Psychological Aspects Of Aging Research Articles

Identifying Specific Gaps in Knowledge of Aging and Examining Its Relation to Biases Toward Older Adults.

Accurate aging knowledge is key to reducing ageist attitudes that impact older adult well-being. We first investigated how aging knowledge and negative and positive age-bias indirectly expressed via aging knowledge responses were related to an explicitly negative ageism measure. We then identified specific gaps in the aging knowledge of emerging adults and middle-aged adults. More negative ageism correlated with less aging knowledge overall and in psychological and social, but not biological, domains. Negative ageism correlated with negative age-bias, but not positive age-bias, expressed via aging knowledge responses. Knowledge of aging was poorest regarding social and psychological aspects of aging and best regarding biological aging. Middle-aged adults had slightly, but significantly, more accurate aging knowledge and less negative age-bias than emerging adults; positive age-bias did not differ by age-group. These results suggest that effectiveness of anti-ageism educational interventions may be enhanced if focused on improving knowledge of social and psychological aging.

Social relations and leisure activities as predictors of wellbeing among older adults with multiple sclerosis: A cross-sectional survey study in Denmark.

Due to the growing number of people aging with multiple sclerosis (MS), there has been a call for rehabilitation specially targeted older adults with MS in order to support them in better wellbeing, despite physical and cognitive impairment. However, the existing research within the area of rehabilitation has primarily focused on the physical and psychological aspects of aging with MS, omitting the social element. This study aims to examine how social relations and engagement in leisure activities predict wellbeing among older adults with MS living in Denmark. Furthermore, the study aims to identify which sociodemographic and health-related factors are the most important in predicting whether older adults with MS face challenges in participating in leisure activities and experiencing different kinds of social relations. A cross-sectional survey was designed to measure social relations, wellbeing, and engagement in leisure activities among older adults with MS. Of the 4,329 people over 65 years diagnosed with MS in Denmark in 2022, 2,574 (59.46%) were invited to participated in the study, and 1,107 (43.03%) ended up answering the survey. Linear and logistic regression analyses and dominance analyses were conducted to examine the associations between wellbeing, leisure activities, social relations, sociodemographic and health-related factors. The results of the study show that perceived emotional social support (mean difference 8.69, 95% CI 5.23; 12.14) and perceived instrumental social support (mean difference 4.15, 95% CI 0.95; 7.35), were associated with better wellbeing among older adults with MS. Perceived strained social relations (mean difference -7.95, 95% CI -10.66; -5.26) were on the contrary associated with lower levels of wellbeing. Strained social relations were the most important predictors of wellbeing accounting for 59% of the predicted variance. Experiencing social emotional support from friends, coworkers, or neighbors (39% of the predicted variance), experiencing instrumental social support from children or children in law (43% of the predicted variance), and experiencing strained social relations with partner (48% of the predicted variance) constituted he most important predictor of wellbeing. Engagement in five out of fourteen leisure activities were associated with better wellbeing among the participants. The leisure activities there was found to be the most important predictor of wellbeing represented both social (37% of the predicted variance), physical (18% of the predicted variance), and creative elements (13% of the predicted variance). Finally, cohabitation was found to be the most important predictor of having perceived emotional social support (59% of the predicted variance), instrumental social support (78.9% of the predicted variance) and strained social relations (18.8% of the predicted variance) and mobility was found to be the most important predictor of challenges in participating in leisure activities (81.8% of the predicted variance). The findings of the study highlight that rehabilitation targeting older adults with MS should focus on both physical, psychological, and social elements of peoples' everyday life. Further, the results indicate that future rehabilitation focusing on social elements of aging with MS should take into account health and sociodemographic characteristics such as cohabitation, mobility, age, and sex, as these potentially relate to participation in leisure activities as well as social relations among older adults.

Understanding The Role of Psychological Characteristics in Retirement Planning Among Employees Working in Delhi NCR.

The transition towards retirement needs coping and adapting, both of which provide challenges to psychological health. Notably, the transition into retirement sheds light on the core definition of psychological ageing, which may be summed up as the capacity to adapt not only to internal biological changes but also to changes in the external environment, which can have an impact on psychological health. The ability to adapt not only to internal biological changes but also to changes in the external environment that can have an impact on psychological health is central to the concept of psychological ageing. Since people are becoming more conscious that having financial security in retirement is only one of many crucial factors, there has been a rise in interest in the psychological aspects of retirement. It is highly likely that retirees will struggle with at least some psychological disorders, the severity of which will vary. For instance, a married couple whose ages are widely different but who both work full-time could wonder if they should retire at the same time or wait until one of them reaches a certain milestone age. While one person worked, the other might retire and spend their time relaxing at home by themselves. When faced with such a situation, retirees are prone to have psychological issues, which, in order to achieve their highest possible level of life satisfaction, need to be addressed. The purpose of this study was to investigate how psychological factors influence the retirement planning behaviour of employees in the Delhi National Capital Region. This article examines the challenges that many leaders face when it comes time for them to step down from their positions. It analyses the physical and psychological aspects of ageing and discusses a number of the obstacles that stand in the way of a graceful exit, including financial, social, and psychological factors. In addition to this, it delves into a variety of mental processes that come into play during retirement.
 

