When I’m 75: College Students’ Self Perceptions of the Challenges of Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-420
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Hahn ◽  
Jennifer M. Kinney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Pedagogical Strategies ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Optimal Aging ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Age Related Changes

Despite robust literature on people’s attitudes toward aging, far less is known about attitudes toward one’s own aging, especially among college students. We examined college students’ self-perceptions of the challenges of aging using essays from a “When I’m 75” assignment implemented at the beginning and end of the semester in an introductory gerontology course. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze 24 students’ perceptions of their own aging at age 75. The superordinate theme, challenges of aging, was identified along with five subordinate themes: deterioration, age-related impairments, mental health, loneliness and loss, and experiencing ageism. Findings suggest that after completing the course, students both demonstrated an understanding of realistic age-related changes and had (contradictory) stereotypical ideas of what it would be like to be 75. Findings have implications for research that continues to evaluate self-perceptions and contributes to the development of pedagogical strategies and tools that promote students’ optimal aging.

scholarly journals WHEN I’M 75: COLLEGE STUDENTS’ SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF AGING IN AN INTRODUCTORY GERONTOLOGY COURSE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S61-S61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J Hahn ◽  
Jennifer Kinney
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
People’S Attitudes ◽  
Age Related Changes

Abstract This presentation examines college students’ self-perceptions of aging using written essays from the assignment “When I’m 75” that was assigned at the beginning and end of the semester in an introductory gerontology course. Despite robust literature on people’s attitudes toward aging and older adults, far less is known about attitudes toward one’s own aging, especially among college students. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the students’ perception of their aging experience in their written assignment. Three overarching superordinate themes were identified: challenges of aging, proactive steps to avoid negative consequences of aging, and housing considerations. Findings suggest that after completing an introductory gerontology course, students demonstrated an understanding of some age-related changes yet still had a stereotypical understanding of what it is like to be age 75. This suggests the need to engage students in moving beyond stereotypes and to better link older age with their own future experience.

Perceptions of Sex Roles of Young and Middle-Aged Women and Men

1982 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-562
Author(s):  
Claire Etaugh ◽  
Sharon Weber
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Sex Roles ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aged Woman ◽  
Male College ◽  
Middle Aged Woman ◽  
Age Related Changes ◽  
Female Subjects

48 female and 48 male college students used the Bern Sex-role Inventory to describe either a young or middle-aged woman or man. Female subjects perceived that women become increasingly feminine and less androgynous with age. No age-related changes were perceived in men's sex-role behaviors.

Microaggression Experiences of Fathers With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-208
Author(s):  
Michael D. Hannon ◽  
Raymond Blanchard ◽  
Cassandra A. Storlie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Additional Research ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Family Wellness

Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, we interviewed six fathers to learn about their experiences in acclimating others to their children’s autism spectrum diagnoses. Results indicate a need for counselors to understand and support clients who experience frequent microaggressions and stereotyping related to autism spectrum disorder and its subsequent influence on fathers’ mental health and family wellness. Recommendations for working with families of individuals with autism and additional research are presented.

scholarly journals The Effects of Age Stereotypes on Physical and Mental Health Are Mediated by Self-perceptions of Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allyson Brothers ◽  
Anna E Kornadt ◽  
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Manfred Diehl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Age Stereotypes ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Gain And Loss

