AUTHOR=Thoma Myriam V. , Höltge Jan , Eising Carla M. , Pfluger Viviane , Rohner Shauna L. 

TITLE=Resilience and Stress in Later Life: A Network Analysis Approach Depicting Complex Interactions of Resilience Resources and Stress-Related Risk Factors in Older Adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.580969

DOI=10.3389/fnbeh.2020.580969

ISSN=1662-5153

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Emerging systemic approaches on resilience propose that a person’s or group’s adaptability to significant stress relies on a network of interdependent resources. However, little knowledge exists on systemic resilience in older survivors of early-life adversity (ELA) and how ELA affects their resource network in later life.</p></sec><sec><title>Objective</title><p>This study investigated how ELA may be linked to the interplay of resources and stress-related risk factors in later life.</p></sec><sec><title>Research Design and Methods</title><p>Data from <italic>N</italic> = 235 older adults (<italic>M</italic><sub><italic>age</italic></sub> = 70.43 years; 46.40% female) were assessed. Half the participants were affected by ELA through compulsory social measures and placements in childhood, and/or adolescence (“risk group”). The other half were age-matched, non-affected participants (“control group”). Using psychometric instruments, a set of resilience-supporting resources in later life and current stress indices were assessed. Regularized partial correlation networks examined the interplay of resources in both groups, whilst also considering the impact of stress.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Both groups demonstrated only positive resource interrelations. Although the control group showed more possible resource connections, the groups did not significantly differ in the overall strength of connections. While group-specific resource interrelations were identified, self-esteem was observed to be the most important resource for the network interconnectedness of both groups. The risk group network showed a higher vulnerability to current stress.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion and Implications</title><p>Network analysis is a useful approach in the examination of the complex interrelationships between resilience resources and stress-related risk factors in older adulthood.</p></sec>