Comparison of Coping Strategies and Resilience Among White, Non-White, and Asian Older Adults in San Francisco

Abstract There has been a substantial increase in research on coping strategies/resilience in later life in the last decade (Moos, et al., 2006). However studies exploring the differences in coping strategies/resilience in later life among various ethnic groups such as Whites, non-Whites and Asians are few. The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in coping strategies/resilience among a diverse group of 30 older adults age 65 and above. A purposive sample of older adults was recruited from a local senior center and fitness program in the West coast. A questionnaire was developed with open ended questions. We conducted face to face interviews with seniors. Results indicated that there were similarities in terms of coping/resilience strategies among various ethnic groups in that they relied primarily on friends for support. The sample respondents were living in their own homes and were physically active, despite health issues.

Cannabis may be useful for treatment of sleep problems in older adults.Little is known about use patterns of cannabis for sleep.We conducted a clinic-based anonymous survey in a geriatrics clinic in La Jolla, CA.Among n=568 surveys, 10% reported recent use (within past 6 months).Among recent users, 30% reported using cannabis for sleep, most finding it helpful.Compared to cannabis users for other conditions, cannabis users for sleep were more likely to use THC containing products (62.5% vs. 32.1%),use cannabis on a daily or weekly basis (76.2% vs. 43.2%),use vape pens (29.2% vs. 6.9%), and to obtain cannabis via a delivery service (33.3% vs. 14.0%)(all p's<0.05).Only 40% reported their doctor knew about their cannabis use.Our findings suggest sleep is a common reason for using cannabis.Future research should assess how use patterns can result in effective treatment for sleep in older adults.Part of a symposium sponsored by the Sleep, Circadian Rhythms and Aging Interest Group.

COPING MECHANISMS AND RESILIENCE IN LATER LIFE: THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP TIES IN DIVERSE SETTINGS
Chair: Feinian Chen Co-Chair: Rashmi Gupta Discussant: Zhenmei Zhang The papers in this symposium explore different aspects of social ties and how they act as critical coping mechanisms in the face of negative circumstances in later life.Using data from diverse settings, including China, Singapore, and the U.S., these papers underscore the importance of strong family and friendship ties, as they offer older adults with strong protection against social isolation and adverse health outcomes.Gupta and Pilai explore the similarity and differences in coping strategies/resilience among a diverse group of 30 U.S. older adults.Results point to the saliency of support from friends, regardless of race/ethnicity.Visaria addresses the relationship between the expression of loneliness and objective measures of social networks among older adults in Singapore.The findings shed light on how meaningful companionship and desired social connection offer powerful buffers against isolation in later life.Ruan and Chen explore which types of social ties offer the strongest protection when Chinese older adults are coping with the aftermath of negative life events.Findings point to the need to look beyond filial obligations and to consider the interplay among various forms of social support, including family, friends and the broader community.Zhang et al. examine the role of family and friendship ties in a rural Chinese community where many older adults were left behind by migrant children.The results suggest that those who are isolated from friends experience more depressive symptoms while those with close-knit friendship ties are the most resilient.

COMPARISON OF COPING STRATEGIES AND RESILIENCE AMONG WHITE, NON-WHITE, AND ASIAN OLDER ADULTS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Rashmi Gupta, 1 and Vijayan Pillai, 2 1.San Francisco State University, Daly City, California, United States,

University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, United States
There has been a substantial increase in research on coping strategies/resilience in later life in the last decade (Moos, et al., 2006).However studies exploring the differences in coping strategies/resilience in later life among various ethnic groups such as Whites, non-Whites and Asians are few.The purpose of this study is to explore the similarities and differences in coping strategies/resilience among a diverse group of 30 older adults age 65 and above.A purposive sample of older adults was recruited from a local senior center and fitness program in the West coast.A questionnaire was developed with open ended questions.We conducted face to face interviews with seniors.Results indicated that there were similarities in terms of coping/resilience strategies among various ethnic groups in that they relied primarily on friends for support.The sample respondents were living in their own homes and were physically active, despite health issues.

