title: Functional impairment and depressive symptoms in older adults: Mitigating effects of hope.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined trait hopefulness and its component subscales of agency and pathways as potential moderators of the association between functional impairment and depressive symptoms, hypothesizing that hopefulness would buffer this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, interview-based.
  
  
  METHODS
  Older adult, primary care patients (N= 105; 62% female) completed measures of cognitive functioning, functional impairment, medical illness burden, trait hope, and depressive symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional impairment was significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms and dispositional hope total score moderated this relationship. Independently, the pathways subscale was a significant moderator and agency neared significance, yet their interaction was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older adults with functional impairment appear to benefit from agency and pathways; either subcomponent alone or their additive effect can activate hopefulness. Facilitation of infrastructure (pathways), primarily, and self-efficacy (agency), secondarily, may be important strategies for reducing depressive symptoms in elderly patients with functional impairment.
authors: Laboratory of Rural Psychological and Physical Health, Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA. hirsch@etsu.edu
authors: Jameson K
authors: JK
authors: Hirsch
authors: Fuschia M
authors: FM
authors: Sirois
authors: Jeffrey M
authors: JM
authors: Lyness
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009518:New York