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Age differences in coping with chronic illness.

B J Felton1, T A Revenson

  • 1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York 10003.

Psychology and Aging
|June 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
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Older adults with chronic illnesses cope differently than middle-aged adults, using less emotional expression and information seeking. Age impacts coping strategies, especially when illness severity is perceived as high.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Gerontology
  • Health Psychology

Background:

  • Coping strategies are crucial for managing chronic illness.
  • Age-related differences in coping are not fully understood, particularly in chronically ill populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between age and specific coping strategies in middle-aged and older adults with chronic illnesses.
  • To identify how age influences the selection of coping mechanisms when facing chronic health conditions.

Main Methods:

  • A correlational study was conducted with 151 middle-aged and older chronically ill adults.
  • Six coping strategies were assessed: cognitive restructuring, emotional expression, wish fulfilling fantasy, self-blame, information seeking, and threat minimization.
  • Statistical analyses controlled for illness characteristics like physical limitations.

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Main Results:

  • Older adults were less likely to employ emotional expression or information seeking compared to middle-aged adults.
  • These age-related differences persisted even after controlling for illness severity and physical limitations.
  • Interaction effects indicated that older adults perceiving high illness seriousness were less inclined to seek information or use positive reframing/fantasy, and more prone to threat minimization.

Conclusions:

  • Age significantly influences coping strategy selection in chronically ill adults.
  • Differences in emotional expression may relate to age-specific stressors, while information seeking differences might be cohort-related.
  • Perceived illness seriousness moderates coping strategy use in older adults, highlighting a need for age-tailored support.