Suchergebnisse

Objective: The present study aims to investigate changes in the frequency of parent-child contact among Europeans aged 65 years and over within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, while recognizing heterogeneity within the group of older adults. Background: Physical distancing measures have been implemented worldwide to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this policy has proven to be effective in flattening the curve, it undoubtedly posed a serious challenge to intergenerational relations. Experts hinted that physical distancing measures may have reduced older adults' level of contact with their non-coresident children. However, empirical evidence is lacking. Method: Data from the SHARE COVID-19 questionnaire and previous SHARE waves for 26,077 individuals from 26 European countries and Israel were used and analyzed using multilevel multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: The analysis revealed that older adults' level of intergenerational contact remained stable or even increased - rather than decreased - during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the overall positive outcome, some subgroups (i.e., older men, residents of nursing homes, less educated older adults and older adults living in countries with less stringent COVID-19 measures) were more likely to report reduced intergenerational contact. Conclusion: Although variation was observed among older adults, the pandemic generally did not pose a threat to their level of intergenerational contact with non-coresident children.

Background: Lay attitudes are often seen as potential barriers to mental health recovery. But apart from perceiving them as potential barriers, they can also play an important role in stimulating individuals to consult (in)formal help sources, in particular through the process of help referral. Where existing research mainly focusses on actual help seeking behaviour, this study will focus on lay publics' referral behaviour. Aims: This study analyses the relation between causal beliefs and stigmatising attitudes and social distance on the one hand, and (in)formal help seeking recommendations on the other. Methods: Data from a survey carried out in 2019, assessing the attitudes of Public Health Insurance Provider (HIP) members towards mental health problems, was used. Part of the survey questions was based on a quantitative quasi-experimental design, using hypothetical written vignettes. The weighted data represent a sample of the adult Flemish population (22–94 years, N = 5675). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relation between causal beliefs and stigma, while binominal logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the relation between causal beliefs and help seeking recommendations. Results: The results reveal that causal beliefs significantly associate with stigma, measured by stigmatising attitudes and social distance: personal- or biogenetic beliefs associate with more stigma, where psychosocial beliefs associate with less stigma. Concerning help seeking recommendations, psychosocial beliefs associate with recommending psychological or psychotherapeutic care, biogenetic beliefs associate with advising help from general practitioners and suggesting psychiatric help, while personal beliefs negatively associate with recommending formal help. Meanwhile, biogenetic beliefs associate with less informal help seeking recommendations (e.g. family, friends and online self-help), where personal beliefs associate with more informal help seeking recommendations and psychosocial beliefs only associate with online help referral. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of causal beliefs in affecting public stigma and help seeking recommendations.

Purpose: Adolescents with higher socioeconomic status (SES) report better mental health. The strength of the association - the "social gradient in adolescent mental health" - varies across countries, with stronger associations in countries with greater income inequality. Country-level meritocratic beliefs (beliefs that people get what they deserve) may also strengthen the social gradient in adolescent mental health; higher SES may be more strongly linked to adolescent's perceptions of capability and respectful treatment. Methods: Using data from 11-15 year olds across 30 European countries participating in the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (n = 131,101), multilevel regression models with cross-level interactions examined whether country-level meritocratic beliefs moderated the association between two individual-level indicators of SES, family affluence and perceived family wealth, and three indicators of adolescent mental health (life satisfaction, psychosomatic complaints, and aggressive behavior). Results: For family affluence, in some countries, there was a social gradient in adolescent mental health, but in others the social gradient was absent or reversed. For perceived family wealth, there was a social gradient in adolescent life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints in all countries. Country-level meritocratic beliefs moderated associations between SES and both life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints: in countries with stronger meritocratic beliefs associations with family affluence strengthened, while associations with perceived family wealth weakened. Conclusions: Country-level meritocratic beliefs moderate the associations between SES and adolescent mental health, with contrasting results for two different SES measures. Further understanding of the mechanisms connecting meritocratic beliefs, SES, and adolescent mental health is warranted.