Aging and Mental Health
According to the World Health Organization, the term mental health encompasses a broad spectrum of activities related to the well-being and state of an individual’s state of mind. Their definition of mental health takes a comprehensive approach, “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.” When an individual or an organization adopts this definition it allows for the promotion of the prevention of mental disorders as well as the treatment and rehabilitation of persons affected by mental health illness.
While it may appear that the world’s population is aging rapidly, this is in fact a misconception. The truth of the matter is the world’s population is living longer due to the rise in focus on physical health and fitness. Although there is significant concern that within the next 30 years the numbers of person over the age of sixty will increase from 900 million to close to 2 billion, the issue is not really in the numbers, but in the mental health and well-being of that population.
The law of the land, in the mind of the baby boomers was: you retire at sixty-five, go somewhere warm and live the life of leisure unencumbered by a schedule. This may seem like an ideal situation for many, however mankind was not created to simple exist inside a vacuum of leisure without broadening their minds. Yet little to no factor was tabulated as to what someone who may live another 25-30 plus were to do with that time other than maintain a physically active life centered around recreation.
The Common Misconception
Absence of disease aside, the maintenance and development of an individual’s mental health is not too dissimilar to that of their physical fitness and well-being. Regardless of age, in order to achieve maximum potential, it requires exercise and constant maintenance. Without the effort of constant vigilance, the brain becomes lazy and mental faculties develop atrophy.
The long term fostering of the negligence in mental health is contributing to the generational bondage The United States is suffering in how they view the mental capacity of those over the age of sixty five. The truth of the matter is that while society may be youth driven, the reality is that a person of sixty years or more has much to offer than what is advertised.
Despite the common perception, persons above the age of sixty also have the ability to absorbed and disseminate information more accurately than their younger counter parts. Where the problem is not in the ability to learn and grow, but a lack of patience in discovering new things and developing newer habits.
If everything is equal, a person above the age of sixty is perfectly capable of embracing the age of technological advancements if they are willing to do so. It is not the lack of mental faculties that are the problem, but a lack of motivation that has bred an aversion to stretching their brain muscles.
It is Not a Matter of Intelligence
The intelligence of an individual does not change with age. It changes with a lack of stimulation. Although dementia does impact many aging adults in the areas of memory, perception and vocabulary, modern physicians are finding that many cases of mental health are stemming from a lack of mental stimuli. The lack of motivation only exacerbates the stagnation of stimuli which results in an individual’s mental health to become stymied.
Young persons are more driven towards education where they are exposed to classroom settings which cultivate mental stimulation. They are immersed in the culture where common vernacular is exchanged along with the latest trends in society. This builds in the participant contemporary interaction skills and instills a healthy sense of social confidence.
For the most, a younger person is motivated to be engaged in the society around them. Unfortunately, this is not the case with persons over the age of sixty, who see their life as progressing towards their waning years with little goals to attain.
It is very easy to see that in someone over the age of sixty, their vocabulary is not current, seems limited and less contemporary than the vernacular of those in younger generations. This is not due to a lack of intelligence but a lack of motivation to engage outside of the norm.
Appropriate Adaptation
Hopelessness and depression can cripple the human spirit. The cure for that is appropriate adaptation. All of nature adapts in order to survive. This is true within the animal kingdom and it is certainly true of the human species. It is not simply about adaptation to compete with another human, it is about the survival of the individual in creating a mental health change which adds to their overall well-being and quality of life.
In order to work towards over-all mental health it is crucial that person over the age of sixty fight the desire to slow down, think less, become “set in their ways.“ In order to achieve this quality of life it will require effort and a willingness to try new things that foster mental stimulation.
Stimulation fosters growth which promotes a healthy mental state. There is a large number of persons well over the initial age of retirement who have taken the approach that their real life begins at retirement, choosing the freedom to engage in passions that stimulate their mind and increase their over-all mental health. Finding stimulation in activities such that foster engagement with younger people has given hope to those who once suffered from the prevailing sickness of questioning their usefulness to society.
Yes, those above a certain age are facing particular physical and mental challenges which should be recognized. However the real threat to the mental health of mature persons is the perception, the mindset that they are not as mentally strong as they once were. This mindset, which is a constant theme fostered in the United States has not only brought about a hopelessness to those over the age of sixty, but caused generational damage to the well-being of society.