Article PDF
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Andersson, L. (1985). Intervention against loneliness in a group of elderly women: An impact evaluation.Social Science and Medicine, 20, 355–364.
Baumgarten, M., Thomas, D., Poulin de Courval, L., & Infante-Rivard, C. (1988). Evaluation of a mutual help network for the elderly residents of planned housing.Psychology and Aging, 3, 393–398.
Becker, F., & Zarit, S. H. (1978). Training older adults as peer counselors.Educational Gerontology, 3, 241–250.
Belloc, N., Breslow, L., & Hochstim, J. (1971). Measurement of physical health in general population surveys.American Journal of Epidemiology, 93, 328–336.
Benson, C. S., & Heller, K. (1987). Factors in the current adjustment of young adult daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 305–312.
Berkman, L., & Syme, S. L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance and mortality: A nine year follow-up of Alameda County residents.American Journal of Epidemiology, 109, 184–204.
Blazer, D. G. (1982). Social support and mortality in an elderly community population.American Journal of Epidemiology, 115, 684–694.
Blonsky, L. E. (1973). An innovative service for the elderly.Gerontologist, 13, 189–196.
Bogat, G. A., & Jason, L. A. (1983). An evaluation of two visiting programs for elderly community residents.International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 17, 267–279.
Byrne, D. (1961). Interpersonal attraction and attitude similarity.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 62, 713–715.
Byrne, D., Griffit, W., & Stefaniak, D. (1967). Attraction and similarity of personality characteristics.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 82–90.
Campbell, D. T. (1987). Guideliness for monitoring the scientific competence of Preventive Intervention Research Centers.Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, & Utilization, 8, 389–430.
Cohen, S., Lichtenstein, E., Mermelstein, R., Kingsolver, K., Baer, J., & Kamarck, T. (1988). Social support interventions for smoking cessation. In B. H. Gottlieb (Ed.),Marshaling social support: Formats, processes and effects (pp. 211–240). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Cumming, E., & Henry, W. (1961).Growing old. New York: Basic Books.
Duck, S. W. (1973). Similarity and perceived similarity of personal constructs as influences on friendship choice.British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 12, 1–6.
Fillenbaum, G. G. (1985). Screening the elderly: A brief instrumental activities of daily living measure.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 33, 698–706.
Fogelman, C. J., Roberts, J. C., & Dunbar, M. E. (1983). Volunteering: Helping yourself or helping others. In M. A. Smyer & M. Gatz (Eds.),Mental health and aging: Programs and evaluations (pp. 231–244). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Frame, C. L. (1981).Cognitive and social functioning in schizophrenic and manic-depressive outpatients: A descriptive study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University.
Frazier, C. L. (1982).Depression, self-esteem, and physical health as a function of social support in the elderly. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, New School for Social Research.
Gottlieb, B. H. (1987). Using social support to protect and promote health.Journal of Primary Prevention, 8, 49–70.
Gottlieb, B. H. (1988). Support interventions: A typology and agenda for research. In S. W. Duck (Ed.), Handbook of personal relationships (pp. 519–541). New York: Wiley.
Gurin, G., Veroff, J., & Feld, S. (1960).Americans view their mental health; A nationwide survey. New York: Basic Books.
Himmelfarb, S., & Murrell, S. (1983). Reliability and validity of five mental health scales for older persons.Journal of Gerontology, 38, 333–339.
Hinrichsen, G. A., Revenson, T. A., & Shinn, M. (1985). Does self-help help? An empirical investigation of scoliosis peer support groups.Journal of Social Issues, 41, 65–87.
Hogg, J. R., & Heller, K. (1990). A measure of relational competence for community-living elderly.Psychology and Aging, 5, 580–588.
House, J. S., Robbins, C., & Metzner, H. L. (1982). The association of social relationships with mortality: Prospective evidence from the Tecumseh community health study.American Journal of Epidemiology, 116, 123–140.
Kahn, R. L., Goldfarb, A. I., Pollack, M., & Peck, R. (1960). Brief objective measures for the determination of mental status in the aged.American Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 326–328.
Kaplan, G. A., Roberts, R. E., Camacho, T. C., & Coyne, J. C. (1987). Psychosocial predictors of depression: Prospective evidence for the human population laboratory studies.American Journal of Epidemiology, 125, 206–219.
Kessler, R. C., & McLeod, J. D. (1985). Social support and mental health in community samples. In S. Cohen & S. L. Syme (Eds.),Social support and health (pp. 219–240). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
Larson, R., Mannell, R., & Zuzanek, J. (1986). Daily well-being of older adults with friends and family.Psychology and Aging, 1, 117–126.
Lawton, M. P. (1972). The dimensions of morale. In D. Kent, R. Kastenbaum, & S. Sherwood (Eds.),Research, planning and action for the elderly (pp. 144–165). New York: Behavioral Publications.
Lawton, M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: a revision.Journal of Gerontology, 30, 85–89.
Lea, M., & Duck, S. (1982). A model for the role of similarity of values in friendship development.British Journal of Social Psychology, 21, 301–310.
Lieberman, M. A. (1986). Social supports — the consequences of psychologizing: A commentary.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 461–465.
Lowenthal, M. F., & Haven, C. (1968). Interaction and adaptation: Intimacy as a critical variable.American Sociological Review, 33, 20–30.
Lowenthal, M. F., & Robinson, B. (1976). In R. H. Binstock & E. Shanas (Eds.),Handbook of aging and the social sciences (pp. 432–456). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Murrell, S. A., & Norris, F. H. (1984). Resources, life events, and changes in positive affect and depression in older adults.American Journal of Community Psychology, 12, 445–465.
Palmore, E. (1979). Predictors of successful aging.Gerontologist, 19, 427–431.
Paloutzian, R. F., & Ellison, C. W. (1982). Loneliness, spiritual well-being and the quality of life. In L. A. Peplau and D. Perlman (Eds.),Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research, and therapy (pp. 224–237). New York: Wiley.
Priddy, J. M., & Knisely, J. S. (1982). Older adults as peer counselors: Considerations in counselor training with the elderly.Educational Gerontology, 8, 53–62.
Procidano, M. E., & Heller, K. (1983). Measures of perceived social support from friends and from family: Three validation studies.American Journal of Community Psychology, 11, 1–24.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population.Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.
Reich, J. W., & Zautra, A. J. (1989). A perceived control intervention for at-risk older adults.Psychology and Aging, 4, 415–424.
Rook, K., & Dooley, D. (1985). Applying social support research: Theoretical problems and future directions.Journal of Social Issues, 41, 5–28.
Rosow, I. (1967).Social integration of the aged. New York: Free Press.
Rosow, I. (1973). The social context of the aging self.Gerontologist, 13, 82–87.
Rosow, I. (1985). Status and role change through the life cycle. In R. H. Binstock & E. Shanas (Eds.),Handbook of aging and the social sciences (pp. 62–93). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Ruffini, J. L., & Todd, H. F. (1979). A network model for leadership development among the elderly.Gerontologist, 17, 158–162.
Scheldt, R. J. (1982). Implications of social psychological research for the training of psychologists for work in aging. In J. F. Santos & G. R. Vandenbos (Eds.),Psychology and the older adult: Challenges for training in the 1980's (pp. 187–206). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Schulz, R. (1976). The effects of control and predictability on the physical and psychological well-being of the institutionalized aged.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 33, 563–573.
Schulz, R., & Hanusa, B. H. (1978). Long-term effects of control and predictability enhancing interventions: Findings and ethical issues.Journal of Personality and Social psychology, 36, 1194–1201.
Seeman, T. E., Kaplan, G. A., Knudson, L. P., Cohen, R. D., & Guralnik, J. (1987). Social network ties and mortality among the elderly in the Alameda County study.American Journal of Epidemiology, 126, 714–723.
Shanas, E. (1979). Social myth as hypothesis: The case of the family relations of old people.Gerontologist, 19, 3–9.
Steinmetz, J. L., Lewinsohn, P. M., & Antonuccio, D. O. (1983). Prediction of individual outcomes in a group intervention for depression.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 331–337.
Thompson, M. G., & Heller, K. (1990a). Optimizing support interventions' effectiveness through a focus on transactional processes. In K. Heller (Chair),Understanding the factors responsible for support intervention success and failure. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.
Thompson, M. G., & Heller, K. (1990b). Facets of support related to well-being: Quantitative social isolation and perceived family support in a sample of elderly women.Psychology and Aging, 5, 535–544.
Trueba, P. E. (1990).Similarity variables influencing the formation and maintenance of telephone friendships between elderly women. Unpublished manuscript, Indiana University.
Wellman, B. (1979). The community question: The intimate networks of East Yorkers.American Journal of Sociology, 84, 1201–1231.
Wethington, E., & Kessler, R. C. (1986). Perceived support, received support, and adjustment to stressful life events.Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27, 78–89.
Zarit, S. H., & Zarit, J. M. (1983). Cognitive impairment. In P. M. Lewnsohn & L. Teri (Eds.),Clinical geropsychology: New directions in assessment and treatment (pp. 38–80). New York: Pergamon.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Editor's Note. This paper raises a number of interesting and provocative issues for community psychologists and other researchers. Following this study are a series of nine commentaries offering a variety of perspectives on these issues.
Research described in this paper was supported by research grant R01MH41457 to the first author from the National Institute of Mental Health. Participation by the second author was supported by training grant PHS T32 MH 15789-11, Measurement of Affect and Affective Processes, directed by Peggy A. Thoits, from the National Institute of Mental Health. We acknowledge the conscientious effort of Kathy McFall, project coordinator, and Constance Baker, Caroline Clay, Ann French, Elaine Hehner, Madeline Heide, Allison Lendman, Sharon Martin, and Coralee Sons, who served as interviewers. Help with data analysis was provided by Suzanne Dancer, Robert Holden, Daniel Mathalon, and Sharon Martin.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heller, K., Thompson, M.G., Trueba, P.E. et al. Peer support telephone dyads for elderly women: Was this the wrong intervention?. Am J Commun Psychol 19, 53–74 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00942253
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00942253