Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age
The primary aim of this article is to present a new concept called mindful sustainable aging (MSA), which is informed by mindfulness practices that support the physical, the mental, and especially, the social and the existential dimensions of old life. The concept of MSA is discussed and compared wi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2015-08-01
|
| Series: | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/949 |
| _version_ | 1797964429308985344 |
|---|---|
| author | Håkan Nilsson Pia H. Bülow Ali Kazemi |
| author_facet | Håkan Nilsson Pia H. Bülow Ali Kazemi |
| author_sort | Håkan Nilsson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The primary aim of this article is to present a new concept called mindful sustainable aging (MSA), which is informed by mindfulness practices that support the physical, the mental, and especially, the social and the existential dimensions of old life. The concept of MSA is discussed and compared with four influential psychosocial theories in the field of gerontology, i.e., activity theory, disengagement theory, successful aging theory and gerotranscendence theory. The article ends with reviewing research on how mindfulness practice can help to manage, diminish and/or improve a number of serious physical conditions that are common among older people. The potential of mindfulness when it comes to facilitating for older adults in their quest for spiritual and existential meaning is discussed extensively throughout the article. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:43:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f1431e3d3893485b8de1866928b9e3db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1841-0413 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:43:56Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f1431e3d3893485b8de1866928b9e3db2023-01-03T08:06:41ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyEurope's Journal of Psychology1841-04132015-08-0111349450810.5964/ejop.v11i3.949ejop.v11i3.949Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old AgeHåkan Nilsson0Pia H. Bülow1Ali Kazemi2School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, SwedenSchool of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, SwedenSchool of Health and Education, University of Skövde, Skövde, SwedenThe primary aim of this article is to present a new concept called mindful sustainable aging (MSA), which is informed by mindfulness practices that support the physical, the mental, and especially, the social and the existential dimensions of old life. The concept of MSA is discussed and compared with four influential psychosocial theories in the field of gerontology, i.e., activity theory, disengagement theory, successful aging theory and gerotranscendence theory. The article ends with reviewing research on how mindfulness practice can help to manage, diminish and/or improve a number of serious physical conditions that are common among older people. The potential of mindfulness when it comes to facilitating for older adults in their quest for spiritual and existential meaning is discussed extensively throughout the article.http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/949mindfulnesssocialexistentialsustainableageingactivity theorydisengagementsuccessful aginggerotranscendence |
| spellingShingle | Håkan Nilsson Pia H. Bülow Ali Kazemi Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age Europe's Journal of Psychology mindfulness social existential sustainable ageing activity theory disengagement successful aging gerotranscendence |
| title | Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age |
| title_full | Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age |
| title_fullStr | Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age |
| title_short | Mindful Sustainable Aging: Advancing a Comprehensive Approach to the Challenges and Opportunities of Old Age |
| title_sort | mindful sustainable aging advancing a comprehensive approach to the challenges and opportunities of old age |
| topic | mindfulness social existential sustainable ageing activity theory disengagement successful aging gerotranscendence |
| url | http://ejop.psychopen.eu/article/view/949 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hakannilsson mindfulsustainableagingadvancingacomprehensiveapproachtothechallengesandopportunitiesofoldage AT piahbulow mindfulsustainableagingadvancingacomprehensiveapproachtothechallengesandopportunitiesofoldage AT alikazemi mindfulsustainableagingadvancingacomprehensiveapproachtothechallengesandopportunitiesofoldage |