Psychosocial Aspects Of Aging Research Articles

Women coming to terms with aging: the importance of psychosocial factors

ABSTRACT Studies concerning the process of aging for women tend to focus on age-related physical changes and their correlates, often overlooking the psychosocial aspects of aging. The current study aims to understand women’s experiences of aging, while also validating recently developed separate Q-sort scales of ego integrity and despair. Data drawn from a larger study of older college-educated women were used to examine relationships between health, concern about aging, ego integrity, despair, and well-being. Hierarchical linear regression results indicate that despair – but not ego integrity – was related to well-being over and above health status and levels of aging concern.

Interseccionalidade, Raça e Sexualidade: Compreensões Para a Velhice de Negros LGBTI+

Interseccionalidade é o termo cunhado no cerne do movimento feminista antirracista, e atualmente atribuído à conjunção de que formas de exclusão sociais se somam conforme condições identitárias de raça, gênero, sexualidade e classe social. Nessa conjuntura, negros e negras LGBTI+ tipificam agregar múltiplos preconceitos, como racismo e LGBTfobia, que afetam a qualidade de vida e interpõem consequências deletérias para seu envelhecimento, quando a idade surge como outro objeto de aversão social. Buscou-se, então, revisitar a literatura em diversas fontes, principalmente artigos científicos, visando a partir do aporte teórico da interseccionalidade produzir compreensões sobre a velhice de idosos negros LGBTI+. Discute-se que desigualdades raciais e sexuais coadunam com outras variáveis de vulnerabilidade social, ao que negros LGBTI+ obtém menor acesso a saúde, educação e proteção social, estando mais propensos a marginalização social na velhice que idosos brancos e heterossexuais. Apesar de não serem produzidos dados empíricos sobre o contexto brasileiro da velhice negra LGBTI+, espera-se contribuir para a expansão da literatura gerontológica sobre os aspectos psicossociais do envelhecimento desse grupo, ressaltando-se que políticas públicas devam ser constantemente reforçadas em prol da proteção de minorias sociais. A vista do avanço do envelhecimento populacional como fenômeno irrevogável, plural e dinâmico.

RESILIENT AGING ROUNDTABLE: AN EVALUATION OF A BRIEF COMMUNITY PSYCHOEDUCATION DISCUSSION GROUP

Increased aging resilience levels are associated with many positive outcomes for older adults including improved quality of life, increased coping and adaptation, and decreased depressive symptoms (Earvolino-Ramirez, 2007; Fullen & Gorby, 2016; Hicks & Conner, 2014; (Sharpley, Bitsika, Wootten, & Christie, 2014). However, very few resilience promotion programs are described in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a brief, community-based psychoeducation group designed to enhance aging resilience. Participants were recruited through a private mental health practice focused on serving older adults in the Pacific Northwest. Nine participants (M age = 71; 78% female, 100% non-Hispanic white; 100% with some college) completed the pre- and post-assessment measures: An adapted 9 item version of the Communicative Ecology Model of Successful Aging (CEMSA; Fowler, Gasiorek, & Giles, 2015) and the Groningen Ageing Resilience Inventory (GARI; van Abbema et al., 2015). The discussion group consisted of six 90-minute meetings every-other-week, facilitated by a licensed clinical psychologist. Each meeting focused on a different topic related to psycho-social aspects of aging and included understanding ageism, embracing change, creating meaning, normal and “successful” aging, and strengthening social ties. Although not statistically significant, initial results showed lower post-assessment mean scores on the CEMSA indicating lower levels of aging uncertainty, negative attributions, and pessimism as well as higher post-assessment mean scores on the GARI indicating higher perceived resilience. Moreover, 77.7 % of the group agreed or strongly agreed that they had learned a lot from the group. Future directions will be discussed.

Can programmed aging theory adequately explain sexual dysfunction among the elderly?

The belief is widespread that elderly individuals simply become asexual as they age. Consequently, many caregivers and healthcare practitioners implicitly ignore or downplay the sexuality and sexual needs of the elderly. Although it is true that elderly individuals commonly experience sexual dysfunction, which may include a decline in sexual desire, sexual functioning, and ability to engage in sexual activity, most desire to remain sexually active into their older age, and many in fact do. This review examines the extent to which programmed aging theory, which holds that senescence and its associated physiological decline result from genetically predetermined lifespan, can be used to explain and evaluate the development of sexual dysfunction among elderly individuals. Although programmed aging theory usefully accounts for and normalizes inevitable changes in sexual function and ability, it ignores the psychological and psychosocial aspects of aging that affect the onset and extent of sexual dysfunction. Acknowledging these aspects of aging has led to interventions which have proved helpful in maintaining and enhancing sexual activity and wellbeing among the elderly. As the population ages and average lifespans increase, it is necessary that caregivers and healthcare practitioners are equipped to help their patients understand, manage, and adapt to age-related changes in sexual desire, functioning, and wellbeing.

Coping Mechanisms for Psychosomatic Symptoms among Aging Roman Catholic German priests.

To identify and investigate coping mechanisms and other factors which may impact upon the psychosomatic symptoms of aging German Roman Catholic priests. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 499 aging German Roman Catholic priests with standardized questionnaires: Brief Symptom Inventory, Coping Inventory Stressful Situations, and Religious Coping Scale. Task-Oriented Coping exhibited a significant difference between the two groups. Multiple regression analyses indicated that psychosomatic symptoms could be best predicted by means of Task-Oriented Coping mechanisms, identification with priesthood, and by a low Negative Religious Coping. The success of adaptive coping processes for older clergy may depend on how they employ strategies, strengthen their spiritual dimensions, and manage important psychosocial aspects of aging. In our sample, Depression and Somatization are explained best by Emotion-Oriented Coping. It is desirable for aging priests to be aware of protective factors like Role Identification, Task-Oriented Coping, and low Negative Religious Coping, which may be helpful in improving their psychological well-being.

Aging and Caring

I WAS INVITED to present a lecture to a class of graduate nurses who were studying the "Psychosocial Aspects of Aging." I started my lecture with the following case presentation: The patient is a white female who appears her reported age. She neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented about person, place, and time. She does, however, seem to recognize her own name. I have worked with her for the past six months, but she still does not recognize me. She shows complete disregard for her physical appearance and makes no effort whatsoever to assist in her own care. She must be fed, bathed, and clothed by others. Because she is edentulous, her food must be puréed, and because she is incontinent of both urine and stool, she must be changed and bathed often. Her shirt is generally soiled

Aging and Caring

I was invited to present a lecture to a class of graduate nurses who were studying the "Psychosocial Aspects of Aging." I started my lecture with the following case presentation: The patient is a white female who appears her reported age. She neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented about person, place, and time. She does, however, seem to recognize her own name. I have worked with her for the past 6 months, but she still does not recognize me. She shows complete disregard for her physical appearance and makes no effort whatsoever to assist in her own care. She must be fed, bathed, and clothed by others. Because she is edentulous, her food must be puréed, and because she is incontinent of both urine and stool, she must be changed and bathed often. Her shirt is generally soiled

The Psychosocial Aspects of Aging and Vision Loss

The number of older persons experiencing vision loss is growing rapidly as people are living longer and service providers are faced with meeting the needs of this changing and diversifying population. This article describes the losses associated with aging and with vision loss; reactions and adjustments to vision loss by the older person as well as family members and the challenges and opportunities confronting service providers and older visually impaired persons in the 90's.

The future of health care for the elderly.

Problems facing the modern health care worker are examined. These include population changes, the changing pattern of disease, the psychosocial aspects of aging, and altered pathophysiologic mechanisms. The major future requirements in health care for the elderly are outlined. Greater emphasis should be placed upon education in the disciplines of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. Society needs to be made more aware of the realities of aging. Health care professionals need to develop their communication skills and to practice more effective teamwork. Greater coordination of the components of health care delivery systems will be needed in order to provide comprehensive and continuing health services. Research into the true and changing needs of the elderly recipients of health care should be emphasized. Prevention and early detection of disease is an important focus in Geriatric Medicine for the future.