Psychology and psychopathology of the elderly

ABSTRACT Ageing is a genetically programmed physiological process that is accompanied by certain age-related changes in the human psyche. The complex and contradictory nature of human ageing is associated with quantitative and qualitative changes in the biological structures. When changes in the personality of an old person are assessed, more often than not negative features are mentioned; however, positive changes in his or her intellectual-mental sphere must also be taken into account. Impaired performance in intellectual tests in the elderly may be linked not to a drop in mental abilities but with a loss of interest in trivial tasks of a formal-logical nature and a shift to different semantic content virtually not addressed by conventional tests. In addition, it should be particularly emphasized that all tests of the intellectual integrity of an elderly person only include questions related to the cognitive sphere, and do not contain questions from the creative sphere. And it is in the latter, in particular, where an elderly person often has significant advantages over younger age groups. Features of human mental development in old age are made up of several closely related factors, due to changes in the biosocial status of a person. The ageing process can, in certain elements, be controlled, and the intelligent participation of the individual in maintaining psychological health in the period of gerontogenesis should be increased.