Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding How the Elderly Cope with Change

1. Introduction

The topic of aging and how the elderly cope with change has been a recurrent one in the literature. Attachment theory, self-psychology, and other theoretical frameworks have been used to understand how the elderly adapt and resist change associated with aging. In this essay, I will critically analyze the use of these theoretical frameworks in understanding how the elderly cope with change.

2. Attachment Theory

Attachment theory is a psychological theory that deals with the nature of emotional attachments between humans. The theory has its origins in the work of John Bowlby, who was a British psychoanalyst. The theory bowlby proposed was based on his observations of children who had been separated from their parents or caregivers. He found that children who were not able to form attachments with their caregivers experienced emotional difficulties later in life.

The central tenet of attachment theory is that young children form attachments to primary caregivers because those relationships provide them with safety and security. These attachments are thought to be critical for the development of a sense of self and for the ability to form close relationships with others.

Attachment theory has been used to understand how the elderly cope with change. One of the key things that attachment theory can offer is an understanding of why some people find it easier to cope with change than others. Those who have secure attachments are thought to be better able to cope with change because they have a strong sense of self and they are able to form close relationships with others.

3. Loss

Loss is another important concept that can help us understand how the elderly cope with change. Loss can be defined as the feeling of bereavement that comes from the death or departure of someone who was close to us. Loss can also come from other changes in our lives, such as retirement or moving to a new home.

Loss can have a profound effect on our mental health, and it can be particularly difficult to deal with in old age. One of the reasons why loss is so difficult to deal with in old age is because it often leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation. This is because old age often brings about changes in our social networks, such as the death of friends or the end of long-term relationships.

4. Ralph Prior’s Self-Psychology

Ralph Prior’s self-psychology is another theoretical framework that can help us understand how the elderly cope with change. Self-psychology is a branch of psychoanalysis that emphasizes the importance of the self in psychological development. According to self-psychology, our sense of self is created through our interactions with others.

Self-psychology has been used to understand how the elderly deal with change by emphasizing the role that relational issues play in coping. For example, self-psychology would suggest that those who have difficulty coping with change are those who have difficulty forming relationships or those who have experienced significant loss in their lives.

5. Sheldon Tobin’s Attachment Theory

Sheldon Tobin’s attachment theory is another way of understanding how the elderly cope with change by looking at how attachments are formed in childhood. Tobin’s attachment theory focuses on how infants form attachments to their caregivers. He argues that infants form attachments because they need care and protection from their caregivers.

Tobin’s attachment theory has been used to understand how the elderly cope with change by looking at how attachment styles are related to coping. For example, those who have secure attachments are thought to be better able to cope with change than those who have insecure attachments.

6. Conclusion

In conclusion, theoretical frameworks such as attachment theory, self-psychology, and loss can help us understand how the elderly cope with change. Each of these theoretical frameworks offers a different perspective on how the elderly deal with change. However, all of these perspectives share a common focus on the importance of relationships in coping.

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