Relationships between Felt Age and Perceived Disability, Satisfaction with Recovery, Self-efficacy Beliefs and Coping Strategies

Subjective age is related to health and to life satisfaction, and adaptation to stressful life events is associated with self-efficacy beliefs and coping. The present study on cancer survivors addressed two objectives: the relationship between felt age and perceived disability and satisfaction with recovery, and the feeding back of felt age on general self-efficacy beliefs and coping strategies. Data were collected one and six months after surgery. Individuals with younger age identities reported lower levels of perceived disability and avoidance-oriented coping and higher levels of satisfaction with recovery, self-efficacy and meaning-focused coping than individuals with older age identities. Individuals with decreased or stable felt age indicated increased meaning-focused coping or avoidance-oriented coping, respectively. Explanations for these associations are discussed.