Ageing and Women: a Stressful Life Transition.

Abstract

The research investigated the psychological and social stressors related to woman and ageing. It sought to examine the factors that lead women to anticipate ageing as a stressful life transition and to explore avenues to minimize and/or eliminate that view point. Previous research conducted by Degges-White and Miller, (2006), posed pivotal in understanding the outlook women have toward mid-life transitions, as well as its psychological impacts on their well-being. The research concluded that due to previous/earlier transitional periods of a woman’s life, along with societal perspectives toward ageing women, the inevitable process of ageing can become, for most women, stressful and bring with it many anxieties. It is at this point psychological distress becomes prevalent; however, the research examines measures which can assist in curbing such effects. Future research as to the positive aspects of women’s ageing is crucial in order to obtain a more naturalistic and liberal view of ageing, as well as, to promote the idea of ‘successful ageing’.

“’Never ask a woman her age!”’ (Barrett & Robbins, 2008. p. 32). This well known, culturally accepted, worldwide concept denotes that there are negative connotations toward the ideology of ageing as it is experienced by women. According to Medicine Net ageing is “the process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environmentally modulated.” By definition it is clear that aging is indeed a process and not by any means an overnight activity. It is also clear that there are both biological and societal influences that determine the said process.

An individual passes through many stages throughout their lifespan; this is the natural course of one’s life. Life itself is an evolutionary phenomenon; one evolves from one stage to the other making it is a process. At times this process can seem slow and to have little change and at other times it can seem to quickly go by with many changes. The...