Do cherished children age successfully? Longitudinal findings from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study.

ABSTRACT: Although early adversity has been linked to worse mental and physical health in adulthood, few studies have investigated the pathways through which positive and negative dimensions of early experiences can jointly influence psychological well-being in later life. This study examined: (a) profiles of early experiences across multiple domains, (b) the relations of these profiles to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in later life, and (c) whether midlife social support mediated these relations. We first conducted latent class analysis of early experiences using data from 1,076 men in the VA Normative Aging Study who completed the Childhood Experiences Scale (age: M = 69, SD = 7). Analyses yielded 3 profiles of early experiences, labeled as cherished (strong support and some losses), harshly d

SUBMITTER: Lee LO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4679661 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature