Older people have better mental well-being than 30 years ago
IMAGE: OLDER PEOPLE HAVE BETTER MENTAL WELL-BEING THAN 30 YEARS AGO view more
CREDIT: MOSTPHOTOS
This was observed in a study conducted at the Gerontology Research Center at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä (Finland). The study examined differences in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction between current 75- and 80-year-olds and the same-aged people who lived in the 1990s.
The results showed that 75- and 80-year-old men and women today experience fewer depressive symptoms than those who were 75 and 80 years old in the 1990s. The differences were partly explained by the better perceived health and higher education of those born later.
“In our previous comparisons, we found that older people today have significantly better physical and cognitive functioning at the same age compared to those born earlier,” says Professor Taina Rantanen from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. “These new results complement these positive findings in terms of mental well-being.”
Today, 75- and 80-year-olds are more satisfied with their lives to date. However, there was no similar difference in satisfaction with their current lives. In fact, 80-year-old men who lived in the 1990s were even more satisfied with their current lives than 80-year-old are men today.
“These men born in 1910 had lived through difficult times, which may explain their satisfaction with their current lives in the 1990s when many things were better than before," says postdoctoral researcher Tiia Kekäläinen.
“Individuals adapt to their situation and living conditions. Both in the 1990s and today, the majority of older adults reported being satisfied with their current lives.”
The study was conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center at University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The first cohort consisted of 617 individuals born in 1910 and 1914 who participated in the Evergreen study in 1989–1990. The second cohort consisted of 794 individuals born in 1938–1939 and 1942–1943 who participated in the AGNES study in 2017–2018. In both cohorts, the participants were assessed at the age of 75 or 80 years. The study was funded by the Academy of Finland and the European Research Council.
JOURNAL
Journal of Aging and Health
ARTICLE TITLE
Cohort Differences in Depressive Symptoms and Life Satisfaction in 75- and 80-Year-Olds: A Comparison of Two Cohorts 28 Years Apart
Understanding self-directed ageism
Normal age-related changes in how we think, perceive and reason may increase the risk of older people viewing themselves through a negative and ageist lens, University of Queensland research suggests
Peer-Reviewed Publication
The study led by Professor Julie Henry from UQ’s School of Psychology looked at why self-directed ageism is common.
Cognitive changes make it difficult for older people to challenge internalised ageist beliefs.
Image: Adobe.
“Older people are regularly exposed to ageism such as negative assumptions about their worth, capacity or level of understanding, as well as jokes about older age,” Professor Henry said.
“At the same time, as we grow older, we rely more strongly on prior knowledge and cues from our environment to guide how we feel, think and behave.
“In a world that devalues ageing, these cognitive changes make it more difficult for older people to challenge internalised ageist beliefs, known as self-directed ageism.”
Self-directed ageism can present as self-doubt – ‘I'm too old to learn this new technology’ or ‘I’m too old to make new friends’ – and negative perceptions of one’s own aging, such as ‘I'm so much worse at this than I used to be’.
Self-directed ageism can also present as concern over being judged according to age-based stereotypes, such as ‘If I forget to do this, they're going to think it's because I'm old’.
Professor Henry said when ageism is internalised and becomes self-directed, it has been linked to a shorter lifespan, poorer physical and mental health, slower recovery from disability and cognitive decline.
“It can also be harmful when older adults allow their negative beliefs about ageing to undermine their confidence to take on new or challenging experiences and opportunities,” Professor Henry said.
“Interventions, such as creating more opportunities for positive social interactions between younger and older people, are needed to prevent negative views of ageing from developing in the first place.
“Our research also suggests that older adults will benefit directly from a reduction in cues to ageism in our wider social environment.
“If fewer ageist cues attract older people’s attention, the risk of self-directed ageism should be reduced.”
The paper is published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
JOURNAL
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Meta-analysis
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
The cognitive tenacity of self-directed ageism
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
4-May-2023
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