The psychology of aging is an area of study that has received, in recent years, great attention from specialized operators, doctors, psychologists, biologists; as well as people affected by social changes due to the progressive aging of the population.
Today, psychogerontology is an occasion for meeting, a kind of workshop where we can study the phenomenology of aging, modern evaluation systems, interpretation models and psychotherapeutic intervention strategies. In this Psychology-Online article we will see, therefore, What is psychogerontology, its characteristics and functions.
What is psychogerontology
We all agree that aging is a natural phenomenon, a stage of the life cycle. However, this phenomenon has undergone a change over time: while before the elderly were considered those who could no longer do anything: they did not want to establish social contacts and were totally disconnected; today elderly people have a role important on a social level and, above all, family.
Psychogerontology echoes this change and is a current discipline that studies the psychological effects on aging. It is the science that tries to describe, explain, understand and modify the attitudes of the aging subject.
Now, to better understand what psychogerontology studies, it is appropriate to clarify its differences with other disciplines:
- geriatrics It is the discipline that studies the possible diseases present in the elderly and tries to keep any form of decline as far away as possible.
- gerontology It is, instead, a branch of geriatrics that deals with studying the biological, psychological and social mechanisms of aging.
If you are interested in other studies on aging, we recommend you consult our article on .
Features of psychogerontology
The alterations that occur in old age They do not constitute a homogeneous process, so very significant differences are found depending on the person and their own process. Therefore, defining psychological alterations typical of this stage would constitute a simplified and limited vision taking into account account for the multitude of variables that may arise around the life of a specific person.
Below we identify the main general changes and situations where psychogerontology is applied:
- Reduced efficiency of fluid intelligence: it happens from the age of 30, accelerates when reaching the age of 60 and increases as the age increases. Although the decrease in mental agility begins in the indicated periods and is accentuated with age, prevention through cognitive stimulation contributes to the maintenance of faculties.
- Deterioration around death: The causes are more organic than psychosocial in nature.
- Appearance of depressive moods: Older people are subjected to a greater number of negative experiences that can influence emotions and feelings, conditioning depressed mood states, which will be combated with psychological and social defense and individual support strategies and mechanisms.
- Decreased sexual response: the sexuality of the elderly, as in the rest of the ages, is conditioned by education and the biological changes that occur in both men and women. Although the biological sexual response decreases, the interest and libido does not have to decrease.
- Reduced adaptive capacity: Behaviorally, one can speak of an accentuation of character traits and a reduction in the ability to adapt to novel or unknown situations. So it tends to search for stable environments and close ones that transmit the psychological (and even physical) security that is sought at this stage.
Importance of psychogerontology
The aging process involves a series of modifications that, as far as brain activity is concerned, are not characterized – as was believed in the past – by a progressive and irreversible loss of all functions and by an increasingly progressive pathology. more disabling.
In this paradigm shift about old age The importance of psychogerontology lies precisely: aging is seamlessly inscribed in the growth process. Next, we reveal the advances that this discipline has developed:
Maintenance and improvement of bodily functions:
Psychogerontology research has shown, along with a decade of elementary functions, how sight, hearing, speed of movement, can be preserved and sometimes even accentuate global aspects of behavior.
This is a function, on the one hand, of maintaining with exercises the functions destined to decline; and, on the other, the compensation capacity that the senile brainnot sclerotized due to age -as was believed in the past-, but still partially plasticmay allow the realization.
Care and development of efficiency and adaptation
Research carried out in recent decades with transversal and longitudinal methods have made it possible to specify the conditions that can allow a very elderly person to maintain a high level of efficiency and adaptation, as well as to identify the factors that can negatively interfere with the aging process and apply programs to prevent and control as far as possible.
Functions of psychogerontology
What does psychogerontology study? Psychogerontology takes care of aging process from a psychological and neuropsychological point of view, providing the elderly with psychological support and psychoeducational interventions.
These exercises are activators of valuable resources capable of promoting and achieving good aging, supporting the person in this delicate and important stage of the life cycle. But,what does a psychogerontologist do? When old age encounters situations of fragility and illness, the therapist offers the elderly:
- Rehabilitation and psychological support after a stroke and/or head trauma.
- Evaluation of the
- Cognitive stimulation of residual capacities, according to the protocol devised and validated by A. Spector (London University), in a large sample of people with Alzheimer’s, vascular and other forms of dementia.
- Psychological support for the person with.
- Psychological support for the caregiver.
- Psychoeducational interventions aimed at the family of people with dementia (home management of behavioral disorders).
- Training for nursing home care staff.
- Psychological help for the care of serious and/or terminal people.
- Psychological support for lack or partial treatment of mourning due to the death of a partner, etc.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Cesa-Bianchi, M., Vecchi, T. (et al.) (1998). Elements of psychogerontology. Milan: Franco Angeli.
- García-Moya Sánchez, R. (et al.) (2021). Psychosocial support, relational and communicative institutional care. Madrid: Paraninfo Editions.