Attachment and old age, a new perspective for understanding the well-being and emotional regulation in the elderly.

Abstract

This study presents attachment theory applied to old age. Scarcely used in our language, this theory is an essential theoretical framework to understand aging and individual differences to face unavoidable losses and age-related diseases, and is currently considered an important resource for resilience in old age. The article begins by pointing out that old age is left out of attachment theory, to continue exposing the distinctive characteristics of attachment in old age, the evolution of attachment styles and figures, and the importance of symbolic attachments. The very up-to-date explanation of the biological substrate of attachment allows us to understand its enormous influence on health and on the processes of emotional regulation and coping. We conclude with the importance of researching in our language in this pioneering area of ​​knowledge for the prevention and promotion of healthy aging