Trait resilience and mental health in older adults: A meta-analytic review

Objectives This study aims to systematically review research on the association between resilience as a personality trait and mental health in older adults and to meta-analytically quantify this relation. Methods We included studies assessing older adults (mean age 60 years or older), measuring trait resilience with a version of the Resilience Scale (RS) by Wagnild and Young and mental health. We conducted a comprehensive search in Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, PubPsych, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Full Text database and the theses database of the German National Library for eligible studies. Study data on associations between resilience and mental health were aggregated using a random-effects model. Results Twenty-seven studies with 13 444 participants were included. Trait resilience and mental health were strongly interrelated (r = 0.40, 95% CI [0.36; 0.44]) with substantial heterogeneity (I-2 = 83%). Published studies revealed larger associations between resilience and mental health (r = 0.41 [0.37; 0.45]) than unpublished studies (r = 0.25 [0.11; 0.38]). Conclusions Higher levels of resilience are associated with better mental health in older persons. Because associations were solely assessed cross-sectionally, longitudinal studies are highly needed to draw causal inferences. (c) 2020 The Authors Personality and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd