Older adults’ subjective age and post-traumatic symptoms during Wartime: The role of future time perspective

The traumatic events of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in unprecedented challenges to the Israeli society, notwithstanding increased post-traumatic symptomatology (PTS) in younger and older Israelis. Recent findings have highlighted the importance of positive subjective aging perceptions for various aspects of older adults' physical and psychological health. As trauma may interfere with one's ability to think positively and plan for the future, the current study examined the interactive effect of subjective age and future time perspective on Israeli older adults' PTS during the war. Data were collected during January–March 2024, from 533 Israeli older adults (M_age = 73.88, SD = 7.34), who filled out scales assessing sociodemographic information, war-related exposure, subjective age, future time perspective, and PTS. Results demonstrated that a young subjective age was associated with reduced PTS. However, this link was not significant among older adults reporting a wide future time perspective. The discussion highlights the importance of combining both subjective aging and subjective time perceptions when examining PTS among older adults during an ongoing national crisis.