What factors influence the experience of distress in later life?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Distress in old age: the contribution of lifetime trauma exposure, emotion regulation, social group identifications and socioeconomic deprivation
IRAS ID
236535
Contact name
Kevin Power
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 23 days
Research summary
Older adults are becoming a growing proportion of people utilising mental health services. However, the needs of this population are poorly understood despite the evidence that mental health conditions are manifested differently in old age. One of those conditions is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in old age, including health problems, difficulties in daily functioning, less satisfaction with life and multiple psychiatric co-morbidities, such as depression and anxiety. Despite the serious consequences, PTSD symptoms in old age tend to be underreported or misperceived as a physical illness or part of an ageing process.
Traumatic life experiences do not necessarily lead to PTSD. Psychological resources, including emotional stability and social support, allow individuals to find appropriate coping strategies and maintain well-being in old age. Group identification, defined as a sense of belonging to a specific group, influences the response to social support and may be important in predicting distress in old age. On the other hand, socioeconomic deprivation is likely to increase this distress as exposure to traumatic events is more prevalent in disadvantaged populations.
The present study will investigate the impact of those factors on distress in old age. We will recruit 85 older adults from the Older People Psychological Therapies Service, who are in receipt of psychological treatment for PTSD, anxiety or depression. Participants will be asked to provide basic demographic information to determine their likely level of socioeconomic deprivation. They will also complete six measures to screen for cognitive impairment and measure symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD, as well as lifetime trauma exposure, emotion regulation and group identification.
The findings will help improve the diagnostic process and development of psychological treatments for PTSD in older adults by expanding our knowledge of distress in old age.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
18/NS/0089
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jul 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion