Stress and Aging

Introduction

What exactly is stress? About fifty years ago, Dr. Hans Selye recognized the mind-body connection involved with stress, as all of his patients had similar physiological and psychological characteristics. There were studies done with laboratory rats that found that these same physical responses existed with animals when they were put under stress. He came to the conclusion that stress is "the non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it." Selye claims that it is not stress that harms us but distress. Distress occurs when we prolong emotional stress and don't deal with it in a positive manner. The body's response to stress is known as the general adaption syndrome (Goldman 1997). There are many different causes of stress that affect the aging adult. These causes can produce a variety of responses that include both physical and emotional effects. There are preventative measures that can be taken to help reduce the effects of stress as well as different coping methods.

Causes of Stress in the Aging Adult

There are several risk factors that lead to stress and the elderly. Some include a past history of depressive illness, inadequate social support, and serious illnesses such as a stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Some reports have suggested that life stress may also be related to late-life depression (Glass 1997). There are also many internal and external stresses that many women are susceptible to in their fifty's. The possibilities of intra and interpersonal strains make this a time of insecurity about aging for many women. Some of these strains are widowhood, divorce, declining income, aging and developmental changes, obstacles to successful aging, and role constancy (Campbell 1984).

Physical Effects of Stress

There have been many studies that have shown that your health is greatly affected by how you react to stressful events in life-setbacks or deadlines at work, conflicts and losses at home. Many studies have been done on the physical stress response in the elderly and it was found that when placed under stress, elderly people "experienced loss of appetite, weight loss, a lowered lymphocyte count (which impairs immune function) and an increase in psychological distress and in serum cholesterol levels." (Goldman 1997). Most people with healthy immune systems take their resistance to disease for granted, but the most common cause of a weakened immunity in healthy individuals are stress and aging. Long-term stress can affect the immune system as well. Also, negative stress increases our body's production of free radicals. This is because the pituitary stimulates the adrenal glands, which in turn produce the stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These chemical reactions set off a chain reaction resulting still more free radicals (Sparkmen 1997). The common finding is that the number of life changes and stress a person has experienced increases the chance of physical illness. There was a study done by Cohen, Tyrrell, & Smith in 1993 that showed the "higher the subject's reported level of stress, whether measured by negative life change events, perceived stress level, or negative feelings, the higher the likelihood that the subject would actually become infected with a cold."

Emotional Effects of Stress on the Aging Adult

A study by Lieberman and Peskin said that "Most people do not become mentally ill even when terrible things happen to them" (1992) The way that stress emotionally effects an adult is the occurrence of depression. When women experience depression they are most likely to experience both loss and danger. Depression is a common mental health problem among older adults. This is due somewhat to the occurrence of dementia, disability, physical illness, bereavement, loss of independence and security, and suicide all are much more common in old age, and therefore the occurrence of depression should increase as well. Other factors that contribute to depression are marital status, socioeconomic status, physical health and disability, life stress, and social support (Roberts 1997).

Preventative and Coping Methods of Stress

There are many different habits and practices that can lower the level stress in your life. The most important step is to get a regular medical checkup. A checkup and insure that you are healthy as well as alleviate any minor health problems. Another suggestion from experts is to get married because married people are healthier than single people. Also, if you take a short nap in the middle of your day it will help reduce daily stress. Spending time with friends and building a high quality social network also reduce the stress in your life because of the comfort they can provide (Klatz 1996).

Conclusion

Stress is inevitable in our lives as we age. As a person gets older and older there are more stressors that appear and can cause extreme side effects both physically and emotionally. The effects are not to be taken lightly since some of the effects result in very serious health problems. If certain preventative measures are taken and certain coping methods are learned, the effects of stress can be reduced as one ages.

References

Klatz, Ronald. (1996). Stressed out? 25 ways to cope. Muscle and Fitness, 57, 136-139.

Glass, Thomas A. (1997). Stressful life events and depressive symptoms among the elderly: Evidence from a prospective community study. Journal of Aging & Health, 9, 70-90.

Campbell, Shirley. (1984). The fifty-year-old woman and midlife stress. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 18, 295-307.

Goldman, Robert. (1997) . Mind over matter: Anti-stress tips for anti-aging. Total Health, 19, 26-27.

Sparkman, Dennis R. (1997). Effects of age & stress on immunity. Muscle and Fitness, 58, 194-196.

Roberts, Robert E. (1997). Prevalence and correlates of depression in an aging cohort: The Alameda County Study. Journal of Gerontology--Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social sciences, 52B, s252-s258.

Web Resources

Stress, Coping, and Personality in Aging Men and Women

Oxidative Stress and Aging

Health and Stress Management for Successful Aging

Stress Assessment

Stress Management

Contributed by Cathleen King, November 23, 1997.

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