Intergenerational Mental Health

Young Adult Mental Health

Now more than ever, college students are struggling with debilitating mental health issues. Although mental illness has been greatly destigmatized in the recent decade, students are still struggling to have their needs met. People have turned to social media platforms to publicize their mental health concerns and the ways in which they cope with the daily stress of life. Although this movement has fostered an online community and support system for many young adults who struggle with mental illness, colleges and universities still struggle to provide adequate resources for students’ mental health. Many students feel that, in academic settings, they are being set up for failure because they can’t balance all of their activities (Reilly 39). This stress is exacerbated by a lack of perspective regarding the future, and this lack of perspective fuels more anxiety.

In “Depression on Campus” by Katie Reilly, Reilly presents an argument about college students’ mental health, focusing primarily on how mental illness has increased amongst students on college campuses and how these colleges and universities are treating growing mental health concerns. She states that “from 2009 to ‘15, the number of students visiting counseling centers increased by about 30% on average, while university enrollment grew by less than 6%…” (Reilly 41). Schools then had to work to catch up to this demand, but they didn’t have enough resources. In one anecdote, a girl named Dana said that it took her two weeks to get off of the waitlist to meet with a college counselor at her school, and she was unable to make a follow-up appointment because the center was overbooked (Reilly 41). Reilly’s report utilizes anecdotes like Dana’s that show how students struggle to have their mental health needs met. 

She concludes the article by describing certain measures that colleges have taken to combat this issue, but also makes it clear that there is a lot of work left in order to make these changes sustainable and continuously effective. She summarizes a recent report about recent efforts that universities have made to ameliorate the issue of being unable to attend to the mental health needs of students: 

A 2016 report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health found that, on average, universities have increased rapid-access services—including walk-in appointments and crisis treatment for students demonstrating signs of distress—since 2010 in response to rising demand from students. But routine treatment services, including recurring appointments and specialized counseling, have decreased on average in that time (42). 

This report shows that the responses to the surge in demand for counseling services are tangible, but they are not necessarily lasting. While this is progress, it is a temporary fix for a deep rooted problem. The purpose of Reilly’s article is more to spread awareness through facts and anecdotes about a growing mental health problem among college students in our country. She does not offer her own solutions, but she also does not make it seem as if this is an impossible problem to solve. 

In “Talk, Don’t Run: Can an Intergenerational Program Relieve Teenage Pressure?” by Lisa Cox Hall, Hall focuses specifically on how intergenerational relationships have impacted teenagers and young adults. Intergenerational programs (IGPs) have existed in the United States since the 60’s. Hall states that “conceptually and theoretically, bringing young and old together can achieve a multitude of delightful and appealing benefits such as reducing ageist stereotypes in children and increasing a sense of purpose in retired adults” (Hall 404). She also contends that engaging in IGPs involves “conscientiousness and thinking more of others than thinking only of oneself” (406). This increases the self-esteem of the teenagers and young adults who are engaging in IGPs because they have more of a sense of purpose, which can lead to “greater life satisfaction, less depression, and more hopefulness” (Hall 406). 

Hall also says that they have a positive impact on the mental health of young adults because they provide perspective for students that they don’t have in their day to day lives and give them a broader sense of understanding about the world and their impact. This perspective from older generations also alleviates young adults of a lot of their anxiety (Hall 406). Hall states that, through intergenerational programming, young adults “may be able to comprehend that patience is the antidote to anxiety, that surviving failure is what makes failing survivable, and that sheer experience provides insight that can diminish self-doubt and hopelessness” (Hall 406). This is one of the main benefits of intergenerational programming for young adults, the fact that they can gain an invaluable perspective about life that they cannot get without the wisdom of someone who is older. 

In the final article, “Reflections on the Dynamics of a Student Organized Intergenerational Visiting Program to Promote Social Connectedness”, Kendall Horan and Margaret Perkinson report an example of an intergenerational program at the University of Hawaii. The university started this program with students who live far from home and cannot interact with their families on a regular basis (Horan and Perkinson 397). These students partnered with a local nursing home and coordinated twelve visits, each lasting two hours, over the course of the semester (Horan and Perkinson 397). They engaged in activities like storytelling, pumpkin carving, Christmas ornament decorating, and just meeting to talk and get to know each other (Horan and Perkinson 397). It created a sense of purpose and belonging in both groups, but it especially impacted the students by making them feel as if they were a part of a larger community that provided support and even friendship. Horan and Perkinson include an anecdote from one of the students:

I really love spending Sunday at the care home. They are all so friendly and loving. I feel like we both give each other a sense of purpose. They bring the best qualities out in my heart and I believe we do the same. When I came for Valentine’s Day, it brought joy to my heart that a rose could make a resident tear. The joy that we brought to them will always be a significant memory in my heart, because they brought it right back. It humbled my heart that a simple gesture can bring pure joy to a person (Horan and Perkinson 399). 

This student makes an important remark about how the program provides her with a sense of purpose, and that this sense of purpose can lead to happiness and a newfound sense of appreciation for small gestures. This study relates to Hall’s article about how intergenerational programs can improve self esteem in students by giving them a sense of purpose.

These three articles are part of a growing dialogue surrounding teen and young adult mental health. They each use a different approach in order to talk about the problem, and through these different approaches they address mental health issues on varying scales. For example, in the Reilly article, she focuses on mental health amongst all college students by focusing on what colleges and universities have found in certain studies and through collecting certain data about their student body and mental health. From there, she speculates about causes for an increase in mental health problems and also provides student anecdotes about why they have been struggling and why their needs have not been met by their school. She does not necessarily provide a solution for the issues that she brings up, but she does bring attention to the fact that colleges and universities have a lot of work to do in order to sufficiently attend to the mental health needs of all of their students, because these needs have grown over the past decade.

The Hall article provides more of a specific argument about teen and young adult mental health, stating that it can be improved greatly by engaging in intergenerational relationships. She does not provide as many statistics as Reilly does, but she does provide specifics about how young adults interact with older people, and why these interactions have a positive effect on their mental health. She focuses on the perspective that young adults can gain from forming relationships and opening up to older people. This is similar to Horan and Perkinson’s study, but they take it a step further by including the details of an actual intergenerational program that took place on a college campus. She provides details of the program, anecdotes, and photos in order to encapsulate the effects of an intergenerational program. 

These three articles all work to illuminate how important mental health is for young adults, who challenge to maintain a strong self-image in today’s society with social media, as well as with the added demands from school and extracurricular activities. They show the urgency of this issue, and how, if not combated in innovative, lasting ways, mental illness in younger generations could worsen. The Hall and Horan and Perkinson articles focus primarily on the mental health benefits of interacting with older generations, whereas the Reilly article looks at mental illness treatment on college campuses as a larger issue. This article is imperative to understanding the urgency of finding solutions for young adults’ mental health problems, and it informs the other two articles.

These three articles are important to our work specifically because we need to be aware of how mental illness is increasing in younger generations, as a lot of our work is centered around improving the lives of both young adults and older people by showing them the benefits of intergenerational programming. I think that it is important to look at the current state of teenagers and young adults and to acknowledge the fact that there has been an increase in diagnosed mental illness amongst this demographic, and what this means for our project. It shows that the work we are doing in promoting intergenerational relationships is important during this time because it has the potential to help young adults improve their mental health and self-esteem. 

Secondary Source Reports:

1. Reilly, Katie. “Depression on Campus.” TIME Magazine, April 9, 2018.

Thesis: “Spigner, 21, is among the rapidly growing number of college students seeking mental-health treatment on campuses facing an unprecedented demand for counseling services” (41).

Restatement: The number of college students seeking help on campus for their mental health has increased greatly, making it difficult for colleges to accommodate every student and leaving many students without the help that they need.

Structure: The structure of this article is concise and informative, likely because it is a magazine article. The statistics and anecdotes that Reilly includes are stated very clearly and all provide valuable insight into the thesis by showing specifically how college students are struggling with mental health services on campus because of such an increase in stress, anxiety, and depression amongst students. Reilly relies greatly on anecdotes both about how students feel they are struggling in college and how college administration feels they are struggling with in terms of providing counseling and resources for all students who need it. They show that colleges are aware of the increase in students seeking counseling on campus and are making efforts to ameliorate the situation, but that it is difficult to get the resources for students so that they do not have to wait long periods of time to see a counselor. Reilly does not offer a solution but rather sheds light on this pressing issue so that people can be aware of this shift amongst college students.

Rhetorical Strategies: Reilly uses statistics well and knows what is important to include and what isn’t, therefore avoiding just putting in a block quote. I also like how she uses concrete anecdotes, and how the anecdotes are from students and faculty at different schools of various sizes to show how mental health issues impact any kind of college or university. This article is more of an exploration of the recent increase in mental illness on campus, but I think that it would have been beneficial for Reilly to include ideas for solutions or something as a conclusion based off of all of the information she collected.

2. Hall, Lisa Cox. “Talk, Don’t Run: Can an Intergenerational Program Relieve Teenage Pressure?” Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, vol. 17, no. 3, 31 July 2019, pp. 404-09. Taylor and Francis Online.

Thesis: “Conceptually and theoretically, bringing young and old together can achieve a multitude of delightful and appealing benefits such as reducing ageist stereotypes in children and increasing a sense of purpose in retired adults” (404).

