Older people with a ‘positive attitude’ could recover from injuries faster, study shows

A new study suggests that a ‘positive attitude’ towards ageing could aid recovery after sustaining injuries in a fall.

Falls among older adults are a significant public health issue, prompting researchers from Imperial College London and Coventry University to investigate whether "mindsets around ageing" could lessen their impact.

The study involved 694 individuals in England aged 60 to 90 who had not experienced a fall in the two years prior. Researchers analysed data on falls alongside survey responses gauging participants' beliefs and attitudes about ageing.

Factors such as walking pace, activity levels, and the need for assistance with daily tasks like dressing or bathing after a fall were also assessed.

The findings indicate that those with more positive perceptions of ageing – for example, believing that ageing did not hinder their ability to do what they wanted – tended to recover better after a fall.

“We found that older individuals who had more positive self-perceptions of ageing at baseline were better protected against negative physical consequences following a fall,” they wrote in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

People who had the highest possible score on the “self-perceptions of ageing” measurements – or having the most positive mindset about ageing – had 162% lower odds of showing slow walking speed, 200% lower odds of being dependent on others to perform daily living activities and were 123% less likely to be inactive following a fall, compared to those who were not positive about ageing.

Study co-lead Dr Toby Ellmers, from Imperial College London’s Department of Brain Sciences, said: “Those who expressed more positive feelings about their own ageing seemed to be protected against worse physical consequences after a fall.

“There was substantial difference in the rate of physical recovery in the people we studied, and this seemed to be linked to their initial beliefs about growing older.

“Our results suggest that changing the way that some older people view their ageing process could play a key role in improving recovery and wellbeing.

“It’s even possible that simple ‘tweaks’ to help people develop a more positive mindset around ageing, such as having discussions with a friend or relative about the positives associated with ageing, could help.

“This is something we are very keen to explore in future research.”

Study co-lead Dr Mathew Hill, from Coventry University’s Research Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, added: “Although we knew from previous research that negative mindsets and beliefs about ageing are associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as stroke and mortality, this is the first research linking these specifically to physical recovery after a fall.”