. Emerging at the intersection of federal aging and poverty policy initiatives in the early 1960s, projects such as the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) and the Senior Companion Program (SCP) have expanded in size and scope over the last several decades. These two programs were first introduced into northwestern North Carolina in the 1980s. While the experiences of FGP and SCP in the region have broadly mirrored the successes of programs located elsewhere, they have also confronted difficulties unique to their local realities that federal policy guidelines are often not sensitive to.

Developing Gerontology Educators through a Graduate Teaching Practicum.

This article addresses the formal process of constructing and implementing a graduate teaching practicum in a Masters program in Gerontology. The model presented examines the two-semester experience of a graduate student learning to teach an undergraduate Introduction to Gerontology class, under the guidance of two faculty members. The roles of the gerontology program director, the faculty mentors, and graduate student are highlighted. Issues include balancing the responsibilities and rights of a student with expectations of performance as an instructor, developing responsible and personalized pedagogical practices while insuring high-quality undergraduate instruction, and insuring successful performance standards through evaluation. This is presented as an effective model that could be adapted by other graduate gerontoloy programs.