Restatement: Intergenerational relationships can have positive benefits on both older and younger people, including reducing ageist stereotypes in children and improving their perspective and increasing a sense of purpose in older adults.

Structure: The structure of this article is very organized and starts by explaining what intergenerational relationships are and providing certain examples of intergenerational programs. Hall also provides information about the demographic that engages in intergenerational programming, stating that it is mainly low-income families. She focuses on examples of how young adults see themselves and includes documentaries about young adult life in order to provide examples of how they are struggling with finding a sense of self and purpose. She also includes information and statistics from multiple studies that surveyed the effects of intergenerational relationships on young adults.

Rhetorical Strategy: I like how specific and well-researched Hall’s article is. It shows that she considered a variety of sources and studies about intergenerational relationships and decided what information was the most pressing and important to include. It increased her credibility and also showed how vast the dialogue is surrounding intergenerational relationships and programming.

3. Horan, Kendall, and Margaret A. Perkinson. “Reflections on the Dynamics of a Student Organized Intergenerational Visiting Program to Promote Social Connectedness.” Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, vol. 17, no. 3, 31 July 2019. Taylor and Francis Group.

Thesis: “Intergenerational programs have been found to be successful in creating opportunities for personal growth and social connections for student participants and for older adults both living in the community and in residential care” (396)

Restatement: Intergenerational programs are beneficial for both young adults and older adults because they provide opportunities for personal growth and social connections within certain communities. 

Structure: This article is organized into sections that are clearly labeled to describe a specific example of an intergenerational program. Horan and Perkinson do not directly mention the increase of mental health issues amongst young adults, but they do talk about how the college students who participated in this intergenerational program felt isolated from their families and were looking to be more involved in the community. They also conclude the article with pictures and anecdotes from both the young adults and older adults who participated in the program. 

Rhetorical Strategy: I liked how everything was split into sections, starting with general background information about intergenerational relationships and getting progressively more specific as they explained the specific program in Hawaii. This is more of a report about the intergenerational program rather than a direct analysis of the effects. They do talk about the effects on both generations that participated in the program, but they do this mainly through sharing anecdotes instead of through a psychological analysis.

Ballroom Map:

Intergenerational Programming has been shown to enhance the quality of life between different generations around the world. IP has been developed amongst different communities to facilitate intergenerational conversation that then creates benefits for individual people (positive effects on mental health, increase in motivation), relational benefits (escape from isolation, openness to diverse individuals), and communal benefits (reintegration, volunteer work). The several schools of thought involving IP discuss the benefits of IP and the necessity for implementation in a world that is slowly changing in how familial structure and society is created, where families and societies are becoming increasingly divided, and generations are finding fewer platforms where interaction is less natural and less consistent to what it was decades prior. The research and data towards IP appear to have a number of scholars and specialists hesitant to show any definite consensus as to the validity of IP testing and results. 

Daniel R. George argues in “Intergenerational Volunteering and Quality Of Life: Mixed Methods Evaluation Of A Randomized Control Trial Involving Persons With Mild to Moderate Dementia” that intergenerational volunteering will enhance the Quality of Life (QOL) of an individual, primarily reducing stress. An individual’s understanding of their own quality of life, is something that correlates with a person’s sense of self-worth and purpose. Intergenerational programming, and the research outlined in this article, has proven that an increase of an individual’s QOL has larger benefits to their emotional and mental state of being.  An IP case study conducted in Cleveland, Ohio which had participants with mild to moderate dementia interacting with kindergarten students showed that this relationship between the two age groups created drastic improvement in the older participants’ moods. Older participants described their experience of their interactions with younger participants as spontaneous and fun, stating that children don’t judge them on their cognitive incapacities, and thereby alleviating the social pressure they often feel amongst their peers. 

Catherine Ventura- Merkel and Marc Freedman speak about how IP has manifested and the need to implement it within society as a way to keep intergenerational interaction and conversation a part of everyone’s lives. Isolation among generations is widening within the nuclear family structure. The old are starting to fear the young, and this fear manifests within society, as tension and competition start to grow between generations. IP techniques are used to a greater extent within communities and programs dedicated to at risk youth. These programs include seniors helping teenage mothers to raise their children and continue their schooling, working to keep juvenile offenders out of jail, or providing support during incarceration, and retired tradespeople helping to strengthen employment prospects amongst the youth participants. Ventura-Merkel’s argument states that there is a need for IP in a changing world, where nuclear families are now the norm, and natural interaction between different generations is limited, leading to misunderstanding and fear amongst generations of people.

Alan Hatton-Yeo and Clare Batty argue that familial ties and ‘togetherness’ leads to a willingness to provide mutual assistance, which must be facilitated in some form within Intergenerational Programs in order to see results. Hatton-Yeo draws on studies that show a larger divide between generations in ethnically diverse communities, that appear just as prevalent in society as does cultural or ethnic divides within that same society. The importance of program building to insure intergenerational understanding is critiqued throughout this book. The authors discuss how equality, both in ethnic diversity and social and cultural diversity, needs to be more directly addressed when fostering relationships, and not just intergenerational ones. Furthermore, the authors point out that poverty has a more corrosive effect on cohesion than either ethnic or generational difference. This means that working to create relationships amongst different groups of people will be more effective if there is a focus not just intergenerational differences. Groups that work to focus on the importance of all people and the establishment of cohesion, will benefit the most. Specifically, Hatton-Yeo encourages the use of culture and sport to be platforms for promoting meaningful relationships across generations and different backgrounds.

Judith Powell and George Arquitt explain that how older generations are perceived by younger generations affects how they are treated in society. In their research the authors used a case study of 90 children, and found that through IP older adults were more successful than classroom teachers at teaching students. However, the authors admit that the research on IP is limited. They reference Brubaker and Powers (1976), and further explain that instruments of measurement assessing participants within IP are not as vast and unbiased as they would need to make definite conclusions about the quantitative effects and benefits of IP.  

The scholarly sources all show that there are several benefits for all generations when participating in Intergenerational Programming and volunteering. George discusses the increase in QOL within the older generation, as well as an increase in feelings of acceptance, purpose, and enthusiasm in participation and social interaction. Ventura-Merkel similarly talks about the benefits that IP has on the older generations, as old folks appear to be moving further into isolation. Ventura-Merkel also adheres to the notion that, historically, integration of generations was more naturally routed. However, evolving familial structures and a changing modern world, has made it more necessary for federally funded and unique projects for IP to be established. Hatton-Yeo, similar to George, speaks on the importance of ‘togetherness’ and a need to feel accepted across all generations. However, Hatton-Yeo speaks about these mindsets more broadly, in terms of all people spanning from ethnically, culturally, socially, and economically diverse groups. People’s sense of community and belonging and the belief that those that surround you care and believe that you care for them is critical to social capital and ‘togetherness’. Powell speaks on the nuclear family, similar to Ventura-Merkel and a changing environment where generations don’t interact constantly or naturally as they once did. Powell examined a study conducted in 1920, where 50% of all families in Massachusetts had at least one other adult living with the family in addition to the parents. Presently, this figure is 3.5%. Powell also discusses the need to disregard pre-existing views, assumptions, and stereotypes  about different generations, similar to what Hatton-Yeo spoke about. Based on the research conducted by the authors, IP has a positive effect on negative stereotypes that the older generation and younger generations have about each other. Hatton-Yeo states that negative age-related stereotypes only perpetuate when individuals are not interacting with separate generations from themselves. However, there appears to be consensus amongst the entire group of scholars that more research still needs to be conducted, where quantitative analysis can be done and there can be clear, hard evidence to determine what kinds of IP best work for particular groups of people and amongst the different generations. 

Our project will work in conversation with scholarship, in order to establish a platform that provides individuals the knowledge that is out there currently, to educate individuals about the benefits of IP and to consider possible ways to integrate certain activities or programs into your routine and lifestyle. Because our work originally stemmed from producing content focused on an already established program at Davidson College, Adopt-a-Grandfriend, we wanted to educate primarily Davidson students and the Davidson community on ways to get involved. Because circumstances have changed, our focus will further be on how scholarship of IP can benefit the greater community where Davidson students may reside presently. Our argument will be that there are benefits for IP for all generations that get involved. Learning to facilitate relationships with older generations will help individuals with depression, a lack of motivation, and self-isolation. Older generations interacting with younger generations will see the effects that youthful energy will have on their quality of life, the sense of importance and purpose, and an atmosphere of acceptance, warmth and amusement. 

Ballroom Map

SSRs

George, Daniel R. “Intergenerational Volunteering and Quality of Life: Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Randomized Control Trial Involving Persons with Mild to Moderate Dementia.” Quality of Life Research, vol. 20, no. 7, 2011, pp. 987–95. JSTOR.

Thesis: “Mixed methods evaluation demonstrated that intergenerational volunteering might enhance quality of life through several key pathways, most significantly reduced stress” (987).
Restatement: Intergenerational volunteering is proven to have positive effects on an individual’s quality of life, particularly in reducing stress.

Structure: The structure of this article is similar to how a lab or field work research is structured, where the author divides his work and analysis into separate categories of the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. In the piece prior to the research portion, there is an abstract, and a section that highlights keywords and uncommon abbreviations that are throughout the piece, which provides easy referencing. George spends the majority of his time describing the experience that participants had during this project, and what was taken from this project personally by the participants involved. Though lab formatted, George dives into the relationships formulated and the anecdotal evidence that he collects from open and honest conversations with the participants. The conclusion is clear and concise, though acknowledging that the use of randomized control groups and other factors of the experiment are hard to contextualize statistical results,  providing a weaker analysis on the quantitative and qualitative results.  

Rhetorical Structure:

1. I like in George’s piece, he uses graphs to portray information in a different way than his essay structure report. It is beneficial to see certain aspects in a different format, that way the viewer can see it in a new way.
2. I also admire the way the report is structured, in that abbreviations and keywords are listed prior to the body of the piece. This helps the reader understand what to look out for and to identify terms that are significant.
3. I enjoy the way the author uses anecdotes to incorporate into the results portion of the report. Participants are seen being quoted in the text, alongside evidence he has gathered from the case studies, which allows for the audience to feel connected and present in that moment. Examples can be found on Page 992.

Hatton-Yeo, Alan, and Clare Batty. “Evaluating the Contribution of Intergenerational Practice to Achieving Social Cohesion.” Promoting Social Cohesion, edited by Peter Ratcliffe and Ines Newman, 1st ed., Bristol University Press, 2011, pp. 243–58. JSTOR, JSTOR, doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qgw9s.18.

Thesis: “A wide range of practical national and international case studies is included to illustrate and to develop some of the main points, particularly around the engagement of IP with the ‘harder conversations’ of cohesion – such as those concerning equality and poverty” (243). 
Restatement: Case studies on IP have been shown to be a departure point for many problems related to societal and cultural cohesion amongst different groups of people, and in particular to address equality and poverty more generally.  

Structure: Hatton-Yeo begins by putting intergenerational practice within the context of social policies aimed to establish social cohesion. The author goes on to talk about intergenerational programming and intergenerational solidarity more broadly, speaking on the complexities and the various representations of intergenerational relationships that surrounds us. A push for understanding intergenerational solidarity more broadly and in less finite terms is further proposed as a departure into an analysis of social cohesion. Evidence is shown throughout the chapter, to highlight the different ways that IP has been woven into government funded systems throughout the world. Hatton-Yeo then speaks on the development of IP historically, highlighting a shift in society where Intergenerational Programs became more prevalent as a way to address two increasingly vulnerable populations: young people and older adults. In order to prove this, he shares pieces of evidence related to different programs that best represent the rising needs of two groups of people. He concludes by talking about the different forms of IP and the benefits they offer, while also acknowledging that individual programs and individual assessments for the most part are not nearly as extensive as they need to be, and work for exploring issues of intergenerational solidarity on a broader base needs to be highlighted.

Rhetorical Structure:

1. I like the use of bullet points to separate the paragraphs. It helps to see what points are being made and what the author chooses to highlight, which can be viewed on Pages 247 and 249.  
2. I appreciate how within these bullet point sections, the author outlines clear aims for the project. An example of this is when the article states, “The project took a mentoring approach that had three core aims: to raise the achievement and aspiration of pupils who were at risk of failure; to promote the sense of identity and value of older people; to connect local schools to the community and promote the understanding of the importance of education” (252).
3. I enjoy the way the author concludes by putting IP within the greater context of the world and the problems that we face more broadly, as it portrays IP as something truly significant and important to everyone. It states, “IP is a necessary participant in the ‘harder conversations’ that are central to community and social cohesion

Powell, Judith A., and George E. Arquitt. “Getting the Generations Back Together: A Rationale for Development of Community Based Intergenerational Interaction Programs.” The Family Coordinator, vol. 27, no. 4, 1978, pp. 421–26. JSTOR, JSTOR, doi:10.2307/583446

Thesis: “The purpose of this paper is to (a) summarize briefly the relevant literature’, including results of our own recently completed studies on intergenerational interaction effects, and (b) present programming suggestions to aid those who work with families to identify resources and coordinate both formal and informal aging-youth-child networks in local communities to provide for intergenerational experience and to serve as an arena for research on the effects of intergenerational programming on age stereotypes and attitudinal change” (422). 
Restatement: In this essay, summaries of the various relevant literature is highlighted to indicate what information is out there regarding intergenerational programming, as well as spotlights various institutions and resources throughout the local communities in order to acknowledge intergenerational experiences established, and for the consideration that these places can be basis for further research in the benefits of Intergenerational programming and a communities changing perceptions on age-related stereotypes.

Structure: Powell’s hook is a statistic collected in Massachusetts, where 50% of all families in the 1920’s had at least one other adult living with the family in addition to the parents, which has dropped radically to 3.5% for the present day. The Literature review that she creates is separated into sections that describe the attitudes toward older adults among children and youth, the attitudes toward youth among older adults, and the effects of intergenerational interaction on attitudes. This perfectly considers the problems, and in turn exposes how society has allowed for these stereotypes to exist against other generations. She then finishes by touching upon the author’s own related research, what she intends to do with that research to further progress. She concludes by touching upon the problems faced when collecting data, responding to limitations identified by Brubaker and Powers’ conversation on the instruments used for Intergenerational research have measured knowledge about old age, and most samples have been either small or samples of convenience. She does point out that some programs can resist falling into those ways and assessing intergenerational communication and structures for the better.  

