Aging and Mental Health Flashcards
Maturity principle
- Improvements from young adulthood through to older age in the personality traits of
○ Agreeableness
○ Conscientiousness
○ Emotional stability
what are the theoretical frameworks of aging
Selective optimization with compensation
Socio-emotional selectivity theory
Strength and vulnerability integration theory
Selective optimization with compensation
§ Selecting appropriate goals and goal priorities
§ Optimizing resources that facilitate these goals
§ Compensating for losses by creatively using alternative means to achieve ones goals despite limited capacities
Socio-emotional selectivity theory
○ How aging impacts motivation, emotion regulation and mental health, cognitive functioning and interpersonal functioning
○ When we are young, we perceive time as unlimited and energy tends to be future oriented
○ When we are old, time is limited and we become focused on short term and emotionally meaningful matters
Strength and vulnerability integration theory
- As people age there are strengths built upon
- The storms of life have given some experience
- Vulnerabilities associated with getting older
○ Less ability to regulate stress
Positivity effect
○ Younger adults tend to focus on and remember negative information whereas older adults focus on the positive
Age specific issues to diagnosis and treatment
social isolation
chronic illness
age effects (fatigue, difficulty sleeping)
polypharmacy and side effects
Depression in older adults
more likely to be chronic
dysphoria
anhedonia
important to understand age related interactions
often coexists with neurocognitive disorders
Sleep wake disorders
Failing to get the rest you need affects cognitive and functional performance leading to poorer physical and mental health
Insomnia disorder is most prominent
Obstructive sleep apnea
Anxiety disorders
more common in older adults that depressive disorders - increased GAD, health related worries
What are the most common mental disorders inn older adults
neurocognitive disorders
gradual reduction in cognitive functioning
Initial stages of NCD
Memory impairment
visuospatial skills deficits
agnosia
facial agnosia
delusions, depression, agitation, aggression, apathy
Later stages of NCD
major changes in personality
cognitive function continues to deteriorate
needs alot of support in day to day activities
death
Why do we want to identify mild cognitive impairments
its the transitional state between normal aging and NCDs and strong predictor of NCDs so this can help with early intervention
Features of Alzheimer’s
Amnesia
Apraxia - motor issues
Aphasia - difficulty with language
Agnosia
Irritability
difficulties with cognitive capacities associated with executive functioning
