BACKGROUND
Ageism can have negative repercussions on older adults’ health and well-being. Ageism, in contrast to racism and sexism, is an understudied topic in research. Selfcompassion, the ability to take care of and support oneself in moments of suffering, is hypothesized to buffer the negative effects of ageism on older adults.
Aims:
Perceived ageism, i.e., individuals’ experience of attitudes towards older adults in society, and the association to life satisfaction (LS), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), feelings of unsafety and self-compassion was investigated.
Sample
A sample of 698 randomly selected participants aged 66–102 years from the Blekinge region of the Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care (SNAC-B) participated. Survey data were collected in 2013/2015.
RESULTS
The group who experienced positive ageism in society had higher LS than those who experienced negative or neutral ageism. Those experiencing negative ageism had significantly lower HRQoL and higher feelings of unsafety than those who experience positive ageism.
No differences between the three groups were found for self-compassion.However, correlation analysis revealed that higher self-compassion was associated with less feelings of unsafety, less loneliness, and better physical and mental health.
Discussion
The reason for more negative health outcomes for those experiencing negative ageism is not known. A possible explanation is that those with mental and physical problems experience more negative attitudes towards themselves and other older adults. Older adults are described as being less wellserved by both mental and physical health services than younger populations. Positive ageism was associated with higher self-compassion, which could be a sign that the more accepting you are towards yourself, the more accepting you perceive the attitudes towards older adults in society.
2019.
9th International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics European Region Congress 2019, 23rd – 25th May 2019 in Gothenburg, Sweden