Resilience among older adults with multiple sclerosis: Pattern and correlates

There is an increasing number of older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) who present with significant challenges associated with aging in conjunction with a chronic, disabling disease. Resilience has been associated with healthy aging in the general population, yet there is limited research on resilience and its correlates among older adults with MS. The current study investigated the difference in resilience between older adults with MS and demographically matched healthy controls. We then examined the associations between resilience and functional, symptomatic, socio-behavioral, and QOL outcomes, along with demographic and clinical characteristics, among only older adults with MS.

The sample included 40 older adults with MS and 40 sex and age matched healthy controls who completed measures of resilience and a battery of demographic, clinical, functional, symptomatic, socio-behavioral, and QOL outcomes.

There were no differences between older adults with MS and healthy controls regarding overall resilience scores and resilience subscale scores. Resilience was significantly associated with neurological disability, depression, walking performance, self-efficacy, and purpose in life.

This study suggests that resilience in older adults with MS was comparable with healthy older adults, and positively associated with walking performance, self-efficacy, and purpose of life, and negatively associated with depression and neurological disability. We believe the time is ripe for developing and delivering interventions among those with lower resilience for improving resilience and associated secondary outcomes.