This study examined how resilience and optimism were related to psychological well-being among older European adults during the early pandemic. The study used data sampled from the Eurofound COVID-19 survey conducted in 27 European countries during the first lockdown (April 2020). The study sample included 10,674 older adults (mean age = 69.71 ± 5.15, 68.6% women, 87.3% retired). Using structural equation modeling, the relationship between pandemic adversities, resilience, optimism, and well-being was investigated. Results indicated that resilience and optimism in part mediated the association between adversities and psychological well-being. Resilience and optimism have the potential to help older adults cope with stressful life events and other adversities. Future studies should more precisely explore the role of resilience and optimism, its formation, and the protective mechanisms that promote the psychological well-being of older adults.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, Europe, adversity, psychological resources,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• kontrola infekčních nemocí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optimismus MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• psychická odolnost * MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

This article examines the hypothesis that the dialogical integration of life experiences is related to successful aging. Life story interviews with 93 older Czech adults were sorted into categories characterized by specific patterns of life experience integration: (i) without dialogical processes, (ii) with differentiated I-positions, (iii) with dialogical relationships, (iv) partially integrated, and (v) completely integrated. The results indicated that the categories were ordered, yielding low-level correlations with scales of successful aging in predicted directions. A comparison of the categories revealed that they were related to successful aging in a cumulative way, starting with the most essential indicator (lower scores of rumination) in the participants who had developed at least dialogical relationships, continuing to higher well-being linked with partial integration, and ending with an advanced indicator (optimism toward future) linked with complete integration. These relationships were summarized in a hypothetical model that is open to further examination.

• Klíčová slova
• dialogical self, future time perspective, life review, life story interview, meaning making, narrative analysis, older adults, reminiscence, successful aging, well-being,
• MeSH
• kognitivní ruminace MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optimismus psychologie   MeSH
• rozhovory jako téma MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• vyprávění * MeSH
• zdravé stárnutí * psychologie   MeSH
• zdravotní stav MeSH
• životní změny * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

Fear, anger and hopelessness were the most frequent traumatic emotional responses in the general public during the first stage of outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Czech Republic (N = 1,000). The four most frequent categories of fear were determined: (a) fear of the negative impact on household finances, (b) fear of the negative impact on the household finances of significant others, (c) fear of the unavailability of health care, and (d) fear of an insufficient food supply. The pessimistic communications used by the Czech mass media contributed to intensifying traumatic feelings, fears and psychological distress in the general public during the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

• MeSH
• COVID-19 MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• hromadné sdělovací prostředky * MeSH
• kontrola infekce * MeSH
• koronavirové infekce * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• optimismus MeSH
• pandemie * MeSH
• pesimismus MeSH
• psychické trauma * psychologie   MeSH
• psychický distres * MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• strach * psychologie   MeSH
• virová pneumonie * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

This study investigated whether adolescents' readiness for non-normative political participation (i.e., readiness to confront social rules for political reasons) was predicted by their interpersonal problems (with parents, teachers, and classmates), low optimism, and political beliefs (political self-efficacy and distrust in public institutions). A structural equation model using two-wave longitudinal data from Czech high school students (N = 768; 54% females; age range at T1 = 14-17, M = 15.97; T2 data collected 1.5 years later) showed that the changes in adolescents' readiness for non-normative participation were predicted by their lower institutional trust. Interpersonal relationships or optimism had no cross-sectional or longitudinal effect on the readiness for non-normative participation. These results suggest that the main source of adolescents' readiness for non-normative political actions lies in their political beliefs, while the effect of adolescents' interpersonal problems is less clear.

• Klíčová slova
• Institutional trust, Interpersonal relationships, Non-normative political participation, Optimism, Political self-efficacy,
• MeSH
• analýza latentních tříd MeSH
• chování mladistvých psychologie   MeSH
• důvěra psychologie   MeSH
• interpersonální vztahy * MeSH
• kultura MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• optimismus psychologie   MeSH
• politika * MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• rodiče MeSH
• sebeuplatnění MeSH
• studenti psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH

It is often argued that declining health in elderly people makes death more salient and threatening. However, we argue that health, optimism, and social support interact to predict fear of death in samples from Cameroon, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Low health was associated with enhanced fear of death for participants who received only little social support. As the measure of optimism did not comply with psychometric requirements in the Cameroonian sample, the three-way interaction was tested only in the Czech and German samples. It was found that the two-way interaction was further qualified by optimism in that low health was associated with enhanced fear of death for participants with little social support unless they reported pronounced optimism. Thus, internal and external resources, respectively, can serve to buffer the effect of declining health on the fear of death in the elderly.

• Klíčová slova
• culture, fear of death, old age, optimism, social support, subjective health,
• MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optimismus psychologie   MeSH
• postoj ke smrti etnologie   MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• sociální opora * MeSH
• srovnání kultur * MeSH
• stárnutí etnologie   MeSH
• strach * MeSH
• zdravotní stav * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika etnologie   MeSH
• Kamerun etnologie   MeSH
• Německo etnologie   MeSH

Promoting health and well-being among individuals of advancing age is a significant issue due to increased incidence of cancer among older adults. This study demonstrates the benefits of expecting positive outcomes and participating in volunteer activities among older adults with cancer. We used a nationally representative sample of 2,670 individuals who have experienced cancer from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. We constructed a structural equation model to explore the associations of optimism, volunteerism, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. The level of optimism was a significant predictor of volunteerism, which in turn affected life satisfaction and psychological well-being. The level of engagement in volunteer activities was found to have significant path coefficients toward both life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Our study provides evidence that older adults who have experienced cancer and maintained a positive outlook on their lives and engaged in personally meaningful activities tended to experience psychological well-being and life satisfaction.

• Klíčová slova
• cancer, life satisfaction, older adults, optimism, psychological well-being, volunteerism,
• MeSH
• dobrovolní pracovníci psychologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory psychologie   MeSH
• optimismus psychologie   MeSH
• osobní uspokojení * MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• stárnutí psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

PURPOSE: Comorbidity has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to investigate whether the impact of comorbidity on QoL is lower in older home care clients with positive attitudes toward aging. METHODS: Totally, 361 older adults aged 50-91 years who were clients of 14 home care agencies in two regions in the Czech Republic gave an in-person interview to research nurses and completed the WHOQOL-BREF, the WHOQOL-OLD, and the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire. The Charlson comorbidity index was calculated using ICD-10 codes. To address possible interaction between comorbidity and attitudes toward aging for QoL, the presence of additive interaction between comorbidity and attitudes toward aging on QoL was examined by synergy index. All analyses were adjusted by age, gender, education, and living arrangement. RESULTS: A higher comorbidity index was significantly associated with lower scores of both QoL measures; one index increase was associated with 3.7 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.5: 5.9] decreases in generic QoL and 3.6 (95 % CI 1.3: 5.9) decreases in older-specific QoL. In stratified analyses by attitudes toward aging, comorbidity showed no association with QoL among those with positive attitudes, while it was significantly associated with low QoL in those without positive attitudes. The presence of additive interactions between comorbidity and less than positive attitudes on falling in low QoL was clearly suggested. CONCLUSIONS: The negative impact of comorbidity on QoL might be mitigated by promoting a positive self-perception of aging in older people.

• MeSH
• charakteristiky bydlení * MeSH
• kvalita života psychologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optimismus * MeSH
• postoj * MeSH
• průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
• sebepojetí MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• služby domácí péče * MeSH
• stárnutí psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH