Morning Rounds: Teens, Elders, And Expectations

by Deborah Franklin

Never underestimate the power of the mind to shape reality.

One study making headlines this morning finds that teens who think they'll die young are more likely to engage in risky behavior. A different survey finds that 60 percent of people age 65 or older feel much younger than the calendar would suggest. And a harrowing tale -- told in video and print -- in this morning's Los Angeles Times details the struggle of a six-year-old with schizophrenia.

First the teens: Psychologists at the University of Minnesota queried 20,000 students from grades seven through 12, then followed up five years later. A surprisingly high number -- nearly 15 percent -- told the researchers they expect to die before age 35.

What's more, those adolescents who figured they'd die young were more likely to run into trouble in ensuing years. As the AP reports

Over seven years, kids who thought they would die early were seven times more likely than optimistic kids to be subsequently diagnosed with AIDS. They also were more likely to attempt suicide and get in fights resulting in serious injuries.

Lead psychologist Iris Borowsky, tells the Minneapolis Tribune that her study gives the lie to the common notion that teen recklessness is driven by a "feeling of invulnerability."

If we can just get the kids to hang in there: A big new demographic survey from the Pew Research Foundation finds that America's elders seem to be having a better time health-wise than many expect of someone their age.

Although half of those that Pew surveyed who were younger than 65 said they expect to experience significant memory loss when they're older, only 25 percent of those over 65 actually have memory trouble. Serious illnesses, restrictions on driving, and reduced sexual activity and depression were also less prevalent among elders than the younger generation feared.

USA Today reports the good news: "Among ages 65 to 74, one-third say they feel 10 to 19 years younger than their age."

Of course, some children seem lost in a mental illness that even the most tenacious love and therapy can't seem to reach -- at least not yet. The Los Angeles Times this morning has one such story, of six-year-old Jani Schofield, who is haunted by violent hallucinations that take the form of imaginary friends. As Jani's father says, "For every delusion that the Thorazine kills, another one comes to take its place. And Jani is unwilling to let go of the good ones because they are her friends."