Abstract Objectives Although the evidence linking views on aging (VoA) with aging outcomes is robust, little is known about how different types of VoA may interact to influence such outcomes. Therefore, this study examined two types of VoA, age stereotypes (AS), representing general VoA, and self-perceptions of aging (SPA), representing personal VoA. We operationalized SPA in terms of awareness of age-related change (AARC), distinguishing between gain- and loss-related SPA (e.g., awareness of positive and negative age-related changes, respectively). Based on theoretical reasoning, we hypothesized that AS would be an antecedent of SPA, and that the effect of AS on physical and mental health would be mediated by SPA. Method A total of 819 German and U.S. adults aged 40–98 completed a survey on VoA, physical health, and mental health at baseline and 2.5 years later. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to examine the effects of Time 1 AS (predictor) and Time 2 gain- and loss-related SPA (mediators) on physical and mental health outcomes. Results As hypothesized, AS predicted later SPA. Loss-related SPA mediated the effect of AS on physical health; both gain- and loss-related SPA mediated the effect of AS on mental health. Discussion Congruent with theoretical assumptions, our findings provide empirical support for a directional pathway by which AS shape later SPA. We conclude that AS and SPA may affect physical health outcomes more strongly than mental health outcomes. Studies that assess both types of VoA are needed to illuminate the pathways by which VoA influence aging outcomes.

Volunteering, Self-Perceptions of Aging, and Mental Health in Later Life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Huo ◽  
Lisa M Soederberg Miller ◽  
Kyungmin Kim ◽  
Siwei Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Panel Model ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives Scholars argue that volunteering enhances social, physical, and cognitive activities that are increasingly valued as people age, which in turn improves older adults’ well-being via a host of psychosocial and neurobiological mechanisms. This study explicitly tested older adults’ self-perceptions of aging as a mechanism underlying the mental health benefits of volunteering. Research Design and Methods Using 2-wave data from the Health and Retirement Study (2008/2010 for Wave 1 and 2012/2014 for Wave 2), we analyzed reports from a pooled sample of older adults aged 65 or older (N = 9,017). Participants reported on demographic characteristics, volunteer work (did not volunteer, 1–99 h/year, 100+ h/year), self-perceptions of aging, and depressive symptoms. We estimated an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model. Results Volunteering for 100 h or more per year was associated with older adults’ more positive and less negative self-perceptions of aging in the subsequent wave (i.e., 4 years later), which in turn predicted fewer depressive symptoms. Discussion and Implications This study suggests the promising role of volunteering in shaping older adults’ self-perceptions of aging on a sustained basis and refines our understanding of the benefits volunteering brings. Findings shed light on future interventions aimed at improving older adults’ adjustment to age-related changes and lessening ageism in society.

scholarly journals The cross-sectional relationship between pain and awareness of age-related changes

2020 ◽  
pp. 204946372096179
Author(s):  
Serena Sabatini ◽  
Obioha C Ukoumunne ◽  
Clive Ballard ◽  
Rachel Collins ◽  
Anne Corbett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
P Value ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Demographic Covariates ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Age Related Changes

Background: Awareness of positive and negative age-related changes (AARC gains and losses) captures the perceived changes that older individuals experience in several domains of their lives including physical, cognitive and social functioning; interpersonal relationships; and lifestyle. Exploring antecedents of AARC is important to identify those individuals that could benefit the most from interventions promoting positive experiences of ageing and/or adaptation to age-related changes. This study investigates the experience of pain as a predictor of lower AARC gains and higher AARC losses. Methods: Analyses are based on cross-sectional data from the PROTECT cohort (2019); 1013 UK residents (mean (SD; range) age: 65.3 (7.1; 51.4–92) years, 84.4% women) completed measures of AARC and pain and provided demographic information. Linear regression models were fitted to examine pain as a predictor of AARC gains and AARC losses. Results: Higher levels of pain predicted more AARC losses both before (regression coefficient, B = 0.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29 to 0.42, p-value < 0.001; R2 = 0.11) and after adjusting for demographic covariates ( B = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.40; p-value < 0.001; Partial R2 = 0.11). Pain was not significantly associated with AARC gains (unadjusted B = 0.05; 95% CI: −0.03 to 0.12, p-value = 0.21; Partial R2 = 0.01). Conclusion: Individuals experiencing pain may perceive more AARC losses. Interventions aiming to decrease levels of pain could include a component targeting self-perceptions of ageing and/or promoting acceptance of the negative changes that can happen with ageing. Statement of significance: The predictive role of greater levels of pain for more negative perceptions of age-related changes extends the literature on the negative psychological outcomes of pain and on predictors of perceived awareness of age-related changes (AARC). As individuals experiencing pain may be more at risk of perceiving their own ageing in a more negative way, they may benefit from interventions that combine strategies to reduce levels of pain and the interference that pain exerts on their daily activities with an educational component enhancing positive self-perceptions of ageing and promoting acceptance of negative age-related changes.

