Aging as psychological problem

Abstract

The psychological factors of old age and psychological characteristics of this age period are under analysis in the article. It is noticed that this age period is not studied enough — in psychology as well as in other social and humanitarian science, the sufficient conception of aging is absent. It is stated also that the cult of youth — juvenalism — became the background of life philosophy of XX century and respect for old people is gowing down even in traditional societies, negative stereotypes of oldness dominate, but at the same time the old age becomes «younger» — in connection of growing of average duration of life. The typologies of aging and psychological types of old people are described. Their psychological state is depicted. To the authors opinion modern society needs special «ideology» of oldness, which has to include different aspects, especially economical, social and psychological.

Keywords

• oldness
• aging
• types
• the age of fall
• psychological characteristics
• lonelesness
• «ideology» of oldness