Rhetorical Strategies:

1. I like how the author separates the literature review into sections that include attitudes towards older adults among children and youth, attitudes towards youth among older adults, and the effects of intergenerational interaction on attitudes. This structure flows well and allows for readers to easily follow the progression of cause and effect.
2. I like the use of the word “we” as the author summarizes her points and speaks on behalf of her own work administered. It brings the author directly into conversation with the viewer and feels more immediate than just simply reading with no first-person narrative involved.
3. I appreciate the footnotes that the author uses to further describe some of the groups involved in IP programs. This really helps contextualize everything, however it proves to be separate for those that want to read more on the subject.

Ventura-Merkel, Catherine, and Marc Freedman. “Helping At-Risk Youth through Intergenerational Programming.” Children Today, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 1988, pp. 10–13.

Thesis: The allure of evidence emerging from the field, the existence of these programs, the steady growth of the elderly population in this country, and the profound and continuing needs of the disadvantaged young people all point to the wisdom of moving forward to better understand and develop more intergenerational programs for helping at-risk youth. 
Restatement: Research has shown that intergenerational programming improves the livelihood of at-risk youth.  New evidence has emerged that due to a growing elderly population, and the evolving needs of disadvantaged youth, there has been success with already existing programs. 

Structure: This article first talks about a change in familial structure, and the evolving structures in America that has resulted in a widening separation of age-groups and the establishment of age-specific institutions. She then leads to intergenerational programs as a way to resolve these consequences, as isolation among generations lead to many problems within society. The article then leads into a specific group of people, at-risk youth, and  describes several programs that have helped them, based on interaction between older generations of people. It concludes by listing Intergenerational Programs specific for at-risk youth, each having the address and a short blurb on what the program does and a description of the participants involved. 

Rhetorical Strategies:

1. I appreciate how the author uses sentence structure and repetition to create drama and a sense of urgency to the research that she’s describing. She states, “Despite the societal changes affecting family structure and stability, despite the fast growing number of retired older Americans, despite the increase number of children and youth living in poverty, few efforts were launched to address the cross -generational consequences of these changes or to explore the potential benefits of such interaction for the individuals, institutions, and communities involved (11).
2. I value how the article ends with a list of at-risk youth specific intergenerational programs, that are written concisely and with information only on the location, purpose of the program, and what kind of participants they work with.
3. I think this article does a great job at setting the stage, speaking first on what the familial structure used to be like, what it has become, and how that has effected the youth in society. This then leads the conversation into prevention and initiatives to help with at-risk youths, which easily moves into intergenerational programming as its focus.  

PLEDGE: NS

Intergenerational Mental Health, Subtopic: Elderly Mental Health

Despite the saying that “age is just a number,” the negative outlook on aging still prevails as a conventional idea in society. Stereotypes of growing old include being grouchy and having deteriorating health and mobility issues that result in being unproductive members of society. Aging is a topic that most do not like to think about. However, an increasing elderly population has led to a growing concern for geriatric care that must be addressed (Murayama et al. 306). Mental health plays a large role in this subject. One reality of aging is change and loss, which can affect the mental health of those left behind. As a society, we must further examine these stereotypes about aging, as many studies reveal a different way to think about this phenomenon. Understanding the mental health trends of the elderly population will improve social policy and programming being developed to serve an aging society.

The first article is by psychologist Becca Levy, whose longitudinal study seeks to unveil the underlying cause of negative self-perceptions related to aging. Levy hypothesizes that “rigidity would predict negative aging stereotypes in older individuals” (Levy 560). Defined by Frenkel-Brunswik, rigidity is an “intolerance to ambiguity,” or an unwillingness to change one’s mindset (Levy 560). In this study, rigidity pertains to the stereotypes applied to oneself about aging. Levy’s results suggest that “older individuals with more rigidity had significantly more negative aging stereotypes and negative aging self-perceptions over time” (Levy 559). Essentially, an individual’s perception of aging reveals a self-fulfilling prophecy for their own aging. On one hand, “findings suggest that having more flexibility can benefit older individuals’ self views” (Levy 559). On the other, past studies have shown that negative aging self-perceptions predict lesser functional health in individuals (Levy 561). One reason for this effect may be because “younger people assimilate negative aging stereotypes to the same extent to which they will hold these stereotypes in old age” (Levy 560). People tend to increase rigidity as they age. Therefore, I speculate that those who learn negative aging stereotypes in their formative years will continue this mindset into their adult life.

