CBT and adjustment to the role transitions of aging

I haven't seen much written specifically on helping individuals and families adjust to the role transitions that can come with aging. CT's general approach to adjustment disorders is to do an assessment and develop an individualized conceptualization.

With an uncomplicated adjustment disorder, brief intervention is often sufficient. Treatment generally includes the therapist providing emotional support, identifying and addressing any cognitions than make the situation more upsetting than necessary, and helping the individual or family with effective problem-solving and coping.

Treatment can be more complex and take longer when the individual can't simply rely on their usual coping methods, when established family interaction patterns interfer with effective coping, when the situation happens to "strike a nerve" because of previous experiences, or when the individual has strongly held beliefs and assumptions that complicate the situation.

It seems as though these complications would be relatively common with the role transitions you are talking about. I hope that we will hear from some colleagues who work with these issues more than I do (this is not one of my specialties).

Replies:

Re:CBT and adjustment to the role transitions of aging, by laurette, 08/04/03

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.