Older age treatment expectations

Abstract

The relationship between age and treatment expectation (TE) has been virtually ignored. This study assessed the TE and posthospital adjustment of 5,347 psychiatric patients, 4,361 younger (<55) and 986 older (>55). Patients were evaluated on admission with self‐ and other rating adjustment scales and again at 3‐months postdischarge. One factor in the self‐rating scale included TE. Outcome measures involved posthospital adjustment (self‐ and other rated), both corrected and noncorrected for initial adjustment levels. Results show that TE rises with age. There is also some indication that higher TE leads to better adjustment. Older age and higher TE in combination, however, do not translate into better community adjustment. Also, differences between younger and older patients in TE are most pronounced in psychotics and in older patients not fully or currently employed.

MMPI scales and subscales: Patterns of older, middle-aged, and younger inpatients

“…This is the first time that MMPI subscales have been compared across age groups. It appears that differences on these measures followed patterns in other research on aging (Hyer & Collins, 1986). That is, older patients tended to respond more conservatively and with less pathological indicators than do younger patients.…”