Predictors of Ageism among Social Work Students and Practitioners in Greece: The Role of Aging Anxiety and Experiential Factors

AI Summary

Among students, aging anxiety, especially fear of older people, was the principal predictor of positive attitudes towards older adults.
Among social workers, positive attitudes correlated negatively with psychological concerns, urban origin and higher education, but positively with fear of losses and early career experience.
Findings support targeted education, intergenerational programmes and further research to mitigate ageism in social work practice.

Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2026 Jun 16:914150261456748. doi: 10.1177/00914150261456748. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study examines whether aging anxiety (based on terror management theory) or demographic and experiential factors better explain attitudes toward older adults among social work students and professionals. Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey from a sample of 309 social work students and professionals in Crete. Ageism and aging anxiety were assessed using the relating to older people evaluation scale and the aging anxiety scale. Multivariable analyses revealed that among students, positive attitudes toward older adults were primarily associated with fear of old people, while no significant multivariate predictors were identified for negative attitudes. Among social workers, positive attitudes were negatively associated with psychological concerns, urban origin, and higher educational attainment, and positively associated with fear of losses and early career experience. Negative attitudes were negatively associated with higher educational attainment. These findings underscore the need for targeted education, intergenerational programs, and further research to address ageism in social work practice.

PMID:42300683 | DOI:10.1177/00914150261456748

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