SSC313 - Role of Psychosocial Factors in Health and Successful Ageing

This essay discusses the concept of successful ageing by evaluating the role of psychosocial factors and their relationship to health, wellbeing, and illness throughout the life course. It emphasizes that ageing is a crucial issue, and its problems can be minimized through a healthy diet and proper nutrition. Successful ageing involves dealing with various life issues using appropriate resources to maintain a proper standard of life. The essay highlights the importance of independence, nutrition, and wellness, with psychological factors significantly contributing to life expectancy and quality of life. It also addresses the impact of mental health issues and the need for clinical interventions and support programs to help individuals cope with challenges during later life stages, emphasizing the significance of awareness and government initiatives in promoting successful ageing.

SSC313- LIFE COURSE APPROACHES
TO HEALTH, WELLBEING AND
AGEING
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Discuss the concept that ‘we can all age successfully' by evaluating the role of psychosocial
factors and their relationship to health, wellbeing and illness through the next life-course.
Ageing becomes one of a crucial problem for all individual. With ageing, a person starts
suffering from various diseases and disabilities. Ageing problems can be minimised through a
healthy diet and proper consumption of nutrition eatables. The concept of successfully ageing
means that an individual can deal with various issues in every aspect or duration of life. With
ageing, various problems start to arise with a person life monetary, health etc. Such problems get
minimise with use of appropriate resources and which empowers a person to maintain a proper
standard of life and enjoy every attribute of life. A successfully ageing derives with
independence, nutrition and wellness. All states factors will be going to describe the concept
of ‘we can all age successfully’:
A person needs freedom in every stage of life. This assists them in make aware about the
concept of age and health properly. This will be going to enhance the ability to minimise
negative stances and make them powerful to manage every situation of life like depression and
other disability. Physical and mental wellness is two major pillars of physical wellness.
National Council of ageing proclaims that 40% and 32% people found physical and mental
health as critical metrics.
Moreover, with wellness and independence, proper nutrition and diet are required (Howard,
2017). Many studies already found that the reason behind depression, infectious diseases, and
lower livelihood is poor nutrition. Hence, people of all age need to consume a proper diet with
healthy food to minimise negative ageing. All such factors contribute to successfully ageing of a
life. Thus, such aspects contribute to the appropriate execution of life in every stage.
Psychological factors contribute most in increasing life expectancy rate and quality of life of
adults. The extension of life depends on various physical factors like exercise, diet, sleep and
others (Aldwin, et. al., 2017). The growing body of a person signifies the influence of ageing of a
person. In psychology, successful ageing of a person depends on individual components: less
probability of disease, high cognitive with physical functional capacity, and active
interaction with personal life (Galligan, 2012). Ageing presents various illnesses and disability
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of a person and with the assistance of psychological factors, such ageing issues can be easily
minimised. Like adults rarely bear break up with close ones and suffer from depression which
further influences them to commit suicide. A successful ageing concept proclaims that strong
psychological persons are four-time less likely to commit suicide. A healthy mindset provides
strength to people to manage depression and hopelessness efficiently which consider as factors
of death. A proper mindset person contributes to the successfully ageing concept. The reason for
the decline in life expectancy rate with the increased number of suicide is poor psychological
people with a weak attribute to handle the situation. This arises due to not consuming proper
diet, less focus on health and lack of focus by parents.
Late-life course simplifies about the concept of life which a person entails stages after the stage.
There are numerous stages of life which a person passes through from childhood to older age.
Thus, people need to implement successful ageing life concept so that proper health, wellbeing
and illness get entails. Psychological factors play an essential role in managing health problems,
disease and welfare of a person. Mental illness is getting spread to many adults and older people.
While providing clinical interventions with adults, clinicians require rendering pharmacologic
and psychotherapeutic interventions first for appropriate recovery (Sirey, 2008).
Various more issues have been interpreted that influence the physical and mental health of a
person like anxiety, depression, insomnia, smoking etc. A dominant mindset personality is
required to deal with various situations of health. Thus, it is essential to provide multiple
programs to get overcome from such critical diseases with psychosocial medicine,
neuropsychology program, behavioural sleep services, behavioural health services, Child
life program, Art Therapy etc. (Psychosocial & Behavioral Health Programs, 2018). All these
are a different psychological support to overcome from mental illness or to get rid out from
critical health problems. Such programs and medicines are helpful in overcoming from different
situations arise in front of a person at the time of later life course.
Wellbeing is a state where a person gets comfortable to facilitate their life effectively. With the
increase of a busy lifestyle, the influence of psychological factors increases and impacting well-
being of various people. The reason for poor wellbeing is the increase in occupational stress,
the inappropriate balance of work life, job attitude etc. Factors like operational hassles,
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external factors, Hazards of occupation, women related stresses etc. are occupational
determinants (Karunanidhi and Chitra, 2013). With an increase in weight, the psychological
attitude of a person also gets change. Hence, the wellbeing of a person gets influence due to the
pressure of psychological factors which further create problems like depression, anxiety,
imbalance of work life and personal life.
It's all about awareness of a person about the concept of ageing. Successful ageing could become
possible when an individual takes charge of health by consuming proper diet and nutrition.
Moreover, they need to learn things by getting independent so that every critical situation get to
manage. Furthermore, they also need to focus on wellness by making meditation and control
mind. Such aspects contribute most in successful ageing of life in every stage. The government
also initiates awareness about successful ageing by rendering financial security to older people,
and medical assistance with the launching of Medicare events. Local health providers, religious
people contributed more to managing the health of people with proper nutrition diet at free of
cost. Moreover, it is also important to get aware of the concept of psychology which contributes
more in successful ageing of a life.
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References
 Aldwin, C.M., Igarashi, H., Gilmer, D.F. and Levenson, M.R., 2017. Health, illness, and
optimal aging: Biological and psychosocial perspectives. Springer Publishing Company.
 Galligan, D., 2012. Psychosocial Factors that Promote Successful Aging. Journal of
Aging and Health, 12(4), pp.470-89.
 Howard, D., 2017. What Does It Mean to Age Successfully? [Online] vitalityseniorliving.
Available at: https://www.vitalityseniorliving.com/resources-for-seniors/what-does-it-
mean-to-age-successfully. [Accessed on: 10 November 2018].
 Karunanidhi, S. and Chitra, T., 2013. Influence of select psychosocial factors on the
psychological well-being of policewomen. International Research Journal of Social
Sciences, 2(8), pp.5-14.
 Psychosocial & Behavioral Health Programs. 2018. [Online] National Jewish Health.
Available at: https://www.nationaljewish.org/treatment-programs/directory/psychosocial.
[Accessed on: 10 November 2018].
 Sirey, J.A., 2008. The impact of psychosocial factors on the experience of illness and
mental health service use. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16(9), pp.703-
705.
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