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W Saup

Publications and source records attributed to W Saup.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

[Coping in the aged--results and problems of psychological studies of coping behavior in the elderly].

Recent research in the psychology of aging places increasing emphasis on the coping concept as a means of explaining the psychological consequences of stresses and demands at old age. Nevertheless, only a few empirical studies on the coping behavior of aging people have been made. These studies show the following: (a) coping varies with age, as well as with sex differences, (b) coping strategies differ according to the actual characteristics of daily hassles, critical life events, and persistent life-strains, (c) coping strategies differ also according to the subjective appraisal of these events, (d) there is no evidence for the protective function of coping behavior in general, but only for specific coping strategies. Although there is some speculation about the "growth" and "regression" hypotheses, there are, as yet, no studies on this question. The author concludes by considering some theoretical and methodical problems of coping research in gerontology.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

[Home life of the aged--psychological aspects].

With increasing age the social and physical environment of elderly persons becomes increasingly focussed upon the home and its immediate surroundings, whilst life within the home ("Wohnen") expands to take in a wider variety of activities. Critical life events and transitions in old age often induce changes both in the way of life within the home and also in housing. The way of life of elderly people in the home ("Alterswohnen") can be defined as the totality of goal-directed activities within the social-physical context of their home and its immediate surroundings. This includes as central elements physical and psychological regeneration, communication, recreation, and the emergence of an emotional relationship to the home. From a stress and coping paradigm, difficulties in home life can be interpreted as the result of transactions between individual and environment. These transactions are influenced by the cognitive appraisal of the living situation and by the efforts of the individual to cope with the stressful aspects of home life.

Aged↗

[Stress and stress management in home relocation of the elderly].

This report includes the theoretical approach and some empirical findings of a study in which the relocation of elderly persons to old-age institutions is interpreted from the perspective of environmental psychology and life-event research. It is hypothesized that the psychological effects of relocation are a result of the confrontation with stressful environmental features of the institution, the subjective appraisal of the situation, and the coping strategies of the individual. 13 different coping strategies of the elderly residents were differentiated by content analysis of interviews. Bivariate relations were analyzed between coping strategies and the following variables: stressful institutional environment, perceived stress, beliefs about personal control, and depression. From the psychological point of view, especially those findings seem to be important that show coping strategies implying a renunciation of personal control correlates with greater perceived stress. In institutions with greater autonomy, residents show more problem-focused coping behavior in stress situations, whereas in institutions with reduced autonomy residents seem to prefer cognitive coping strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