Psychological aspects of aging and psychology’s contributions to gerontology: theoretical and technical interface

Abstract

The growth of the elderly population is a reality all over the world. Aging involves social, economic and also psychological aspects. Development and aging go hand in hand throughout the human life cycle, being called adaptive processes by Psychology and Gerontology, concomitantly involving gains and losses. The ability of the individual to deal with the needs arising from illness and aging is then under focus, making the qualified listening provided by the psychologists an element that can contribute to the re-signification of the experiences in question. Current research has shown that the elderly are responsive to the most diverse psychological interventions, which requires of the psychologists specific knowledge to this type of performance. Psychology and Sociology place old age not as a synonym of capacity loss in a sudden and definitive way, affirming that in adult life and in old age the potential for development is preserved, thus excluding the old dichotomy between growing and declining. It is essential that scholars and professionals build knowledge and practices linked to the specifics and generalities of old age and aging, bringing, then, benefits both to psychological science and Gerontology in general.

Fundamental Clock of Biological Aging: Convergence of Molecular, Neurodegenerative, Cognitive and Psychiatric Pathways: Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics Meet Psychology

“…An organism’s aging and its counterpart spontaneous molecular events are inevitable processes. However, this body of evidence suggests that epigenetic aging could be if not preventable than treatable for therapeutic intervention [ 159 , 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 , 185 ]. Ribosome-mediated translation machinery (TM) of the cell incorporates only L-AAs in the chain of synthesized proteins [ 186 ].…”

Arrow of Time, Entropy, and Protein Folding: Holistic View on Biochirality

“…An organism’s aging and its counterpart spontaneous molecular events are inevitable processes. However, the body of evidence suggests that epigenetic aging could be, if not preventable, then treatable, for specific stereo-selective therapeutic interventions [ 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ].…”