SUBJECTIVE AGING AND EMOTIONAL COMPLEXITY OF TRAUMATIZED OLDER ADULTS

Subjective aging refers amongst other aspects to perceptions of one’s age and nearness to death, and appears to be related to resilience. Subjective aging may be especially relevant for older adults coping with traumatic events. The present study examined whether subjective age and nearness to death...

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Published in:Innovation in aging 2017-07, Vol.1 (suppl_1), p.31-31
Main Authors: Shrira, A., Bodner, E., Hoffman, Y., Palgi, Y.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Subjective aging refers amongst other aspects to perceptions of one’s age and nearness to death, and appears to be related to resilience. Subjective aging may be especially relevant for older adults coping with traumatic events. The present study examined whether subjective age and nearness to death moderate emotional complexity among individuals with varying levels of posttraumatic symptoms. We used data from two 14-day diary study samples (Sample 1: N =188, M age=57.8; Sample 2: N =140, M age=67.8). Subjective aging was measured at the between- and within-subject level in Sample 1 and 2, respectively. Emotional complexity was assessed by intraindividual correlations of positive affect and negative affect. In both samples, three-way interactions showed that feeling younger or further away from death was related to increased emotional complexity, especially among those high in posttraumatic symptoms. Findings suggest that favorable perceptions of aging are most relevant to regulating emotional experience of traumatized older adults.
ISSN:2399-5300
2399-5300
DOI:10.1093/geroni/igx004.119