Toward interventions to reduce internalized ageism

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ageism is an insidious form of injustice that is internalized from an early age with accumulating negative health impacts across the lifespan. Internalized ageism has been associated with numerous public health outcomes, including physical and mental health, functional impairment, cognition, cardiovascular stress, hospitalizations, and longevity. Research has begun to document how ageism negatively impacts health through psychological, behavioral, and physiological pathways. Yet, limited research has addressed interventions to reduce internalized ageism. This article draws from stereotype embodiment theory and successful aging, presenting a conceptual model which incorporates potential downstream, midstream, and upstream interventions at micro, meso, and macro levels. The need to examine how policy influences health through the three pathways involved in stereotype embodiment theory is discussed. This study provides a working model for scholars and practitioners to use when considering paths toward reducing internalized ageism and optimizing well-being for aging adults.