Resilience among older women

This qualitative study was designed to identify and describe characteristics of successfully adjusted older women. The participants reported a recent major loss and were considered successfully adjusted as evidenced by social involvement in a senior center, a mid level to high level of morale and self-report. Using a grounded theory approach, five underlying themes were identified: equanimity, self-reliance, existential aloneness, perseverance and meaningfulness. These themes are thought to constitute resilience. Lateral grounding of the concept resilience is accomplished by comparison with philosophical writings of Frankl, Bettelheim, Frank, May and von Witzleben. Resilience is important in late life as a component of successful psychosocial adjustment.