Psychosocial aspects of aging: the black elderly.

Having survived to reach their senior years is testimony to the individual emotional and physical ruggedness of aged black men and women. Surprisingly, of the 24 million elderly Americans alive today, 8 percent are black. The coping styles that led to their survival have antecedents in youth. Consequently, the measure of strength of aged blacks can be judged only within the framework of their whole lives. Anxiety, depression, and despair are frequent findings that demand greater diagnostic acumen and selective treatment.