AGE, ADJUSTMENT, AND COSTS - A STUDY OF CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Much concern has been expressed about increasing health costs associat ed with an aging population. In relation to chronic conditions, this s tudy demonstrates that cost seems to be a function of adjustment to th e chronic condition rather than of age in and of itself. We know from previous work that people with poor psychosocial adjustment cost consi derably more than do people who are either moderately or well adjusted and this study shows that older, poorly adjusted persons are no more costly than their younger counterparts. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.