Memory complaints, coping, and well-being in old age: a systemic approach.

A study on memory complaints (as measured by selected subscales of the Metamemory in Adulthood Questionnaire) and its context was conducted on 179 older adults. A path analysis showed that memory complaints influence coping behavior through memory-related anxiety and perceived seriousness of complaints and that both memory complaints and coping influence well-being. Locus of control was found to be the most important antecedent variable in the model.