Psychological factors substantially contribute to biological aging: evidence from the aging rate in Chinese older adults.

We have developed a deep learning aging clock using blood test data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, which has a mean absolute error of 5.68 years. We used the aging clock to demonstrate the connection between the physical and psychological aspects of aging. The clock detects accelerated aging in people with heart, liver, and lung conditions. We demonstrate that psychological factors, such as feeling unhappy or being lonely, add up to 1.65 years to one’s biological age, and the aggregate effect exceeds the effects of biological sex, living area, marital status, and smoking status. We conclude that the psychological component should not be ignored in aging studies due to its significant impact on biological age.

Coming Soon to a Class Near You: Cinematic Insights on Later Life

Cinema can enhance gerontological education by reinforcing a variety of learning styles, connecting course content to current culture, and providing an alternative, tangible view of what students are learning. The presenters discuss their use of film to teach gerontological concepts in the classroom. In an Introduction to Aging course, the films, “Young at Heart” and “Sunset Story” were used to break through ageist stereotypes, examine examples of resilience at the end of life, and convey the impact of residential context on the experience of aging, i.e., within a retirement home for “retired rebels.” In a course on Health and Aging, movies, such as “Red,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “Somethings Gotta Give” are used to compare the social and psychological aspects of aging of the characters to learned concepts in the classroom. Students expressed how watching and writing about the films increased their understanding by bringing abstract gerontological concepts to life.

“Not as Bad as I Thought”: Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives on Aging

Ageism remains prevalent in our society and negatively affects older adults. Undergraduate education could be a potential avenue for combating ageism among individuals moving into the workforce. The current investigation is a pilot study in which students enrolled in an upper-level undergraduate course were asked to reflect on how their perspectives on aging had changed following the completion of the course. The course, Psychology of Aging, provides students with an overview of the psychological aspects of aging, including cognitive, physical, and social changes. Consensual qualitative methods were used to explore student responses (N=150) and analyzed using Atlas.ti 7. The results indicated that majority of students had a more positive view of aging following course completion. The three most common themes that emerged were 1) positive aging, 2) living arrangements, and 3) social relationships. For the positive aging theme, students recognized the positive aspects of aging, with many commenting that aging was not as bad as they originally thought. Nearly all the responses in the living arrangements theme reflected students’ previous assumptions that most older adults live in nursing homes. In the social relationships theme, students realized that aging does not make people value social connection any less. The findings suggest that providing students with accurate information about aging has the potential to correct their negative views of aging, and highlight the importance of gerontology coursework in higher education, particularly for those pursuing careers in which they will regularly interact with older adults.

Health Status of the Elderly Karbis: A Case Study in Morigaon District, Assam

Health among elderly is an important dimension of quality of life. Health is the outcome of interaction of genetic and environmental factors. In elderly, it is the result of a complex interaction of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of ageing. Health status in this paper has been looked at from the point of view of incidence of diseases, functional ability, nutritional status, and elderly’s self-assessment of health condition. Data for the study have been collected from 20 villages in Morigaon district of Assam, predominantly inhabited by the Karbi community. Sixty years and above have been taken as the inclusive criterion. The sample consists of 508 elderly male and female Karbis. It is cross-sectional study using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data have been collected with a structured schedule and nutritional status assessed from body mass index. Majority of the elderly did not reportedly suffer from any disease. A look into the treatment and management of disease conditions indicates that the elderly persons are mostly not aware of any disease prevalence due to their ignorance. The elderly remain functionally active and this is mainly their criteria of defining health. Of the elderly, 30 percent show low body mass index indicating protein deficiency malnutrition. Self-assessment of health condition as good by most elderly indicates a better psychological health. Functional ability, nutritional status, and self-assessment show an association with age.

Herodontics - is there a place for maintaining the apparently hopeless tooth?

The population is ageing and people are keeping their own teeth for much longer due in part to the efforts of the dental profession in restoring teeth and reducing the number of teeth being extracted. Along with this there is now an increasing expectation by patients that they will retain their own teeth as they age and that dental practitioners will have the knowledge and skills to help them retain their own teeth. Contemporary restorative materials and techniques have increased the range of options available to assist with maintaining the dentition, and many of these procedures enable minimally invasive and cost effective management of the teeth as an alternative to complex and expensive procedures. This paper discusses the restoration of compromised and failing teeth in the ageing patient, and looks at the various issues facing the ageing dentate patient and the dilemma of when to restore or when to extract. Ultimately it is hoped that maintaining healthy teeth for life may not only improve oral function and quality of life, but may in fact reduce the impact of the physical and psychological aspects of ageing.

Psychological aspects of aging and psychology’s contributions to gerontology: theoretical and technical interface

Psychological aspects of aging and psychology’s contributions to gerontology: theoretical and technical interface

Guest editorial

Purpose A frequent concern of older people and of those who work with older people is that research is often divorced from reality and does not inform everyday practice. For many years, psychology and related disciplines have investigated the social and psychological aspects of ageing from different perspectives. However, the contemporary challenges faced by older people and their carers remain substantial. There is a need to better connect research with policy and practice designed to improve the quality of life of older people. The aim of this special issue is to provide a forum for researchers, policy makers and practitioners to discuss particular initiatives and topics pertinent to people as they age. It is through this dialogue that researchers can gain further insight into the everyday issues faced by older people, and can become more aware of particular challenges faced in developing and implementing changes in policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper introduces the six papers th...

Análise da produção científica da Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia: uma revisão bibliométrica

OBJETIVO: Descrever e analisar o perfil das publicações da Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia (RBGG) no período de 2006 a 2013. MÉTODO: Trata-se de pesquisa de revisão bibliográfica, do tipo descritivo, com análise bibliométrica da produção científica da RBGG. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por três pesquisadores treinados. Contatou-se a equipe editorial via correio eletrônico para obter a informação referente ao número de manuscritos recebidos, rejeitados e aceitos na revista. RESULTADOS: Publicou-se um total de 400 trabalhos, dos quais 301 (75,3%) foram artigos originais e 42 (10,5%) revisões. A maior parte dos trabalhos (95,1%) é de autores brasileiros, predominando as Regiões Sudeste (43,4%) e Sul (26,8%), especificamente nos estados de São Paulo (19,8%), Rio Grande do Sul (15,6%) e Rio de Janeiro (12,0%). A maioria dos trabalhos é de abordagem quantitativa e o tipo de estudo mais frequente é o transversal (45,9%), seguido pela revisão de literatura (13,7%) e a série de casos de tipo observacional (10,7%). Verificou-se, ainda, aumento do tempo para publicação entre 2006 e 2011, seguido por uma estabilidade até 2013. As temáticas mais comuns foram as referentes aos aspectos psicológicos do envelhecimento, atividade física e nutrição. CONCLUSÕES: Observou-se aumento continuado no número de trabalhos recebidos e publicados na RBGG durante todo o período. A produção é focada nas instituições universitárias, em âmbito nacional, e centralizada nas regiões Sudeste e Sul. Identificou-se ainda uma grande abrangência de temáticas.

Does Executive Dysfunction Affect Treatment Outcome in Late-Life Mood and Anxiety Disorders?

Rates of treatment response among the elderly are typically lower than those found in younger samples. This article discusses specific biological and psychological aspects of aging that may impact the effectiveness of treatments for late-life mood and anxiety disorders. Although empirical evidence for the role of executive skills in treatment outcome is currently quite limited, the small number of existing studies suggest that some older adults with deficits in executive skills may respond poorly to popular treatments for depression and anxiety compared with those with intact executive functions. However, there are likely to be additional mediating factors. This article provides a definition and description of executive functions, including a summary of popular assessment tools. The literature on treatment outcome is reviewed, and future directions are discussed.

Psychological aspects of ageing

The psychology of ageing encompasses a variety of approaches and experimental traditions which, while complementing the clinical sciences, nevertheless remain rooted in the psychology of human development. Two of these ‘experimental traditions’ provide the focus for this contribution: speed of performance (as measured by reaction times) and intellectual performance (as measured by cognitive tests). Superficially representing the ‘physical’ and the ‘mental’, and closely related to the most enduring stereotypes of ageing (which hold that we inevitably become slower and duller with advancing years), speed and intellectual performance are among the longest studied of all phenomena in experimental psychology. Understanding how these two aspects of functioning interrelate and change with normal ageing provides useful insights into psychological adaptation across the lifespan, and helps to identify opportunities for constructive intervention.

The Lifespan development of individuals: behavioral, neurobiological, and psychosocial perspectives: a synthesis

1. Design for a life Patrick Bateson Part I. Early Development 2. Areal specialization of the developing neocortex: differentiation, developmental plasticity and genetic specification Dennis D. M. O'Leary 3.Genes and environment John C. Loehlin 4. Causes and outcome of perinatal brain injury Osmund Reynolds Commentary 5. A systems view of psychobiological development Gilbert Gottlieb Part II. The Changing Brain 6. Neurotransmitter receptors in the changing brain: allosteric transitions, gene expression and pathology at the molecular level Jean-Pierre Changeux 7. Learning, memory and synaptic plasticity: cellular mechanisms, network architecture and the recording of attended experience Richard G. M. Morris 8. Brain size, behavior and the allocation of neural space Dale Purves, Leonard E. White, Dake Zheng, Timothy J. Andrews and David R. Riddle Commentary 9. Selection and development: the brain as a complex system Gerald M. Edelman and G. Tononi Part III. Cognition and Behaviour 10. Cognitive development Franz E. Weinert and Josef Perner 11. Cognitive and neural development: clues from genetically-based syndromes Ursula Bellugi, Edward S. Klima and Paul P. Wang 12. Language acquisition at different ages Wolfgang Klein Commentary: 13. Advances in cognitive neuroscience Antonio R. Damasio and Hanna Damasio Part IV. Biology and Socialization 14. Socialization and sociogenesis Robert B Cairns 15. Patterns of juvenile behavior following early hormonal interventions Robert W. Goy 16. Gonadal hormones and the organization of brain structure and function Roger A. Gorski Commentary 17. The brain and socialization: a two-way mediation across the life course Pierre Karli Part V. Social Competence 18. The interpenetration of biology and culture Robert A. Hinde 19. Temperamental contributions to the development of social behavior Jerome Kagan 20. Developmental psychopathology as an organizing research construct Sir Michael Rutter Commentary 21. Social competence and human conflict David Hamburg Part VI. Aging 22. Psychological aspects of aging: facts and frontiers Paul B. Baltes and Peter Graf 23. Genetics of aging and Alzheimer's disease John Hardy 24. Aging and molecular biology David G. Morgan and Marcia N. Gordon Commentary: 25. Biological bases for plasticity during aging of individual life histories Caleb E. Finch.

AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF TRENDS SINCE 1980

AbstractAustralian social gerontology entered a new stage of development in the 1980s with the establishment of a number of research projects and educational programmes. The aim of this paper is to make a systematic review of the recent research literature and identify research achievements and knowledge gaps. A total of 158 research articles published in overseas and Australian academic journals are reviewed in terms of source of publication, author institutional affiliation, content and theoretical orientation, and research approaches. The findings show a steady increase In the volume of published material but a number of theoretical and methodological issues need further analysis. Notable gaps are in the psychological aspects of ageing, research by allied health professionals, studying ageing from a political economy perspective, and multi‐disciplinary and multi‐method approaches.

Psychological aspects of aging in women.

Older women are forced to cope with many societal myths and negative stereotypes. This paper reviews the influence of these stereotypes as well as some of the other psychological concerns of women who are aging. Losses such as widowhood and divorce as well as the problem of loneliness are discussed.

Psychological aspects of aging and illness

Psychological aspects of aging and illness

Abandon de l'existence indépendante au cours du vieil âge*

Though much attention has been given during these last years to the biological and psychological aspects of aging, changes which occur in living arrangements have been somewhat neglected. What are the factors which motivate people to modify their living conditions in the later years and, especially, why do they apply for admission to institutional group housing? Is it because of their incapacity for independent living or because of changes in the external circumstances of their lives to which they have some difficulty adapting? We interviewed 445 persons aged 65 and over who had been admitted recently in institutional group housing in Montreal. Using an instrument worked out in Great Britain by Townsend, we found nearly 50 per cent would have been able to look after themselves independently. In order to measure the capacity of individuals for leading an independent life, we investigated the extent to which they were able to perform various simple tasks required for independent living. The ratio mentioned above varied significantly according to sex, age, and to previous living conditions. Women seemed to be more handicapped than men and the percentage of the incapacitated increased with age. However, in the 65–69 age group the percentage of handicapped persons living independently was higher than in the two subsequent groups, indicating that this age group displays more flexibility in adapting to external changes. The main reason for admittance to institutional group housing is physical or mental incapacity. It is interesting to note that the proportion of incapacitated persons (mostly widowed women) having lived with their family was quite low as compared to the proportion of those who lived independently. Elderly persons raised in the rural traditions of Quebec, however, seem to underestimate the difficulties involved when three generations live together and often go to live with their children after their spouse dies. The only solution if difficulties arise is to apply for admittance to an institution, since the irreversibility of the aging process prevents returning to previous living arrangements. Two tentative conclusions have been reached. Firstly, old people do not give up independent living simply because of their diminishing capacity to take care of themselves or their need of extensive care, but because they are striving for more security. Secondly, institutional group housing in Montreal is as yet less specialized than expected for receiving people in need of various kinds of care.

Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging.Clark Tibbitts , Wilma Donahue

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsSocial and Psychological Aspects of Aging. Clark Tibbitts , Wilma Donahue Kurt W. BackKurt W. Back Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by American Journal of Sociology Volume 69, Number 2Sep., 1963 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/223571 Views: 1Total views on this site Copyright 1963 University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging.

Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging.