New research suggests that young adults benefit from close relationships with older adults, even if those adults are in poor health.
The study of 491 college students found that young adults who said they had adults over age 50 in their lives tended to also report lower levels of illegal drug use, regardless of the older adults’ health status.
PsyPost interviewed the study’s corresponding author, Shelia M. Kennison of Oklahoma State University. Read her explanation of the research below:
PsyPost: Why were you interested in this topic?
Kennison: My original research on the topic of ageism and risk-taking stemmed from experiences that I had teaching freshmen in an introduction to psychology course. I would ask people to raise their hands if they wanted to live to be 90 years old. In classes of 25, only 1 or 2 each semester would raise their hand. I found that those students who were the least interested in getting old were also the students that seemed to live by the seat of their pants or had lives full of “adventure.” I had always wanted to live as long as possible and the students’ views intrigued me. I realized that in my life, I was profoundly influenced by my relationship with a neighbor whom I met when she was 88 and she lived to be 104. By getting to know her and about her life, I realized that life can be a long and interesting journey, if you take care of your body, etc.
The study that was published in the Journal in Support of the Null Hypothesis followed up on the prior research (Kennison & Ponce-Garcia, 2012) to see if the positive effects of a close relationship with an older adult in childhood (grandparent or other person) would be wiped out if the older person was ill. Within the theory (Terror Management Theory), it was possible that death reminders such as illness would increase ageism and risk-taking. The results showed that the positive effects of the relationship with an older adult persisted regardless of the health of the adult.
I think that the results are very important because it supports current efforts to bring older adults and children together more in mentoring relationships, in apartment complexes and neighborhoods. Some parents might be concerned about exposing children to older adults who might seem frail or not it perfect health. The results of the study suggest that the kids will benefit from relationships with older adults even if the adults are not in the best overall health.
What should the average person take away from your study?
I think the take-away message is that kids will benefit from relationships with older adults even if the adults are not in the best overall health. The benefits are likely long-term extending into the kids’ adulthood.
Are there any major caveats? What questions still need to be addressed?
Correlational studies must always be scrutinized carefully, as they cannot be used to prove causation among variables. The sample involved college students, so other populations may differ. Research is needed to confirm that similar results can be obtained in other populations (e.g., different levels of education, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, etc.).
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The role of ageism in our own daily health behavior cannot be overstated. If people really fear and dread getting old, then they are likely to neglect their health in ways that can contribute to premature death (e.g., poor eating habits and cardiovascular disease.
The study, “Ageism, Illegal Drug Use, and Young Adults’ Experiences With Illness, Dementia and Death“, was published in the Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis. It was co-authored by Andrew Hughes and TaClesia Bolar.