Research Projects

Current Projects

Longitudinal Analysis of Subjective Well-being in Very Old Age

Project Description

With this project psychological consequences of health changes in very old age will be investigated – in particular we focus on the impact of health development on the oldest olds subjective well-being (SWB). The project addresses basic research gaps regarding findings on this particular age group and the consideration of the particular importance of mortality in such oldest old study. The objectives are (1) to examine the impact of health constraints on changes in SWB in very old age, (2) to examine the impacts of contextual aspects of the physical environment, as well as (3) of health- and death-related anxieties on such adaptational changes, the latter objectives both addressing assumably fundamental aspects under oldest old age conditions, which have hardly been considered in adaptation research.

Following-up the previously generated German subsample of the ENABLE-AGE-project, former ENABLE-AGE participants which agreed to take part in further studies were surveyed in two more measurement occasions with a one year interval in between in the first period of project allowance (2009 and 2010). For the second period of allowance, altogether four measurement occasions with a six months interval in between and two additional surveys with general practitioners with a one and a half year interval are planned for 2011 and 2012. Thus, the study extends the existing data body into an enlarged longitudinal format, enabling in-depth analyses of adaptational and mortality-related changes. We aim to contribute to the lack of knowledge about extent, limits, and confounders of adaptation in the age group crucially affected by increasing morbidity risks.

• Informationsblatt T10 (German only)
• The LateLine team 2012 (JPG file)

Project Directorship (PI and Co-PIs)

• PD Dr. Oliver Schilling
• Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Wahl
• Prof. Dr. Frank Oswald (until 2012)

Scientific Project Staff

• Dipl.-Psych. Ortrun Reidick (until April 2013)
• Dr. Markus Wettstein (since February 2013)

Interviewers

• Annika Menzel (since 2013)
• Sandra Schmitt (since 2013)
• Dipl.-Psych. Dorothee Brosda (2011-2012)
• Dipl.-Psych. Livia Krätschmer (2008-2012)
• Dipl.-Psych. Suzan Patis (2008-2013)
• Dipl.-Psych. Laura Schmidt (2008-2011)
• Dipl.-Psych. Sarah Wiegering (2008-2010)

Funding

• German Research Foundation, identification number SCHI 1024/3-1 and SCHI 1024/3-2

Duration

• 01.08.2008 - 30.09.2010 (first period of project allowance)
• 01.10.2010 - 30.09.2012 (second period of project allowance)