For Older Adults, Hope May Be Key to Improving Psychological and Social Well-Being

A study in Global Epidemiology suggests older adults with a greater sense of hope are more likely to have better physical health outcomes and psychological and social well-being, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers looked at some 13,000 adults older than 50 in a longitudinal and nationally representative dataset, and associated a greater sense of hope with better physical health and health behavior outcomes on certain indicators — like fewer chronic conditions, a lower risk of cancer, and fewer sleep problems — as well as higher psychological well-being, reduced psychological distress, and better social well-being. "Hope also is associated with motivation to keep trying to live a quality life, and that means doing what we know we should do — and yet, in seniors, they often don't physically feel like doing," says Virginia Commonwealth University Professor Everett Worthington. "Namely, hope keeps them exercising, eating healthily, trying to keep weight under control, and maintaining their self-control." Worthington ascribes three aspects to hope: willpower to change, waypower to change, and the willingness to persevere when change is not apparent. He says older people especially need the third aspect as age and time impairs them physically and shrinks their social network. Worthington suggests strategies like fostering resiliency and mental flexibility, and relying on stable romantic relationships, friends and support networks, and habits that maintain physical activity.