Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
Search Icon Created with Sketch.
Icons / Login Created with Sketch.
Icons / User Created with Sketch.
Search Icon Created with Sketch.

Psychological well-being in older rural women

Approved: 2013

Collaborators:

  • A/Prof Deirdre McLaughlin
  • Prof Nancy Pachana
  • Mr Richard Hockey

Synopsis

While mental health generally improves with age, some evidence indicates that older rural residents report more psychological distress than older adults living in urban areas, although results have been conflicting. Across the lifespan, women report more psychological distress than men. In addition, older women are more likely to be widowed and experience limitations in mobility and physical functioning. These limitations affect the ability to access support and health services and may leave older rural women, in particular, vulnerable to psychological distress. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore psychological distress in older urban and rural women.