Gain- but not loss-related self-perceptions of aging predict mortality over a period of 23 years: A multidimensional approach.

Abstract

Some 2 decades have passed since Levy et al. (2002) published their seminal study on the impact of selfperceptions of aging (SPA) on mortality over a period of 23 years in this journal; we aimed at replicating and extending these findings against the background of recent discussions in the research on subjective aging. Based on a large German nationwide population-based sample of individuals aged 40 and older (N = 2,400), for whom mortality was also documented over a period of 23 years , the present study is the first to investigate the unique impact of gain-and loss-related SPA and subjective age (SA) as components of subjective aging on mortality. Data were analyzed with hierarchical Cox proportional hazard regressions. The study pointed to the prominent role of gain-related SPA. For individuals who perceived aging as associated with ongoing development risk of death was half that of individuals with less gain-related SPA. Viewing aging as associated with physical or social losses could not predict mortality after controlling for covariates such as age, gender, education, health-related variables, and psychological variables known to predict mortality. Neither could SA predict mortality. When SA and gain-and loss-related SPA were analyzed in a combined model, gain-related SPA remained a significant predictor of mortality. The findings support previous studies on the importance of SPA for mortality. In addition, the results suggest that mainly gain-related SPA (but not loss-related SPA and SA) explain differences in mortality and should thus be addressed in intervention studies.

How Do Marital Transitions Affect Self-Perceptions of Aging?

“…Wurm & Schäfer (2022) recently found that gain-related (i.e., positive) SPA, but not loss-related (i.e., negative) SPA, was associated with mortality 23 years later. As such, reductions in positive SPA following a marital loss may have serious health-related consequences despite not being paired with increases in negative SPA.…”

“…Brown and colleagues (2021), for example, found that positive, but not negative, SPA predicted cognitive functioning amongst older adults. Likewise, a recent study showed that gain-related (i.e., positive) SPA, but not loss-related (i.e., negative) SPA was associated with mortality 23 years later (Wurm & Schäfer, 2022). Because marriage is so highly gendered, marital status transitions differ demographically by gender, and men and women experience positive and negative SPA in different ways, studying gender differences in marital status transitions and their connections to positive and negative SPA, specifically, rather than SPA in general, is important.…”

Longitudinal effects of subjective aging on health and longevity: An updated meta-analysis.

“…Furthermore, it dates back to the fundamental insight by Baumeister et al (2001) and an extensive body of research that negative experiences and evaluations tend to have more impact on behavior than positive ones. Although a recent study found stronger support for adults’ perceptions of age-related gains as predictors of longevity (Wurm & Schäfer, 2022), other studies have shown stronger associations between age-related losses and markers of health (Brothers et al, 2017, 2019; Dutt, Gabrian, & Wahl, 2018).…”

Trajectories of resilience and mental distress to global major disruptions

“…Resilience is important in both young and old age, because global disruptions, such as the pandemic, can occur during a critical phase in young people's emotional and social development or add to naturally occurring disruptions in older people (e.g., retirement and/or physical/cognitive impairments). We advocate for more collaborative action, combining expertise from child and adult resilience research [ 56 ] and leveraging existing knowledge in the field of healthy aging, which has already addressed positive psychological concepts that could be viewed as age-related resilience factors (e.g., views on aging [ 114 , 115 ]).…”