PTSD-Depression comorbidity and health among older adults exposed to missile attacks: The buffering effect of young subjective age

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that a young subjective age can buffer against trauma effects. The current study, highlighted in this chapter, examined if this fortifying effect will also be critically observed in older adults suffering from PTSD-depression comorbidity. We used data from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel; N = 1793, mean age = 69.65, age range = 50-105). These data include missile attacks exposure and ensuing PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms and indices of health and subjective age. Two-thirds (67.7%) had no PTSD or depression, 5.2% had PTSD-only, 21.0% had depression-only, while 6.1% suffered from PTSD-depression comorbidity. Subjective age moderated the association between psychopathology and physical health. The most severe health impairments observed in the PTSD-depression comorbidity group diminished/disappeared when the comorbid participants displayed a young subjective age. While PTSD-depression comorbidity is related to poorer health, subjective age moderates the strength of the association. The findings suggest that subjective age is determined both by resources and by stressors, as such, it is a complex diagnostic entity. Accordingly, practitioners should be aware of both the protective role of a young subjective age in older adults and contextualizing it within the stressors one experiences.