CHANGES IN SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A RESPONSE TO LONELINESS AMONG OLDER ADULTS
Abhijit Visaria, Pildoo Sung, and Angelique WM Chan, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore The expression of loneliness suggests perceived social isolation and the lack of meaningful, rewarding and desired social connections.In this paper we seek to estimate whether loneliness among older adults is related to subsequent changes in two attributes of their social networks, i.e. the size and frequency of contact with network members.We use the Panel on Health and Ageing of Singaporean Elderly, a nationally representative study of older adults aged 60 years and older, conducted in 2009 (N=4990) with two follow-up waves in 2011 and 2015, and measure loneliness in terms of relational connectedness, i.e. feeling a lack of companionship, and social connectedness, i.e. feeling left out.Our preliminary analysis shows that loneliness is associated with a subsequent reduction in the size but not strength of social networks.We further propose to assess the causal relationship using cross-lagged panel analysis, thereby accounting for the possibility of a reciprocal relationship.

NEGATIVE LIFE EVENTS, SOCIAL TIES, AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS FOR OLDER ADULTS IN CHINA
Hangqing Ruan, 1 and Feinian Chen, 2 1.University of Maryland, Hyattsville, Maryland, United States,

University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, Maryland, United States
Negative life events are considered important risk factors of depression among older adults.An overwhelming amount of literature suggests that individuals with the most supportive social relations tend to make a better recovery from stressful life events.As for which types of ties matter the most, whether being family, relatives, friends or the broader community, existing literature is much less consistent and has documented varying effects across different contexts.This study is set in China, which traditionally relies on family systems and filial obligations for old-age support.Using two waves of data from China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, we examine the protective effect of different types of social relations on depressive symptoms, including those who are living in the household, children who live close by or far away, as well as their ties with family, relatives, and friends.

SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND DEPRESSION OF OLDER ADULTS IN RURAL CHINA: DO FAMILY OR FRIENDSHIP TIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Dan Zhang, 1 Zhiyong Lin, 2 and Shuzhuo Li, 3 1.Xi'an Jiaotong University, college park, Maryland, United States, 2. University of Texas,Austin,Austin,Texas,United States,3. Xi'an Jiaotong University,Xi'an,Shaanxi,China Despite increasing acknowledgement that social integration/isolation is an important determinant of health in later life, relevant evidence for older adults in less developed social contexts is still limited.Data derived from 2015 and 2018 waves of a longitudinal study of 976 older adults, aged 60 and older, living in rural areas of Anhui Province, China.We analyzed how the level of social integration/isolation (measured as family and friendship ties) impacted depressive symptoms of older adults.Our results showed that more than half of older adults in our sample were either isolated from family or friends.Further analysis demonstrated that older people who were isolated from friends were more depressed in comparison with those who were closely integrated into friendship ties, while no such association was found in relation to family ties.Assessments of social integration among older adults should account for both family and friendship ties.

DISCRIMINATION, STRESS, AND HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE Chair: Roland Thorpe Discussant: Carl Hill
There is a paucity of research that seeks to understand why race disparities in health across the life course remain elusive.Two such explanations that have been garnering attention is stress and discrimination.This symposium contains papers seeking to address the impact of discrimination or stress on African American health or health disparities across the life course.First, Nguyen and colleagues examine 1) the associations between discrimination and objective and subjective social isolation and 2) how these associations vary by age in using data from the National Survey of American Life.Discrimination was positively associated with being subjectively isolated from friends only and family only.This relationship varied by age.Discrimination did not predict objective isolation.Second, Brown examines evidence of the black-white paradox in anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adults using data from 6,019 adults ages 52+ from the 2006 HRS.After adjusting for socioeconomic factors, everyday discrimination, chronic conditions, and chronic stress, there are no black-white differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms.Third, Cobb and colleagues investigate the joint consequences of multiple dimensions of perceived discrimination on mortality risk using mortality data from the 2006-2016 HRS.The authors report the number of attributed reasons for everyday discrimination is a particularly salient risk factor for mortality in later life.This collection of papers provides insights into how discrimination or stress impacts African American health or health disparities in middle to late life.