Felix Weibezahl

Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg

This presentation examines the relationship between perceptions of subjective experience of time and the exploration of existential issues amongst older people undergoing psychotherapy. The centre concerns the extent to which implicit and explicit assumptions about the structure of one’s own experience of time are addressed in the therapeutic process, and how these relate to the realisation of one’s own ageing. The relevance of this research question stems from the fact that the range of psychotherapeutic treatment available to older people has so far been inadequate, whilst the absolute number of older people in the population is rising sharply and their need for psychosocial care and treatment is increasing. At the same time, there are few studies dedicated to age-specific treatment approaches. These also leave scope for a perspective grounded in existential philosophy. The empirical basis for this analysis is a qualitative study of the psychotherapeutic treatment records of older patients in a psychiatric clinic. Using this material, the study examines the extent to which existential themes are addressed in the treatment process and which time-related patterns of interpretation emerge. The findings highlight themes such as the shift from a circular, endless conception of time to a linear, death-oriented conception of time, the heightened significance of past life, or variations in the painful as well as conflict-free experience of everyday time, and these are understood in the context of experiences of finitude in advanced age. In conclusion, it becomes apparent that time-related themes and patterns of interpretation have so far scarcely been systematically taken into account in the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment of older people. At the same time, they offer the potential to gain a more nuanced understanding of how existential conflicts are addressed in later life and to put this understanding to fruitful therapeutic use.