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Objectives: Self-stigma is common among persons with depression. Still, studies that examined the process of self-stigma concentrated mostly on younger adults (ages 18-65) with mental illness in general, with a limited number of studies examining older adults with depression. This study was aimed to examine and compare the self-stigma formation process and its relation to self-esteem among younger (ages 18-64) and older Israeli Arabs (age 65+) diagnosed with depression. The study was based on a self-stigma model which defines the self-stigma formation process as composed of three stages: stereotypes awareness, stereotype agreement, and self-concurrence., Method: A total of 160 younger and older Israeli Arabs with depression completed measures of self-stigma formation process, self-esteem, and socio-demographic and health characteristics., Results: The self-stigma formation process was found as a multi-level and progressive model for both younger and older adults, despite that older adults reported significantly higher levels of self-stigma in all stages of the process. Low self-esteem was significantly associated with higher levels of stereotype agreement and self-concurrence in both age groups., Conclusion: The self-stigma formation process provides an adequate model for understanding depression self-stigma in both younger and older adults. Appropriate intervention programs aiming to reduce self-stigma should be developed, focusing on reducing the three stages of self-stigma.

Objective: To examine perceived control among live-in and live-out home care workers and to identify factors that contribute to perceived control among both types of caregiving., Method: 338 migrant live-in home care workers and 185 local live-out home care workers were asked to report their perceived control. Burnout, satisfaction with the relationship with the care recipient and the care recipient's family, and satisfaction with social relationship were also gathered., Results: Both types of caregivers reported high levels of perceived control, although live-in home care workers expressed more perceived control. Higher age, higher levels of satisfaction with the relationship with the care recipient and the care recipient's family and lower levels of burnout, predicted perceived control. Satisfaction with social relationship was a stronger predictor of one's perceived control among live-in home care workers., Conclusions: Promoting social relationships outside the home care context by allowing migrant live-in home care workers to take part in social gatherings is recommended as this can strengthen their sense of perceived control.

Objective: Hospitalization is a major risk for older adults; therefore, it is crucial to provide the appropriate treatment during hospitalization. This study examined hospitalized older adults' perceptions regarding three groups of treatment providers: nursing staff, family members, migrant home care workers., Method: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 hospitalized older adults. Data were gathered by in-depth interviews. Content analysis included open coding, axial coding and integration of the main findings using constant comparisons., Results: Three themes emerged: (1) 'What is my worth?' This theme was focused on the participants' perceptions of themselves as helpless and dependent on others. (2) 'What would I do without them?' This theme referred to the perception of the migrant home care workers and nursing staff as essential. It meant immense gratitude, but also a sense of dependency on paid caregivers. (3) 'They have their own busy life.' This theme concerned participants' low treatment expectations from their family members due to their perception of their family members as having multiple obligations., Conclusion: Hospitalized older adults prefer to turn to paid caregivers rather than to their families. Findings are discussed in light of the tension between formal and informal care in countries that are transitioning from traditional family values to modern values, placing the care of older adults by paid caregivers.

Objective: To examine the relationship between Alzheimer's disease (AD) illness representations and burnout among social workers and nurses, based on the self-regulatory model., Method: A mixed-methods study was conducted. First, 327 social workers and nurses completed measures of cognitive and emotional representations, burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, lack of personal accomplishment), role variables, knowledge about AD, emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, and demographic and occupational characteristics. Second, interviews were conducted with eight social workers and nurses to uncover their perceptions about AD and their burnout experience., Results: Using structural equation modeling and controlling background variables, findings indicated that emotional representations were associated with burnout while only some of the cognitive illness representations were associated with burnout. While cognitive illness representations were associated directly to burnout, the association between emotional representations and burnout was mediated by emotion-focused coping. The trimmed model showed a good fit of the data and explained 32.2% of the variance in emotion-focused coping, 51% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 37.7% of the variance in depersonalization, and 22.6% of the variance in lack of personal accomplishment. Interviews demonstrated that AD characteristics were perceived as affecting participants on both personal and professional levels; the participants expressed negative feelings towards AD and stated that these perceptions and feelings had led them to burnout., Conclusions: AD illness representations may be a risk factor for developing burnout. New directions for intervention programs, aiming to reduce burnout, should be examined.