This article from the "Journal of Gerontology" is about the nature of an old person's self-esteem and self-concept. It discusses the importance of reminiscence as a means of maintaining self-concept and the methods of finding this information and the results of this study.
There is some good discussion of nature of mental disorders in old age and the prevalence of mental disorder among the aging community at this website http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nnp/teaching/disorders/old_age/
This website (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nnp/teaching/disorders/old_age/) looks specifically at depression in nursing homes and the methods of dealing with the issue and the prevalence.
"Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." - Samuel Ullman (American poet)
I believe that this quote describes quite nicely the way the attitude can affect the psyche of anyone but especially someone during the profound changes one goes through to get to "old age".
Mostly, I think this video speaks for itself, but it's a good demonstration of a senior citizen being proactive about his own well-being and self-concept.
My work background is very heavily focused on working with people with a variety of mental disabilities so I could apply a lot of the reading about "Personality and Mental Health in Old Age" directly to my life and see how the specific topics play out in life. It seems to be of utmost importance for people of all ages to maintain a sense of independence no matter their particular physical or mental deficiencies. Independence and hobbies and a positive sense of self are fairly pertinent aspects of a good quality of life and that doesn't change just because of advancing age.
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