Yaël Saada

Does positive affect change in old age? Results from a 22-year longitudinal study.

The authors examined longitudinal change in positive affect (PA), a component of subjective well-being. Positive affect was assessed with the PA subscale of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) in a sample of individuals from the PAQUID cohort (n = 3,777; age 62-101 years, M = 75.46, SD = 6.91 at Wave 1) over a period of 22 years (10 waves of data). Latent growth curve modeling was used to assess change in PA. A quadratic latent growth curve was found to characterize the latent growth pattern of PA in our sample, indicating linear change before a decline phase. These results were discussed with reference to the well-being paradox.

Subjective wellbeing and longevity: Findings from a 22-year cohort study

OBJECTIVE The health implications of positive affect (PA) are still a matter of debate. The present study examined the longitudinal relationships between subjective wellbeing (SWB) components (i.e., Life satisfaction, PA and negative affect (NA)) and all-cause mortality in older adults. METHODS Discrete-time survival analysis within the structural equation modeling framework was applied to data from the PAQUID Cohort (n=3777, baseline age 62-101years) including ten time periods spanning 22years. Time-invariant (age, gender, baseline life satisfaction, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia status) and lagged time-varying (PA, NA, dementia, functional status and self-rated health) predictors were included sequentially in the analyses. RESULTS When included together in the model, only PA among the SWB components showed a significant association with longevity, which persisted (OR=.962, 95% CI=.938, .986) even after adjustment for the interaction between PA and NA, and after additional adjustment for prior medical conditions, functional status and self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS In congruence with positive psychology, PA proved to be an independent protective factor regardless of variations in NA, which did not seem to be a mortality risk factor.

Dyadic Cross-Sectional Associations Between Depressive Mood, Relationship Satisfaction, and Common Dyadic Coping

ABSTRACT The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the mediational role of common dyadic coping in the links between depressive mood and relationship satisfaction. We estimated two competing Actor–Partner Mediator Models, in which the dyad is the highest unit of analysis. The first model specified dyadic coping as a mediator in the association between relationship satisfaction and depression, whereas the second model specified dyadic coping as a mediator between depression and relationship satisfaction. Analyzing data from 198 couples, our findings provided a plausible approximation of the second model, representing the interactional model of depression. They showed that common dyadic coping mediates the link between depression and relationship satisfaction for men only.

Psychometric Properties of the French Adaptation of the Basic Documentation for Psycho-Oncology (Po-Bado): A Distress Screening Tool

We translated and adapted the French version of the Basic Documentation for Psycho-Oncology (Po-Bado standard version) and we report its psychometric properties. The Po-Bado is a 12-item documentation instrument that measures psychosocial burden in cancer patients (all types and stages). The intensity of a patients psychological suffering is evaluated by a health care professional (e.g., doctor, psychologist, nurse) in a semiguided interview. Overall, 252 cancer patients (Mage = 57 years, SD = 12.8 years) participated, completing the Po-Bado during a supportive care consultation following initial diagnosis. Our results show good reliability of the Po-Bado scores, with high internal consistency and interrater coefficients. Low temporal stability indicated that the Po-Bado measures a state-like phenomenon (vs. trait-like). Validity analysis showed significant correlations between cancer-specific psychosocial burden and negative mood (i.e., depression, anxiety) and psychological disturbance as assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Confirmatory factor analysis validated the Po-Bados two-factor structure (i.e., somatic and psychological burdens). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve determined the optimal cutoff score of 7.5. These results suggest that the Po-Bado is an easily applicable tool for clinicians and researchers to screen effectively for psychosocial burden in oncology.

Dyadic Cross-Sectional Associations Between Negative Mood, Marital Idealization, and Relationship Quality

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate (a) dyadic associations between relationship quality (RQ) and both depressive and anxious mood (DM and AM), (b) reciprocity hypotheses of negative mood within dyadic interactions, and (c) mediational role of marital idealization between negative mood and relationship quality. Actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) were performed using data from a sample of 198 dyads. Our results showed that (a) these two facets of negative mood did not have the same weight on RQ and that they had a gender-specific effects pattern, and (b) there was no support for the mood transmission hypothesis. Mens DM displayed direct and indirect (via marital idealization) actor as well as partner effects on RQ, whereas womens DM displayed only a direct actor effect on RQ. There were no significant direct actor effects of AM on RQ, meaning that this link is fully mediated by marital idealization. However, only womens AM showed such indirect effects on RQ.