Psychologists Tomás et al. build upon Levy’s idea that negative self-perceptions related to aging can increase over time, as well as lead to deterioration of health. The second study attempts to “formulate an association between loneliness and satisfaction with life and loneliness and depression” in Spanish people (Tomás et al. 1225). Loneliness is “recognized as an important and serious health problem” (Tomás et al. 1226). Tomás et al. addressed that loneliness is one of the negative stereotypes of aging (Tomás et al. 1226). In reality, loneliness is dependent on social factors, such as being widowed or having a small social network, death of parents, and poor health, which happen to be common situations of elderly people (Tomás et al. 1226). Aging stereotypes do not address the “resilience of older adults and their ability to adapt themselves to this new social reality” (Tomás et al. 1226). This point relates to Levy’s study, which showed that adults who have a flexible outlook on aging have a more positive outlook at older ages (Levy). Study results deepened the association between depression and wellbeing in relation to loneliness and social support. There was a negative association between loneliness and satisfaction with life, and a positive association between loneliness and depression (Tomás et al. 1231). Overall, the study suggested that the populations most vulnerable to experiencing loneliness are women, non-married people, older adults who live alone, those who do not participate in social activities and ones with poor health (Tomás et al. 1231). Which leads me to wonder, what do these results suggest about the populations of people that communities most need to reach out to?

The third article by Murayama et al. aims to “clarify the effect of intergenerational program[ming] on elderly [peoples’] symptoms of depressive mood and in improving their sense of coherence (SOC), which is an element for successful coping with stressors” (Murayama et al. 306). Intergenerational programming (IGP) is “a form of human service that involves ongoing and organized interaction between members of younger and older age groups for the benefit of all participants” (Murayama et al. 306). Past studies have shown that IGP increases SOC and decreases depressive mood. Murayama, et. al. examined this impact on elderly people who read picture books to children at school through an IGP called REPRINTS (306). Researchers concluded that IGPs may be key to improving health among elderly people (Murayama et al. 306). This article is in conversation with Tomás et al., as IGP may be a solution to loneliness in vulnerable populations. The reason for this connection is because IGPs showed to decrease the risk of social isolation and loneliness due to the greater sense of meaningfulness (Murayama et al. 306). An important factor of this study was that the REPRINTS IGP was consistent and long-term, which Murayama et al. say is essential for IGP success (312). A large roadblock in the growth of IGP is that it is difficult to establish and maintain because of people’s busy schedules and many commitments.

While each article focuses on a unique aspect of elderly mental health, all three come to a consensus. There is a need to expand upon existing community support for the aging and elderly population. Levy prescribes a need for some sort of intervention that reduces negative aging self-perception (567). Tomás et al. suggest that Social intervention programs be developed to promote social support and positive relationships (1231-1232). The study by Murayama et al. showed that IGP can strengthen elderly people’s ties with the rest of the community, making it a better place (312). Our Intergenerational Mental Health project will work toward applying the concepts outlined in these articles. In an effort to encourage our audience to seek out and incorporate IGP into their lives, we seek to compile information on IGPs and gather narratives from college-aged students who have experience with IGP. Levy suggests that intervention should target younger individuals to change the prevailing negative stereotypes about aging, as “old age is not the source of the negative aging stereotypes,” but rather, rigidity and stereotypes being presented to people at a younger age (Levy 568). Research has shown that IGP changes both generations’ perspectives on one another. While difficult to quantitatively measure, we argue that this type of social interaction will benefit both participating parties. All in all, collaboration is essential for a successful IGP, so we hope to encourage the development of community across generations by working together.

Word Count: 1090

Works Cited

Levy, Becca R. “Rigidity as a Predictor of Older Person’s Aging Stereotypes and Aging Self Perceptions.” Social Behavior and Personality, vol. 36, no. 4, 2008, pp. 559–70. ProQuest, doi:DOI:10.2224/sbp.2008.36.4.559.

Murayama, Yoh, et al. “The Effect of Intergenerational Programs on the Mental Health of Elderly Adults.” Aging and Mental Health, vol. 19, no. 4, July 2014, pp. 306–14. EBSCOhost, doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.933309.

Tomás, Jose M., et al. “Loneliness and Social Support: Differential Predictive Power on Depression and Satisfaction in Senior Citizens.” Wiley: Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 47, no. 5, Apr. 2019, pp. 1225–34. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/jcop.22184.

Metaphorical Conference Ballroom

Secondary Source Reports

I. Levy, Becca R. “Rigidity as a Predictor of Older Person’s Aging Stereotypes and Aging Self Perceptions.” Social Behavior and Personality, vol. 36, no. 4, 2008, pp. 559–70. ProQuest, doi:DOI:10.2224/sbp.2008.36.4.559.

II a). “Rigidity would predict negative aging stereotypes in older individuals” (Levy 560).
b). Older adults who hold unchanging, negative ideas about aging will also present these same stereotypes in their own lives.

III. Levy builds upon the theory of rigidity and the self-fulfilling prophecy idea. She frames her idea on the stigmatization of individuals, and how the stigmatized individuals themselves may take up these negative stereotypes, which, in doing so, allows for proliferation. Most of her background evidence is listed in the introduction, which provides a background on her past, related studies as a psychologist and social gerontologist. Levy performs a longitudinal study by interviewing 50+-year-old individuals over the course of 20 years, in 6 intervals. She found that her hypothesis was correct. She predicts that these older adults did not start believing these stereotypes as they aged, but rather, learned them when they were younger. Therefore, she thinks that younger individuals should be targeted in trying to change the negative stereotypes that we, as a larger society, tend to learn about aging.

IV. 1. Framing in a story: The introduction setup is easy to follow. Focusing on telling a story for the project, maybe even through the use of digital tools such as Storymap, will aid accessibility.
2. Levy explains the two main “premises” of her argument. This wording stood out to me, as I thought it made her study sound very logical and well thought out. Maybe explaining our premises in making arguments in our project will do the same for us.
3. In the discussion section, Levy makes conclusions and predictions. In doing so, she refers back to prior research that is now applicable to her study results. I thought this was insightful.

I. Murayama, Yoh, et al. “The Effect of Intergenerational Programs on the Mental Health of Elderly Adults.” Aging and Mental Health, vol. 19, no. 4, July 2014, pp. 306–14. EBSCOhost, doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.933309.

II a). “Clarify the effect of intergenerational program[ming] on elderly [peoples’] symptoms of depressive mood and in improving their sense of coherence (SOC), which is an element for successful coping with stressors” (Murayama et al. 306).
b). It has already been established that there is a connection between intergenerational programming (IGP) and benefits for elderly people. In this study, Murayama et al. seeks to provide further evidence between this relationship, specifically in terms of the effect on depressive mood and sense of coherence.

III. Murayama et al. begins by discussing the rapidly increasing elderly population in Japan, which is where this study takes place. Next, it defines IGP, which is necessary to understand the general idea and reasoning for why it is done. Murayama et al. also includes some background info on the known benefits for IGP, which shows why they want to make more concrete connections. After describing the study population, Murayama et al. outline the results in figure and table form. It is helpful to go to these diagrams in order to quickly understand the gist of the paper, that IGPs showed to decrease the risk of social isolation and loneliness due to the greater sense of meaningfulness. In the end, the researchers include discussion on the specific factors that make the REPRINTS IGP successful, which can help readers understand some key elements in a successful IGP. They state this is necessary to know, as IGP development has been slow despite its benefits due to challenges in planning.

IV. 1. Use of “IGP” to abbreviate intergenerational programming, helpful to cut down on bulky-ness of repeated use of the same phrase.
2. Most paper abstracts summarize the paper in one block paragraph. This one laid it out nicely by summarizing each section of the paper separately, making it easier to grasp the main ideas of the study.
3. Collaboration: Murayama et al. emphasize that collaboration between many groups is important and necessary for a successful IGP. We want to use this concept of collaboration as well, framing its importance in our project.

I. Tomás, Jose M., et al. “Loneliness and Social Support: Differential Predictive Power on Depression and Satisfaction in Senior Citizens.” Wiley: Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 47, no. 5, Apr. 2019, pp. 1225–34. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/jcop.22184.

II a). “Formulate an association between loneliness and satisfaction with life and loneliness and depression” (Tomás et al. 1225).
b). Tomás et al. seek to find a quantitative and/or qualitative association between loneliness in comparison to satisfaction with life and depression.

III. Tomás et al. frame their study with the topic of loneliness among older people as being an issue in terms of mental health. This topic is important, as it can help inform healthcare and social policies. They also discussed the causes of loneliness and age groups most affected by this feeling, which was 80+-year-olds. Past studies showed that older adults are resilient to change. The researchers utilized three different questionnaires that determine loneliness in individuals. The results deepened the association between depression and wellbeing in relation to loneliness and social support. The study concluded that certain populations are vulnerable to loneliness.

IV. 1. Elderly vs. older adult terminology: “Older adult” is more appropriate to use when talking about people of 50+ years old. This group does not count as “elderly,” but significantly older compared to college-age adults. “Elderly” can be used to describe people 80+ years old.
2. Social support was a key term in this paper, which I think also relates to our project and would be good to include.
3. Tomás et al. incorporate a separate section to discuss the implications of their findings, which allows for critical thinking of the results and their implications.

PLEDGED: CME