The Expectation of a Poor Quality of Later Life Encourages People to Want an Earlier Death

This study investigated the relationship between six hypothetic situations and PLE: dementia, spousal death, becoming a burden, poverty, loneliness, or chronic pain. The finding that dementia had the strongest negative effect on PLE concurs with prior studies suggesting a widespread fear of dementia. Chronic pain was also strongly associated with lower PLE in this study. For many people, chronic pain has been found to reduce quality of life and limit opportunities for social activities. It is also noteworthy that the third-highest ranked reason for lower PLE in this study was the belief that one represents a burden. Perceiving oneself to be a burden can relate to other outcomes in terms of self-view, including a loss of dignity at older ages. Slightly above half of the respondents stated that poverty would decrease how long they would like to live. Poverty increases the risk of lower quality of life, autonomy, and wellbeing at older ages and relates to a greater disease burden. Severe poverty is rare in Norway. Older age groups have experienced rapid decreases in poverty levels over the last decades. Nevertheless, the fear of poverty in old age can still be widespread among older individuals, many of whom have grown up in a context where poverty was more prevalent.
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Of Interest Source Type: blogs