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Elder Stress: The Functionality Paradigm

This study evaluated the relationships between an elders’ functional skills, and their use of ecosystemic support and internal coping strategies to buffer a major stressor ’ s potential impacts. McGee’s (1998) Life Span Developmental model was employed in this research of 83 seniors. Seniors with high functional skills and those with very low functional skills did not appear to be as impacted as those seniors whose functional skills had deteriorated slightly and who employed emotion-focused coping to manage the impacts of a major stressor. Ecosystemic support, which included both formal and informal support networks, did not appear to provide an adequate buffer from the stress-related symptoms. The usage of this strategy was noticeably impacted by the deterioration of the size and frequency of contact seniors experience with their ecosystemic support systems. Seniors functional abilities and their use of emotion-focused coping were found to be the significant predictors in estimating an elders’ reactions to a major stressor.

Key Words: elder • stress • senior • trauma • functionality

Traumatology, Vol. 9, No. 4, 237-256 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/153476560300900406


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