A comparison of coping strategies in chronic pain patients in different age groups
Article Abstract:
A common and costly health problem among adults is chronic pain. Much variation has been observed in the ability of individuals to effectively cope with chronic pain; some adapt well, are well-adjusted, and lead full lives; others become depressed and their lives become sedentary and restrictive. It has been proposed that aging may be influential in developing effective coping strategies in response to chronic pain. To further explore this idea, 88 subjects with chronic pain were evaluated and divided into four age groups with average ages of 29, 40, 59, and 72 years old. Chronic pain syndromes included lower back and leg pain, neck pain, and headaches; the average overall age was 50 years old and the study included 36 men and 52 women. The instruments used to assess the subjects were the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist 90-R, Beck Depression Inventory, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The results indicated that there were no significant differences associated with age in the use of pain coping strategies or in the perceived effectiveness of these strategies. An association was found between a high ability to decrease pain and lower levels of pain and less frequent depression. A similar distribution of different levels of coping was found within all age groups. It is concluded that there are no significant differences that are age-dependent in the coping strategies of patients with chronic pain. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
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On the generalizability of the age-related decline in coping with high-arousal conditions in a precision sport: replication and extension
Article Abstract:
Research has found that skilled older miniature golf players have declines in performance during competitive games as compared with training games. In contrast, younger players show no such decline. Physiological measures of arousal, such as heart rate, and ratings of anxiety are similar for the two groups, however. It is suggested, therefore, that the decline may be due to age-related cognitive changes which make older players more vulnerable to attention deficit and memory impairment under stress. Two experiments were designed to test this hypothesis. In the first, young adult miniature golf players were studied, and in experiment two older players and younger players were studied. Number of shots, heart rate, and subjective ratings of anxiety were recorded for each subject under training and competitive conditions. Young and older players alike had a similar increase in anxiety from training to competitive conditions. The increased anxiety was evident from all measures. As expected, older players' performance deteriorated with increased anxiety, while the performance of younger players did not. In fact, younger players' performance tended to improve under competitive anxiety. The results confirm previous findings and are explained in terms of a hypothesized age-related difference in ability to cope with high-arousal conditions due to age-related changes in cognitive, task-specific performance. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1991
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Replication of the multidimensionality of activities of daily living
Article Abstract:
The three-dimensional factor structure of a proposed activities of daily living (ADL) scale was replicated in the assessment of health and functional status of668 hospitalized patients to show the association between ADL dimension and cognitive function. Statistical analysis revealed four significant dimensions found to be similar with a previous study with a weak fourth dimension identified among the subjects.
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1993
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