• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.24 no.5 s.83
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• pp.113-128
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• 2006

This study was to verify the effectiveness of the Life Review-Narrative group therapy program on decreasing depression and death anxiety in the elderly. The program was organized according to a course of life from childhood to old age. The objectives were for the elderly to enhance self-worth, to become aware of their solitary existence, to accept aging and death, to accept the life: both past and present, and to make the most of experiences in overcoming difficulties. For the most part, the program used reminiscence and re-authoring of the narrative therapy as counseling techniques. Thirty-two elderly people(16 in the experimental group, 16 in the control group) aged 60 years and over were randomly selected from patients at the Daegu Metropolitan City General Welfare Center. Two groups were identified as equivalents for the study in the pre-test. The program for the experimental group was implemented twice a week for 90 minutes per session over a 6-week period(Sep. 8-Oct.14. 2005). The pre-test(Sep. 8 2005), the post-test(Oct. 14. 2005) and the follow-up test(Nov. 14. 2005) were implemented in order to verify the effectiveness of the programs. The instruments used in the study were the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form(Korean Version) and the Death Anxiety Scale. The data were analyzed using t-testing and One-Factor Repeated Measures ANOVA. This study supplemented other qualitative research methods in order to verify the variation in the depression and death anxiety in the elderly. The findings of the study were as follows: Significant decrease in the depression and death anxiety were reported in the experimental group. The control group however did not show any significant changes in the depression and death anxiety rates. The result of the post hoc multiple comparisons showed that the effects of the life review-narrative group therapy program has lasted effects on decreasing of the death anxiety. Nevertheless, the effects of the life review-narrative group therapy program on decreasing depression are not lasting. The study has limitations so further research is suggested.

• 한국노년학
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.953-968
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• 2008

