2011 GSA Poster Presentation

Older Adults and Perceptions of Burden to Others

Meghan A. Marty, M.A., Ed.M., Christopher Sheppard, B.A., & Daniel L. Segal, Ph.D.

Evidence suggests perceived burdensomeness (PB) may be an important mediator of depressive symptoms and suicide ideation among community-dwelling older adults (Jahn, Cukrowicz, Linton, & Prabhu, 2011). However, the literature regarding PB in later life has largely focused on those with advanced medical illness (e.g., Wilson, Curran, & McPherson, 2005), with limited information regarding PB in older adults who are not dealing with a terminal illness.

This study investigated PB among a community sample of older adults, using a 10-item burden subscale derived from the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ; Joiner et al., 2009). PB had medium-to-large positive correlations with anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, and hopelessness, and negative correlations with physical health and belonging. Simultaneous multiple regression assessed the relative contribution of each predictor variable. Depression was the only significant positive predictor, whereas belonging was the only significant negative predictor.

Results provide basic information regarding the correlates of PB among community-dwelling older adults and suggest PB should be assessed clinically.