3.7.1 Psychiatric Aspects of Personality in Old Age

3.7.1 Psychiatric Aspects of Personality in Old Age

Psychiatric Aspects of Personality in Old Age

Personality can be defined as the set of characteristics, traits, and behaviours that define an individual and distinguish them from others. Personality is thought to develop and change throughout an individual’s life, and it can have significant implications for an individual’s mental and physical health. In old age, personality can play an important role in an individual’s emotional and cognitive functioning, as well as their overall quality of life.

One of the most well-known models of personality is the Big Five model, which identifies five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Studies have found that these dimensions remain relatively stable throughout an individual’s life, although there may be some changes in their expression over time. For example, older adults tend to score higher on measures of agreeableness and conscientiousness, while scoring lower on measures of extraversion and openness (Allemand et al., 2018).

Personality can have important implications for an individual’s mental health in old age. For example, neuroticism, which is characterized by a tendency towards negative emotions and anxiety, has been found to be a risk factor for depression and anxiety in older adults (Löckenhoff et al., 2011). In contrast, conscientiousness, which is characterized by a tendency towards planning and self-discipline, has been associated with better emotional and physical health outcomes in old age (Chapman et al., 2009).

Personality can also have important implications for an individual’s cognitive functioning in old age. For example, studies have found that higher levels of openness are associated with better cognitive functioning in old age, while higher levels of neuroticism are associated with worse cognitive functioning (Allemand et al., 2018). Additionally, studies have found that personality traits such as conscientiousness and openness are associated with better cognitive reserve, which is thought to protect against cognitive decline in old age (Stephan et al., 2017).

In terms of psychiatric disorders, certain personality disorders may be more common in older adults. For example, studies have found that the prevalence of personality disorders, particularly borderline and avoidant personality disorders, is higher in older adults than in younger adults (Blais et al., 2015). Additionally, personality disorders can have significant implications for an individual’s mental and physical health in old age, as well as their overall quality of life.

Overall, personality plays an important role in an individual’s mental and physical health in old age. Understanding the relationship between personality and mental and physical health outcomes can help clinicians develop more effective interventions to improve the overall well-being of older adults.

Personality disorders:

In old age, personality traits like cautiousness, introversion, and obsessionality may become more pronounced and rigid. Paranoid traits can intensify, sometimes being mistaken for psychotic states. Psychopathy typically declines with age, and criminal behaviour is less common among the elderly. Personality disorders affect 5-10% of older individuals, often leading to issues like Diogenes syndrome, where people become isolated and live in poor conditions. Both organic and functional brain disorders can cause significant personality changes.

Reference:

  1. Allemand, M., Hill, P. L., Ghaemmaghami, P., & Martin, M. (2018). Personality development across the lifespan: Insights from a cross-cultural longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 114(4), 558–573.
  2. Blais, M. A., Malone, J. C., Shea, M. T., & Owens, G. P. (2015). Personality disorders in older adults: Findings from the collaborative longitudinal personality disorders study. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(6), 551–555.
  3. Chapman, B. P., Fiscella, K., Kawachi, I., & Duberstein, P. R. (2009). Personality, socioeconomic status, and all-cause mortality in the United States. American Journal of Epidemiology, 171(1), 83–92.
  4. Löckenhoff, C. E., Terracciano, A., Patriciu, N. S., Eaton, W. W., & Costa Jr., P. T. (2011). Self-reported extremely adverse