Modeling late-life adaptation in affective well-being under a severe chronic health condition: the case of age-related macular degeneration

Psychol Aging. 2006 Dec;21(4):703-14. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.21.4.703.

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was used as a case model to longitudinally study adaptation in affective well-being under a prevalent chronic health condition. Measures of positive and negative affect, obtained at 5 subsequent measurement occasions with 3-month intervals in between, were analyzed in 90 older adults diagnosed with AMD. The authors proposed a pattern of adaptation that shows initial decline in affective well-being after disease outbreak, followed by a turnaround into a restorative phase of increase, implying nonlinear intraindividual trajectories, with changes substantially related to disease duration. Analysis was conducted by means of a nonlinear mixed models approach. Results confirmed the hypothesized adaptation pattern for positive affect but not for negative affect, which was found more stable across measurement occasions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Affect*
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aging / physiology
  • Chronic Disease / psychology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Status*
  • Humans
  • Macular Degeneration / physiopathology*
  • Macular Degeneration / psychology*
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Quality of Life / psychology*
  • Severity of Illness Index