Gerontology & Geriatric Research

INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY AND NATIONAL RESILIENCIES AND AGE: ARE OLDER PEOPLE LESS RESILIENT THAN YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS?

4^th International Conference on Geriatrics & Gerontological Nursing

October 3-4, 2016 | London, UK

Shaul Kimhi, Yohanan Eshel, Mooli Lahad and Dimitry Leykin

Tel Hai College, Israel

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Gerontol Geriat Res

Abstract:

The present study explores the resilience of older Israelis compared to younger age groups, and further validates new measures of resilience. A random sample of the Jewish population in Israel (N=1022) was employed. The participants were three adult age-groups (18-35, 36-64, and 65+ years), with some college education and average income, who were mainly secular or traditional. Half of them were females, and they evenly represented left-wing and right-wing political attitudes Individual, community, and national resiliencies were measured by the ratio of strength and vulnerability in each of these domains. Two additional resilience supporting measures were employed: self-efficacy and sense of coherence. Results supported the hypotheses: Indices of resilience, accounting concurrently for protective factors and for risk factors, were validated by resilience promoting factors, and indicated higher resilience at old age. Furthermore, older people reported lower levels of distress symptoms than younger individuals. These data support the validity of the new measures of resilience, and the contention that older Israelis are more resilient than younger cohorts. Their long direct or indirect experience with wars and terror attacks has not decreased their resilience, and has perhaps even strengthened it.