Seeing aging as positive may improve mental health

Date: Sep-08-2014A new nationally representative study of older military veterans finds that poor

mental health is linked to negative age stereotypes, and those who view getting old as positive

appear to have a lower risk of experiencing post-traumatic stress, anxiety and suicidal

thoughts. The researchers suggest if media, everyday conversations and marketing were to convey

more positive views of aging, it could improve mental health.

"Developing resistance to negative age stereotypes could provide older individuals with a path to greater mental health," say the researchers.

The researchers, from the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, CT, report their

findings in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

In their background information, lead author Becca R. Levy, associate professor and director

of the School's Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, and colleagues explain evidence shows

that older ex-service men and women are at greater risk of developing psychiatric disorders than

same-age people who have not served in the military. They are also at higher risk than younger

veterans.

Yet, it is not clear what factors - if any - may protect older veterans from developing these

disorders.

For their study they analyzed data on over 2,000 American ex-military personnel aged 55 and

over from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, a nationally representative

survey of the 9 million or so older veterans. The survey collected a range of data,

including measures of mental health, attitudes, and social activity.

They found that of the participants with the most positive attitude toward aging, only 2% had

post-traumatic stress disorder compared with 19% of those with the most negative attitude. They

also found similar differences for experiencing suicidal thoughts (5% compared with 30%) and

anxiety (4% compared with 35%).

The researchers also found the same link between resistance to negative age stereotypes and

lower rates of psychiatric conditions in non-combat veterans and say this suggests the same is

likely to be true of older people in general.

The link persisted even after they adjusted for other possible influencing factors such as

age, personality and physical health.

They conclude:

"These findings suggest that developing resistance to negative age stereotypes could provide

older individuals with a path to greater mental health."

Researchers say reducing negative portrayal of aging could improve mental health

Prof. Levy says she has found negative age stereotypes can generate stress in older people,

and research shows that stress can raise the risk of psychiatric disorders later in life, so

perhaps one explanation for their findings is that exposure to negative age stereotypes makes

older people more susceptible to psychiatric disorders.

"These results suggest that reducing the negative age stereotypes that are present in media,

marketing, and everyday conversations could have mental health benefits," she adds.

The authors believe this is the first study to link attitude to age stereotypes to stress-related psychiatric conditions.

Funds from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic

Stress Disorder, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Mental Health

helped finance the study.

Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned how a new report by the World Health

Organization estimates that every 40 seconds a person dies by

suicide. The report, released just ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September,

calls for global action to prevent suicide.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.