The development of an inventory of seniors' life difficulties and coping strategies: A mixed methods study

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2015-08

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Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods study was threefold. First, this study was designed to identify the difficulties experienced and strategies employed by seniors living in the United States. Second, it sought to develop instruments measuring seniors’ life difficulties and strategy utilization. Third, it sought to examine the psychometric properties of the self-developed instruments. Individual interviews allowed the researcher to identify the life difficulties experienced and strategy employed among seniors living in the United States. With a number of themes identified based on the interview transcripts and guided by the theoretical and empirical research on aging, two instruments named Senior’s Life Difficulties and Barriers Scale and Senior’s Coping Strategies Scale were developed and administered to a sample of seniors living in the Southeastern United States. This study revealed that the factor-structure and reliability of the two instruments developed with information obtained from the qualitative study were supported with theoretical and statistical evidence. The limitations of this study and recommendations for future research were provided.

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Aging, Life Difficulties, Coping Strategies, Instrument Development, Mixed-Methods Study

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