Concepts and Theories of Age and Aging

Settersten, Richard A.; Godlewski, Bethany

doi:10.1891/9780826129437.0002

Cited by 23 publications

(25 citation statements)

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“…Old age is stereotypically considered a period of progressive decline, and consequently, a heavier and heavier healthcare burden for society. This bias in social narratives on aging is traditionally widespread (Jeste et al, 2013 ; Settersten and Godlewski, 2016 ), although it has been refuted by experts. For these reasons, and starting from a holistic perspective, there is a growing need for empirical studies that enable the assessment of psychological functioning and overall health in the Third Age (Fry and Debats, 2010 ; Jeste et al, 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness, Resilience, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Old Age: A Structural Equation Model

et al. 2017

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Objectives: In the scientific literature on aging, a recent core issue has been the role of individuals' internal and external resources, which are considered intrinsically connected, in contributing synergistically to physical and psychological quality of life (QoL). The current study investigates the way in which psychological factors—such as, loneliness, resilience, and mental states, in terms of depression and anxiety symptoms—affect the perceived QoL among elderly individuals.Method: Data from 290 elderly Italian participants were used to study the mediation effects of both mental health and resilience to elucidate the relationship between loneliness and psychophysical QoL.Results: The best model we obtained supports the mediation effect of both resilience and mental health between loneliness and mental and physical QoL. These results highlight that loneliness influences mental and physical QoL via two pathways, with the impact of loneliness mediated by mental health and resilience dimensions.Conclusions: The findings suggest the importance of the support that elderly people receive from social relationships. In terms of clinical interventions, the reduction of loneliness could be an important factor in primary prevention or the recovery process. A way to reduce levels of mental distress could be represented by the increasing of resilience and self-efficacy and reduction of loneliness dissatisfaction. A high degree of resiliency contributes to increasing perceived life quality at the physical and psychological levels, and at the same time, reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness, Resilience, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Old Age: A Structural Equation Model

et al. 2017

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“…Compared to the wealth of literature on age trajectories and the aging paradox of subjective well-being in the West, fewer studies in Asian populations are available, and it is not clear to what extent such patterns are universal [42]. Chen [9], using the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan in 1989 and 1993, revealed that, after controlling for age-related correlates, higher subjective well-being was found among older versus middle-aged birth cohorts.…”

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confidence: 99%

The paradox of aging and health-related quality of life in Asian Chinese: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan

et al. 2020

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“…The second approach takes age to be a property of social organization and social life. The focus on individuals in aging research leads gerontologists to overlook or have at the periphery social phenomena that have direct and indirect bearings on aging processes and outcomes (see Settersten & Godlewski, 2016 ). These include:…”

Section: Age Is a Salient Dimension Of Individual Identity And Socialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some Things I Have Learned About Aging by Studying the Life Course

Settersten

2017

Innovation in Aging

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Abstract“Aging” and the “life course” are distinct but complementary phenomena that inform one another. Building on this insight, this essay conveys some lessons the author has learned about aging by studying the life course. These include that (1) age is a salient dimension of individual identity and social organization; (2) a reconfigured life course brings reconfigured aging; (3) old age is a highly precarious phase of life; (4) difference and inequality are not the same, but both can accumulate over time; (5) aging is gendered; (6) aging is interpersonal, and “independence” is an illusion; (7) “choice” and “responsibility” can be dirty words; (8) much of aging is in the mind—it is imagined and anticipated; and (9) history leaves its footprints on aging, and the future of aging is already here. These lessons culminate in a final insight: that to understand personal aging, gerontologists must look beyond the personal, for much of the relevant action is to be found in social experience.

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Concepts and Theories of Age and Aging

Cited by 23 publications

References 0 publications

Loneliness, Resilience, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Old Age: A Structural Equation Model

Loneliness, Resilience, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Old Age: A Structural Equation Model

The paradox of aging and health-related quality of life in Asian Chinese: results from the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan

Some Things I Have Learned About Aging by Studying the Life Course

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