Humor-Related Social Exchanges and Mental Health in Assisted Living Residents

266 Pages·2016·2.29 MB·English

Portland State University
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Dissertations and Teses Dissertations and Teses
Spring 1-1-2012
Humor-Related Social Exchanges and Mental Health in Assisted
Living Residents
Ann Elizabeth McQueen
Portland State University
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McQueen, Ann Elizabeth, "Humor-Related Social Exchanges and Mental Health in Assisted Living Residents" (2012). Dissertations
and Teses. Paper 299.
10.15760/etd.299
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Humor-Related Social Exchanges and Mental Health in Assisted Living Residents

by

Ann Elizabeth McQueen

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
in
Urban Studies

Dissertation Committee:
Jason T. Newsom, Chair
Margaret B. Neal
Paula C. Carder
Diana L. White
L. David Ritchie

Portland State University
© 2012
i
Abstract
Social contact is known to be vital for older adults’ mental and physical health,
but few studies of social interactions have taken place in long-term care settings. The
current study investigated whether the psychological well-being of assisted living
residents was influenced by factors associated with residents’ social interactions
involving humor.
Specific aims of the present study were to develop and test a measure related to
humor-related social exchanges, to examine how humor-related social exchanges affect
residents’ mental health, and to explore whether humor-related social exchanges
mediated the effects of resident and facility characteristics on indices of mental health.
One hundred and forty older adults residing in 14 assisted living facilities in the
Portland, Oregon metropolitan area were interviewed about the frequency and types of
social interactions they experienced with members of their facility-based social networks,
as well as depression, mood, loneliness, self-esteem, and self-rated health.
A 12-item, two-factor model of humor-related social exchanges was identified
through confirmatory factor analysis, including both positive and negative humor-related
social exchange factors. The newly developed scale displayed evidence of adequate
reliability and validly in the current sample.
Results indicated that both positive and negative humor-related exchanges were
associated with various aspects of mental health, although negative humor-related
exchanges appeared to be a stronger predictor of mental health than positive humor-
ii
related exchanges. Both positive and negative humor-related exchanges also served as
mediators between resident and facility characteristics and indicators of mental health.
Cultivating a better understanding of the relationships between humor-related
social exchanges and mental health may be beneficial for researchers interested in the
way humor impacts older adults’ ability to cope with stress. This research may also be of
value to long-term care providers who create interventions designed at improving
residents’ mental health and overall quality of life.
iii
Dedication
This work is dedicated to my amazing mother and best friend, Constance Angela
Beall. For as long as I can remember, she has been my confidant, cheerleader, sounding
board, and advocate. Throughout my years, but most especially during the dissertation
process, she has offered her unending support, encouragement, and humor. Without her
selfless generosity and unconditional love, my completion of this degree would not have
been possible.
iv
Acknowledgements
The writing of this dissertation has been a labor of love, but I could not have done
it without the help and support of my committee, study participants, friends, and family.
As the chair of my committee, Jason Newsom has provided immeasurable
guidance and support, at the same time challenging me in ways that have made me a
better writer, scholar, and teacher. I thank Margaret Neal for encouraging me to pursue a
Ph.D. in the first place and for providing me with a multitude of opportunities that made
my experience in the doctoral program rich and rewarding. Despite her extensive
knowledge and experience, Paula Carder has always treated me as a colleague, made time
to discuss my questions, and to provide me with helpful ideas and suggestions. I have
shared many wonderful, philosophical discussions with Diana White, whose passion for
and understanding of person-centered care is unparalleled. As the first professor I ever
encountered in graduate school, Dave Ritchie told me, “never underestimate what your
experience can bring to the table.” That advice has stuck with me for many years, and I
am very thankful for it.
The residents from the assisted living facilities who agreed to participate in my
study were the best part of this project. They helped me to understand what true resilience
is, and I owe them each a debt of gratitude.
Several individuals and organizations provided me with financial support
throughout my time at Portland State University, and I thank them for their generosity:
the family of Maurie Clark, Nancy Chapman, the Oregon Retired Educator’s Association
v
(OREA), the family of Joseph and Alice Savel, the family of Fred Annin, and the Oregon
Health Care Foundation (OHCF).
I am extremely fortunate to have terrific friends who have supplied me with many
positive social exchanges throughout this process. They are (in no particular order):
Andree Tremoulet, Tyrae Mahan, Nat Huguet, Jennifer Reed, Kathleen Sullivan, Jost
Lottes, Alan De La Torre, Melissa Cannon, Jenny Weinstein, Linda Boise, Kerstin
Cathcart, Margot Fervia-Neamtzu, and Evie Proctor.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge my “little” brother, Jonah, who has no idea
how brilliant and extraordinary he is; my sweet daughter Jillian, who surprises me in
wonderful ways every day; and terrific Brian, who takes me the way I am.
vi
Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i
Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii
List of Figures .................................................................................................................... ix
Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2: Review of Literature ......................................................................................... 8
Chapter 3: Methods ......................................................................................................... 116
Chapter 4: Results ........................................................................................................... 129
Chapter 5: Discussion ..................................................................................................... 177
References ....................................................................................................................... 204
Appendix A: Survey Instrument ..................................................................................... 230
Appendix B: Human Subjects Approval......................................................................... 253
vii
List of Tables
Table 1 Mean, Skewness, and Kurtosis of Original Positive
Humor-related Exchange Items .................................................................................130
Table 2 Mean, Skewness, and Kurtosis of Original
Negative Humor-related Exchange Items ..................................................................131
Table 3 Item Loadings for Positive Humor-Related
Exchange Factors .......................................................................................................136
Table 4 Item Loadings for Negative Humor-related
Exchange Factors .......................................................................................................136
Table 5 Pearson Correlations of Positive and Negative
Social Exchanges (PANSE), Lubben Social Network
Scale (LSNI), and Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ)
with Positive and Negative Humor-Related Exchanges ............................................138
Table 6 Descriptive Statistics for Resident Characteristics
and Facility Characteristics ........................................................................................139
Table 7 Resident and Facility Characteristics Predicting
Positive Humor-Related Exchanges ..........................................................................145
Table 8 Resident and Facility Characteristics Predicting
Negative Humor-Related Exchanges .........................................................................146
Table 9 Bivariate Correlations Between Humor-Related
Exchanges and Self-Rated Health and Mental Health
Outcomes ...................................................................................................................148
Table 10 Self-Rated Health Hierarchically Regressed on
All Predictors .............................................................................................................150
Table 11 Self-Esteem Hierarchically Regressed on All
Predictors ...................................................................................................................151
Table 12 Negative Affect Factor of Depression
Hierarchically Regressed on All Predictors ...............................................................153
Table 13 Well-Being Factor of Depression Hierarchically
Regressed on All Predictors .......................................................................................155
Table 14 Somatic Symptoms Factor of Depression
Regressed on All Predictors .......................................................................................157
viii
Table 15 Positive Affect Factor of Affect Hierarchically
Regressed on All Predictors .......................................................................................159
Table 16 Negative Affect Factor of Affect Regressed on
All Predictors .............................................................................................................161
Table 17 Social Loneliness Hierarchically Regressed on All
Predictors ...................................................................................................................163
Table 18 Emotional Loneliness Hierarchically Regressed
on All Predictors ........................................................................................................165