Discusses the myth that most elderly individuals suffer from depression, disillusionment and lack of well-being.
Written in 2002; 1,588 words; 7 sources; APA; $ 51.95
Paper Summary:
While it is true that a greater proportion of individuals in nursing homes have depression than the general population, the majority of these individuals are over 80 and experience chronic illness and pain. In addition, many of them have lost their loved ones and are alone most of the day. This paper discusses the factors which lead to the popular belief that depression and lack of well-being affect anybody over the age of 65. Some of the factors discussed include media attention on the negative aspects of aging, the focus on youth and beauty and general stereotyping. The paper also looks at several studies done on the myth about a clear-cut link between growing old and losing one's sense of well-being. The paper concludes that depression and despondency are not preset characteristics of all aging individuals. Rather, they are symptoms of other problems such as boredom, economic or social disadvantage or chronic illness.
From the Paper:
"Lucille B. Bearon, Ph.D. recommends that a two-tiered approach to defining successful aging (one for healthy older adults and one for the frail) more accurately fits the realities of aging. As the older population increases in diversity, the concept of successful aging may become even more difficult to define without expanding the number of models. One solution may be to return to an earlier theme that successful aging is in the eye of the beholder. In this case, successful aging is measured by indicators of subjective well-being such as life satisfaction, happiness, morale, perceived quality of life or other related measures of negativity such as depression, anxiety, etc."
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