Abstract
The relationship of stress to psychological functioning and health has been examined for some time by both basic and applied researchers. Stress has been associated with the onset and/or course of a number of physical and psychological conditions. Consequently, stress reduction procedures have been increasingly utilized with children and adults in both primary and adjunctive treatment. Such procedures have been used successfully to treat a range of anxiety disorders such as phobias, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and generalized anxiety. They have also been used in the treatment of other psychological disorders in which anxiety plays an important role, such as somatic complaints, paranoid ideation, depression, and in the treatment of psychophysiological dysfunctions such as high blood pressure, lower-back pain, headache pain, and the aversive side effects of cancer treatment. Despite relatively high rates of both psychological disorders and psychophysiological conditions, the elderly have been systematically neglected in the stress management literature. These individuals face a number of potentially stressful situations that are unique to this age group and place them at risk for developing stress-related disorders. This chapter will focus upon the use of stress management procedures with the elderly First, there will be a brief examination of conceptual issues in stress research. This will be followed by a discussion of reported problems in generalizing stress management procedures to the elderly population.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Antonovsky, A. (1980). Health, stress, and coping. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Averill, J. R. (1979). A selective review of cognitive and behavioral factors involved in the regulation of stress. In R. A. Depue (Ed.), The psychobiology of the depressive disorders: Implications for the effects of stress (pp. 365–387). New York: Academic Press.
Barlow, D., O’Brien, G., & Last, C. (1984). Couples treatment of agoraphobia. Behavior Therapy, 15, 41–58.
Benson, H., Alexander, J., & Feldman, C.L. (1975). Decreased premature ventricular contractions through use of the relaxation response in patients with stable ischaemic heart-disease. Lancet, 2, 380–382.
Blanchard, E., Andrasik, F., Evans, D., Neff, D., Appelbaum, K., & Rodichok, L. (1985). Behavioral treatment of 250 chronic headache patients: A clinical replication series. Behavior Therapy, 16, 308–327.
Botwinick, J. (1970). Geropsychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 21, 234–272.
Brink, T. L. (1980). Geriatric paranoia: Case report illustrating behavioral management. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 28, 519–522.
Carstensen, L. L., & Fremouw, W. J. (1981). The demonstration of a behavioral intervention for late paranoia. The Gerontologist, 21, 329–333.
Cautela, J. R. (1967). Behavior therapy with the aged. Paper presented at the meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Boston.
Czirr, R., & Gallagher, D. (1983). Case report: Behavioral treatment of depression and somatic complaints in rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical Gerontologist, 2, 63–66.
Falloon, I. (1975). The therapy of depression: A behavioral approach. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatik, 25, 69–75.
Flannery, R. B. (1974). Behavior modification of geriatric grief: A transactional perspective. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 5, 192–203.
Fordyce, W. E., Fowler, R. S., Lehman, J. F., & Delateur, B. (1968). Some implications of learning in problems of chronic pain. Journal of Chronic Disease, 21, 179–190.
Friedman, D. (1966). Treatment of a case of dog phobia in a deaf mute by behavior therapy. Behavior Research and Therapy, 4, 141.
Garfinkel, R. (1979). Brief behavior therapy with an elderly patient: A case study. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 12, 101–109.
Garrison, J. W. (1978). Stress management training for the elderly. A psychoeducational approach. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 26, 397–403.
Haley, W. E. (1983). Behavioral self-management application to a case of agitation in an elderly chronic psychiatric patient. Clinical Gerontologist, 1, 45–52.
Hamberger, L. K. (1982). Reduction of generalized adversive responding in a post treatment cancer patient: Relaxation as an active coping skill. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 13, 229–233.
Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213–218.
Hussian, R. A. (1981). Geriatric psychology: A behavioral perspective. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Ingersoll, B., & Silverman, A. (1978). Comparative group psychotherapy for the aged. The Gerontologist, 18, 201–206.
Junginger, J., & Ditto, B. (1984). Multitreatment of obsessive-compulsive checking in a geriatric patient. Behavior Modification, 8, 379–390.
Keller, J. F., Croake, J. W., & Brooking, J. Y. (1975). Effects of a program in rational thinking and anxieties in older persons. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 22, 54–57.
Kolko, D. (1984). Behavioral treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in an elderly woman with multiple medical problems. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 15, 341–345.
Kral, V. A. (1982). Neuroses of the aged: A neglected area. Clinical Gerontologist, 1, 29–35.
Lammers, C., Naliboff, B., & Straatmeyer, J. (1984). The effects of progressive relaxation on stress and diabetic control. Behavior Research and Therapy, 22, 641–650.
Levendusky, P., & Pankratz, L. (1975). Self-control techniques as alternatives to pain medication. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84, 165–168.
Linoff, M. G., & West, C.M. (1982). Relaxation training systematically combined with music: Treatment of tension headaches in a geriatric patient. International Journal of Behavioral Geriatrics, 1, 11–16.
Moss, G. E. (1973). Illness, immunity, and social interaction. New York: Wiley & Sons.
O’Brien, J. S. (1978). The behavioral treatment of a thirty year smallpox obsession and handwashing compulsion. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 9, 365–368.
Rowan, V., Holborn, S., Walker, J., & Siddiqui, A. (1984). A rapid multi-component treatment for an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 15, 347–352.
Tauber, L. (1982). Biofeedback as an adjunct in treating elders. Clinical Gerontologist, 11, 72–73.
Thyer, B. A. (1981). Prolonged in vivo exposure therapy with a 70-year-old woman. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 12, 69–71.
Toseland, R., & Rose, S. D. (1978). Evaluating social skills training for older adults in groups. Social Work Research Abstracts, 14, 25–33.
Wander, T. W. (1972). Existential depression treated by desensitization of phobias: Strategy and transcript. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 3, 111–116.
Weldon, S., & Yesavage, J. (1982). Behavioral improvement with relaxation training in senile dementia. Clinical Gerontologist, 1, 43–49.
Williamson, P. N. (1984). An intervention for hypochondriacal complaints. Clinical Gerontologist, 3, 64–68.
Williamson, P. N., & Ascione, F. R. (1983). Behavioral treatment of the elderly: Implications for theory and therapy Behavior Modification, 7, 583–611.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Handen, B.L. (1991). Stress and Stress Management with the Elderly. In: Wisocki, P.A. (eds) Handbook of Clinical Behavior Therapy with the Elderly Client. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0638-0_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0638-0_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0640-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0638-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive