RESILIENCE IN OLDER AGE: BASIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES AS KEY ELEMENTS

• Published in: Innovation in aging 2018-11, Vol.2 (suppl_1), p.39-39
• Main Authors: Jopp, D, Lampraki, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abstracts
• ISSN: 2399-5300; 2399-5300
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.144

Resilience, defined as an individual’s ability to withstand critical life events and other negative developments, represents a key construct in aging research. Resources are often discussed as underlying mechanisms, including basic (e.g., health, social network) and psychological (e.g., personality, coping) resources. Research also points to the importance of community resources such as having access to activities and social groups. The present symposium brings together studies investigating the role of these different types of resources for middle-aged to very old individuals. Jopp and Lampraki present data on the perception of basic resources (health, cognitive, social) in middle-aged and older adults. Findings suggest that resource losses may become less important for stress experience and depression when individuals advance in age. Using a similar methodological approach, Oswald and colleagues investigate resource perceptions comparing young-old and old-old individuals. They found age-differential interactive effects of resources status and loss, and of loss and gain on well-being outcomes. Lampraki and colleagues examine the role of different basic, psychological and community resources in adults who experienced divorce in later life. Perceived self-continuity and having multiple important group memberships were, along with having a new partner, important resources for feeling less lonely after divorce. Ehsan and colleagues evaluate a community-based intervention for older individuals. Individuals benefited from active participation in the program by having more group memberships and feeling more strongly empowered. In sum, basic, psychological and community resources are of high importance for resilience in older age; well-suited interventions are needed to further enhance individuals’ resources.