Objective: This study contrasts the prevalence of successful aging in older adults with schizophrenia with their age peers in the community and examines variables associated with successful aging in the schizophrenia group.
Methods: The schizophrenia group consisted of 198 community-dwelling persons aged 55 years and older who developed schizophrenia before the age of 45 years. A community comparison group (N = 113) was recruited using randomly selected block groups. The three objective criteria proposed by Rowe and Kahn were operationalized using a six-item summed score. The association of 16 predictor variables with the successful aging score in the schizophrenia group was examined.
Results: The community group had significantly higher successful aging scores than the schizophrenia group (4.3 versus 3.0; t = 8.36, df = 309, p <0.001). Nineteen percent of the community group met all six criteria on the successful aging score versus 2% of the schizophrenia group. In regression analysis, only two variables-fewer negative symptoms and a higher quality of life index-were associated with the successful aging score within the schizophrenia group.
Conclusion: Older adults with schizophrenia rarely achieve successful aging and do so much less commonly than their age peers. Only two significant variables were associated with successful aging neither of which are easily remediable. The elements that comprise the components of successful aging, especially physical health, may be better targets for intervention.