Sleep Through the Ages: Adults and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 49-64
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Dzierzewski ◽  
Tarah Raldiris ◽  
Scott Ravyts
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Rhythm Disorder ◽  
Age Related Changes

Sleep is essential for optimal physical and mental health, particularly in late-life. Thus, knowledge regarding age-related changes in sleep are of particular importance. This chapter begins by synthesizing existing research regarding the normative changes in sleep architecture, timing, and duration which occur from middle age to late-life. These normative changes are characterized by less N3 sleep, earlier bed and wake times, and shorter overall nocturnal sleep duration. The chapter concludes by providing an overview of common sleep disorders in older adulthood, including circadian rhythm disorder, sleep disordered breathing, and insomnia. These sleep disorders become more prevalent with age and are frequently associated with declines in functioning. Overall, though changes in sleep in late-life are common, they tend to occur gradually, with a significant portion of older adults able to maintain adequate sleep as they age.

Wasted Lives: Aging as an Incentive for Reconstruction of Desistance Intentions Among Older Adults in Prison

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 1547-1565
Author(s):  
Hila Avieli
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Fear Of Death ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Specific Group ◽  
Age Related

There is growing scholarly interest in older adults involved in crime and their lives in prison. However, the specific group of older adults who persistently offend (OAPO) and their desistance intentions has received little attention. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of OAPO who intend to desist from crime. Seventeen OAPO were interviewed, and an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach was used to analyze the narratives they presented. Participants’ interviews revealed four superordinate themes: (1) insight and change in the lives of OAPO; (2) a series of losses lead to disillusionment with a life of crime; (3) desistance as the only alternative; and (4) fear of death in prison as a catalyst for desistance. The findings suggest that desistance intention among older adults in prison is an individualized process deeply affected by age-related motivations and dynamics.

Changes in and Interactions between Physical and Mental Health in Older Japanese: The Nakanojo Study

Gerontology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-352
Author(s):  
Sunyoung Cho ◽  
Sungjin Park ◽  
Shin Takahashi ◽  
Kazuhiro Yoshiuchi ◽  
Roy J. Shephard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Adjustment ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Mood State ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Lagged Effects ◽  
Age Related Changes

Background: An age-related decrease in functional capacity is consistently reported, but it is not consistently related to a worsening of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) or psychological adjustment. A poor functional capacity and HRQOL have been associated with anxiety or depression, but the possible causal nature and direction of the relationship remain to be explored using long-term longitudinal data. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine age-related changes in functional capacity, HRQOL, and scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and possible causal interrelationships between these variables. Methods: Study participants were 5,124 Japanese aged ≥65 years. After the baseline study (2003), annual follow-up observations continued for 10 years. Generalized linear mixed models examined age-related changes in Barthel index (BI), Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC), HRQOL, and HADS. Cross-lagged effects models tested possible causal interrelationships. Results: With age, functional capacity and HRQOL scores showed similar declines in both sexes. Changes in mental health, anxiety, and depression developed more slowly than decreases in physical health (BI, TMIG-IC, and physical functioning scores). Cross-lagged effects models demonstrated that functional capacity had positive effects on psychological adjustment, and that psychological adjustment had positive effects on functional capacity 5 years later. Interactions between functional capacity and psychological adjustment showed no sex differences. A decline in functional capacity negatively affected psychological adjustment, but reduced psychological adjustment had no significant impact on functional capacity 5 and 10 years later. Moreover, functional capacity and poor psychological adjustment showed no interactions in either sex. Conclusion: Functional capacity and mood state are interrelated. Greater function could sustain vitality and mental health, possibly reducing anxiety and depression.

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