Psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions

  • Aug 18, 2022
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Psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions

The human being is born, lives and dies. People usually go through certain life cycles throughout their existence that generate a series of questions, such as “How old will I live?”, “How will I manage in the future when I am an older person?” or how will my parents be in a few years? Likewise, the fear of physical and mental illnesses are also included in the thoughts and concerns of many young people who consider old age to be a complex period to cope with.

However, there is an approach that places special emphasis on the treatment of important problems of the elderly. In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions.

The psychology of aging or psychogerontology is the branch of psychology that deals with the study and approach to psychiatric pathologies in the period of old age. As a general rule, its objective consists in the prevention of alterations and/or mental disorders in said period.

To achieve this, the psychology of aging It is based, mainly, on various theoretical frameworks that have considerable validity against possible problems that arise in old age.

As we have mentioned before, the psychology of aging offers the possibility of prevent mental pathologies that can be triggered at certain times in adult life. One of the most important aspects to highlight is the fact that the psychology of aging is not only applied to older adults, but also It can also be addressed to people who intend to avoid future mental disorders caused by organic issues or the passage of time. weather.

In this sense, the life experiences of each person should not be left aside, since the symptoms of some mental disorders may be directly linked to these experiences.

Psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions - Importance of the psychology of aging

Below you will find the main functions and/or uses of the psychology of aging:

Prevention of mental pathologies

Mental disorders can arise at any time in life. However, older adults may develop symptoms that are more intense and generate a deterioration in quality of life. For this reason, one of the goals of the psychology of aging is to provide tools that avoid unpleasant consequences in this time period.

To achieve this, they are usually taught talks, workshops and/or courses in which the focus is on the diversity of tools that have considerable utility for the development of daily life.


Approach to mental pathologies

The psychology of aging is also involved in problems related to the mental health of older people. For it, psychotherapeutic sessions are held in which the difficulties manifested by the person are specifically worked on, taking into account the circumstances and personal qualities of the person. This can include psychiatric diagnoses or illnesses that develop over time, depending on each person's life cycle.

Similarly, it is common to monitoring of a patient's condition through interconsultations with a psychiatrist in cases that require medication to combat some symptoms. However, the psychology of aging takes into account biological aspects of the person, since there may be other problems at this stage in addition to psychological factors.


Development of intellectual functions

Over the years, people gradually lose the ability to solve mentally certain situations, such as those in which mathematics or logic are applied, among other. When diseases that affect memory arise, such as Alzheimer's, one of the symptoms is the loss of information from the past.

For this reason, the psychology of aging attempts to prevent and/or postpone memory decline from therapeutic tools, such as reasoning exercises, the resolution of practical activities, etc.


family support

In many cases, the family of the older person has concerns about their physical and mental health. In this sense, the psychology of aging includes in its treatment the relatives of the patient to transmit an adequate environment in which to function.

In this way, an emotional support network will be formed with beneficial effects for the patient.

Psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions - Functions of the psychology of aging

This article is merely informative, in 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.

If you want to read more articles similar to Psychology of aging: what is it, importance and what are its functions, we recommend that you enter our category of Social psychology.

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