This research was performed to recognize anxiety level of older people, to find out anxiety level after or before regular exercises, and to find out how much anxiety level could be lowered by the sports activities. This research selected a population among the students who enrolled at sport activity classes (e, g., physical exercises, gate ball, volume dance) at L, S, J, Y (a), Y (b), D older people college located in Seoul and Gyoenggi area. 200 of the population were chosen as candidates by convenience sampling, nonprobability sampling. Considering the age of the candidates, total 200 cases were collected by using two methods (survey and interview) simultaneously. The data assessment was made by SPSS 12.0 Version. Error tolerance in statistics is .05. The data was analyzed by using frequency analysis, paired t-test and independent t-test. After analyzing anxiety awareness level after and before regular exercises, anxiety of older people are classified by four factors. First, anxiety for loss is 3.756 (M=3.756) before exercises, while 1.942 (M=1.942) after exercises. Second, fear for aging is 3.443 before exercises and 2.243 after exercises. Third, anxiety for physical appearance is 3.253 before exercises and 2.310 after exercises. Finally, anxiety caused by psychological insecurity is 3.060 before exercises, while 1.666 after exercises. Error of tolerance for all factors falls within .001. Anxiety score after exercises is lower than that of before exercises for every factor as well. As a result, regular physical exercises appeared to reduce anxiety level of older people.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.127-144
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to compare the perceptions of loneliness, death anxiety, and social capital among older adults living in urban and rural communities and to examine the moderating effects of social capital on the relationship between loneliness and death anxiety. Utilizing the survey data collected by the Aging Society and Social Capital Research Center in 2018, we analyzed 839 older adults living in urban areas and 322 rural older adults living in rural areas. We used descriptive statistics, results from t-tests, and χ² tests to compare the rates of loneliness, social capital, and death anxiety perceived by older adults across urban and rural areas. The moderating effects of social capital on the relationship between loneliness and death anxiety were tested by logistic regression analyses for each group of urban and rural older adults. Compared to older adults living in rural areas, a greater number of older adults in urban areas reported death anxiety and higher levels of loneliness. However, the perceived levels of social capital were higher among rural older adults. The moderating effects of social capital on the relationship between loneliness and death anxiety were not found among older adults living in urban area, but, for older adults living in rural areas, social capital including social cohesion and social support moderated the relationship between loneliness and death anxiety. The results of this study suggest that regional differences shown in the perceptions of loneliness, death anxiety, and social capital should be addressed, when considering extensions of social capital and related interventions to deal with loneliness and death anxiety among older adults.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to empirically verify the effects of spousal bereavement and complicated grief level on death anxiety of the elderly. The sample consisted of 1,998 adults who were aged 65 or older. Dependent variable was measured with the Death Anxiety Scale-Korean version (DAS-K). Independent variable was measured with both spousal bereavement and the Inventory of Complicated Grief-Korean version (ICG-K). Multiple regression analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0, adjusting for demographics, psycho-social and health variables. The results indicated that death anxiety level was lower among the bereaved with normal grief (p<.01) than non-bereaved. In contrast, death anxiety level was higher among the bereaved with complicated grief than non-bereaved (p<.01). The study result suggests that the most risky factor for death anxiety is complicated grief rather than the bereavement. Although the bereavement can be a universal experience, the severity and duration of symptoms after the bereavement may not be general. The unhealed emotional and physical pain after the bereavement stimulates death anxiety, and senior citizens who suffer from complicated grief often fail to integrate the bereavement and loss into reality, therefore, may not accept the death phenomenon itself. Anxiety and fear of death can emerge when they cannot acknowledge the bereavement. To manage complex sorrows and mitigate death anxiety, intervention programs should be provided to increase adaptability to the bereavement.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.433-441
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect of psychosocial support, death preparedness, and ego integrity on death anxiety in old people. The participant of this study were the elderly who attended welfare centers, worked in their workplaces, or lived at their home in Seoul regions, from whom this study had collected their data from February to May 2017. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 329 copies of them were used for its final analysis using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 20.0 statistical programs. According to the results of this study, psychosocial support had no statistically significant effect on death anxiety, whereas death preparedness and ego integrity had statistically significant effects on death anxiety. Based upon these research results, this study suggested that it is necessary to develop death education and counseling programs as policy supports and practical methods for helping old people to accept their death positively, reintegrate their ego, and perform their successful aging.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.1109-1124
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• 2016

We examined the effect of stereotype threat (STT) on spatial working memory and facial emotion recognition in Korean elderly. In addition, we investigated the role of expected moderator such as self-perception of aging. Seventeen seniors (male=7) received basic cognitive tests including K-WMS-IV, MMSE and answered self-report questionnaires including self-perception of aging, anxiety of aging, attitude toward aging and age identity on the first visit. On the second visit, they were exposed to negative stereotype by reading a script detailing cognitive decline related to aging while a control group was exposed to a neutral content. Following the exposure, they were tested on a spatial-working memory task (Corsi-block tapping task) and emotion recognition task (facial expression identification task). The results showed that the seniors exposed to STT showed significantly lower performance on emotion recognition task (p < .05) (i.e., especially on the more difficult facial stimuli). In addition, there was a significant interaction between STT and self-perception of aging (p< .05), indicating that those who have positive self-perception of aging did not show impairment in emotion recognition task and difficult spatial working memory task under STT. On the other hand, those with negative self-perception of aging showed impaired performance under STT. Taken together, the current study suggests that being exposed to STT could negatively influence cognitive and emotional functioning of elderly. Interestingly, having a positive self-perception of aging could protect the underperformance caused by STT.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.825-846
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• 2019

