MENTAL ASPECTS OF AGEING 



Aubrey Lewis, m.d., f.r.c.p. 



Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, London. 



Ageing is a stage in the total process of growth and decay, 

 and it might be expected that its mental aspects, like those of 

 childhood, would cover most of psychology, since age is a 

 variable that can hardly ever be left out of account in any 

 psychological inquiry. But there is no such extensive literature 

 about the latter end of life as there is about the earlier. For 

 this there are obvious sentimental, social and technical 

 reasons. In spite of the relatively meagre data it is not easy 

 to survey the present stage of knowledge, because it reflects 

 changing theories and methods in regard to such fundamental 

 matters as learning and personality. 



Any general question as to the essential nature of ageing 

 does not admit of a psychological answer: the question is a 

 biological one and concerns the whole organism, rather than 

 only its psychological aspect. I shall therefore limit myself to 

 considering some questions about the manner in which we 

 age mentally. Chiefly these are: Is there a differential rate 

 and degree of decline in psychological abilities, which may 

 permit reorganisation and even gain just as it may entail 

 disorganisation and decay? What are the characteristics 

 which distinguish healthy ageing from pathological ageing? 

 Are they differences only of degree? Are some mental changes 

 of age compensatory and adaptive? What is the physical 

 substrate of mental ageing? How far do social and cultural 

 influences affect the ageing individual, either by hastening 

 and aggravating his handicaps or by allowing readjustments 

 and opportunities that suit him? 



Before seeing what can be said in reply to these questions I 

 should like to look briefly at a concept which crops uj) almost as 



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