Originally published January 22 2006
Psychological well being is key to survival rates among seniors
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's (ACNP) Annual Meeting recently released a study touting character and attitude as the new anti-aging cure. Scientists at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine found that self-perception can be more important than disease and disability in lengthening your life.
A new study released at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's (ACNP) Annual Meeting suggests that the seniors' perceptions of the aging process depend not on disease or physical disability, but rather on attitude and coping style.
This research, conducted at and funded by the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, is unusual in employing subjective reports as a measure of successful aging.
"The medical community has not reached consensus on what constitutes successful aging," commented lead researcher Dilip Jeste, MD, Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UCSD.
Most of the respondents who gave themselves high ratings would not meet the criteria for successful aging as quantified by more traditional measures that include absence of disease and freedom from disability.
"What is most interesting about this study is that people who think they are aging well are not necessarily the most healthy individuals," noted Jeste.
"In fact, optimism and effective coping styles were found to be more important to aging successfully than traditional measures of health and wellness.
Another strong indicator of successful aging was the level of social and community involvement.
The mission of ACNP is to further research and education in neuropsychopharmacology and related fields in the following ways: promoting the interaction of a broad range of scientific disciplines of brain and behavior in order to advance the understanding of prevention and treatment of disease of the nervous system including psychiatric, neurological, behavioral and addictive disorders; encouraging scientists to enter research careers in fields related to these disorders and their treatment; and ensuring the dissemination of relevant scientific advances.
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