Physical and mental health of older adults linked to optimism, wisdom and loneliness

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New Delhi, May 09, 2019 :

Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine analyzed how factors such as wisdom, loneliness, income and sleep quality, impact the physical and mental functioning of older persons.

The findings published in the May 8, 2019 issue of American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry show that physical health correlated with both cognitive function and mental health.

• Specifically, cognitive function was significantly associated with physical mobility, wisdom and satisfaction with life.
• Physical health was associated with mental well-being, resilience and younger age.
• Mental health was linked to optimism, self-compassion, income and lower levels of loneliness and sleep disturbances.

“Psychological traits like optimism, resilience, wisdom and self-compassion were found to be protective, while loneliness seemed to be a risk factor. An 85-year-old can be functioning better than a 65-year-old due to protective and risk factors.”

The Author of this article is Dr K K Aggarwal, Padma Shri Awardee.

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