Psychological Changes

Psychological Changes

Psychological changes refer to changes that are mental and emotional alterations that occur in human beings due to particular circumstances. Psychological changes may occur in individuals due to different factors such as age, illness, or environmental factors. Age-related psychological changes occur in many elderly individuals since they are most vulnerable to psychological dysfunction when they experience change (Gidron, 2019). Older people usually experience a change in their affective function, and this affects their moods. Furthermore, they also experience cognitive function changes, and this affects their memory and intelligence. Elderly people are usually in a vulnerable state, and they are prone to be affected psychologically even by small triggers. The aging process also makes elderly people more prone to psychological changes.

Psychological changes may be caused by mental health conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia, among other conditions. These can cause a fluctuation in the hormonal levels of the individual, therefore, leading to unusual behavior by the individual (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2017). Environmental factors can also cause psychological changes in the individual. One example of this is that if a person lacks access to health resources such as foods rich in nutrients, it may affect their psychological condition. Other environmental factors include sleep depreciation, substance abuse, pollution, hazardous work conditions, and extreme weather (Ross, 2017). It can also include social, environmental factors such as past abuse, poverty, or loss of a family member. Psychological wellbeing requires a combination of mental, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and when one or more of these factors lack, then it may harm the psychological condition of the individual.