Coping with stress of growing older in middle-aged women
The research problem is to establish the patterns of stress-coping patterns connected with life changes experienced by a person. The aim is to identify whether middle-aged women affected by appearance concerns are coping with the stress of growing older. Hypothesis: Women who are constantly using caring aesthetic manipulations connected with their outlook do rather cope with the stress of aging than addict. To cope with the stress of negative self-perception, women too much concerned about their outlook actively use anti-aging aesthetic procedures. The experimental group (N1 = 54; av. age 48 yrs; SD = 6) included women who actively, persistently and constantly (at least several times a month and for at least a year) use aesthetic manipulations in the medical center; the control group did not resort to manipulations (N2 = 54; av. age 48 yrs; SD = 6). Method of a longitudinal research: interview, consumers` behavior analysis; psycho-diagnostics. Results: stress and discomfort experiencing with attractiveness loss, the continuity and regularity of various manipulations (improving face and body) are confirmed. Half of women use rejuvenation esthetic (non-surgical) services from 4–5 to 11 times a month. The factors of their behavioral activity include: women`s dissatisfaction with the outlook, high level of outlook relevance and value, affiliating themselves to special subculture (women in a control group pay much less attention to their appearance); stress caused by the loss of outlook attractiveness with age, according to their subjective opinion. The analysis of young outlook as a value that influences decision-making during changes showed that in this way women actively cope, reduce stress and fear of the future, improve relationship with the loved ones. At the same time, they risk becoming behavioral addicts, seeking to increase positive emotions, and sense of security.