This study aims to identify subgroups of ageism among young adults of age 20-39, and to examine its relationship to perceptions of generational conflict and elderly welfare policy. Latent Profile Analysis(LPA) was applied on the data 'Survey on Age Integration and Generational Integration', which was executed by institute for Age Integration Researchof Ewha Womans university, and descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation analysis were performed to examine the socio-demographic characteristics of each subgroup. Then, regression analysis was performed to observe the effect of the subgroups on the perceptions of generational conflict and elderly welfare policy. The results are as follows. The resulting subgroups of ageism among young adults were 'compound perception on aging and active age discrimination', 'medium-level aging anxiety and passive age discrimination', and 'low-level aging anxiety and beyond age discrimination'. Subgroups of ageism affected both perceptions of generational conflict and elderly welfare policy, whereas social support only affected perception of elderly welfare policy. Based on the results, political implications, such as activation of education on perception on aging, expansion of generational exchange for age integration, and renewal of social atmosphere for intergenerational coexistence, which will promote social integration

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.343-351
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• 2020

The present study investigated the related variables of cognitive function, subjective cognitive decline and cognitive training effects. The cognitive training was composed of mete-cognitive education and cognitive task performing. Twenty older adults attended for 14 weeks and were tested before and after the training. Results show that their cognitive level was related with age, self-esteem and personality traits. And subjective cognitive decline was related depression, anxiety, personality traits, self-efficacy, self-esteem and subjective age, but it does not reflect objective cognitive impairments. Their cognitive test scores were enhanced after training in MMSE, memory and executive function, and enhanced scores were related with age, subjective cognitive decline, anxiety, self-efficacy, self-esteem, subjective age and personality traits. Findings suggest one's personality and psychological state need to be considered for the effects of cognitive training.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.511-526
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• 2011

This study aims at surveying how Koreans look upon and prepare for the age of longevity("age of 100 years") drawing near at hand, analyzing factors affecting such a perception and behavior. To this end, a telephone survey was launched for 1200 persons sampled to evenly comprise the young, middle-aged, and elderly groups. Our findings indicate that more Koreans looked upon the upcoming "age of 100 years" as a 'disaster' rather than a 'blessing.' The sense of combined uneasiness over the aged life being further elongated while they are unprepared for it, anxiety over maintaining health and so forth came into play. However, the better a person is prepared by way of health management, savings for retirement, preparation for leisure activities and employment for the later life, the more positively he or she looked upon the "age of 100 years". An analysis by group indicates that women rather than men, the elderly rather than the young, the less educated rather than the highly educated, the low-income bracket rather than the high-income bracket looked upon the "age of 100 years" more negatively. Under such circumstances, it is suggested that the nation's social system tailored to a life expectancy of 80 years should be readjusted, tailored to a 'longevity paradigm' and that to this end social systems should be reoriented toward the direction where 'healthy aging' and 'active aging' are fully supported.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.64-71
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• 1998

This study uses [the instrument of ageing anxiety] in order to find if a negative prejudice against the old affects the attitude toward sex of the aged. The result shows no significant relation between ageing anxiety and the knowledge of and attitude toward sex of the aged. However, it does show that the higher the ageing anxiety is, the lower the knowledge of sex and the more restrictive the attitude toward it. The knowledge of and attitude toward sex of the aged shows meaninggul changes after education. Nursing students who were educated come to have more knowledge about and are more open to it. This result supports the preposition of this study. As society grows older the endeavour to guarantee a high-quality life for the old is necessary and the old should be regarded as an entity which has its own characteristic desires. Especially for the old to enjoy a good life as a sexual being, the mystical barriers about sex and old age ought to be removed. In the future the old themselves may maintain sexual desires regardless of age and society will be required to correct its prejudice against the old having sex. Particularly nursing students, as an effort to provide the old with overall care, should examine the elderly's sexual desires in a physical, psychological, and social context and consider the normal sexual changes occuring during the aging process and finally integrate this information into their nursing plans. In order to fulfill this role successfully they should overcome their own prejudice and educate themselves about this particular problem. As the proportion of the old becomes bigger and the concern about the quality of their life grows, sex among the old will become more important in the nursing field. By putting an educational mediation programme into operation with nursing students and estimating the effect, this study supplies the foundation to activate new educational programmes. In short it tells us that education can be a practical method to confront the myth and conventions concerning sex among the aged.