Association Between Ego-Resilience and Social Isolation Among Urban Older People

Social isolation among older adults affects their physical and mental health. Ego-resilience is associated with flexible adaptation to various environments and acceptable behaviors. However, its association with social isolation among older people is unclear. Therefore, a health survey was conducted with 510 adults aged 65 years or older to assess social isolation, its associated factors, and ego resilience. The results showed that the social isolation group had a lower median ego-resiliency scale score (42.0) compared to the non-social isolation group (38.0). The social isolation group were mostly males without spouses, took time to move, had more depressive moods, and poorer subjective health status. The non-social isolated group had faster maximum walking speed. Low ego-resilience was newly identified as a factor associated with social isolation among older people, as were being male, having no spouse, and depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis revealed that ego-resilience affected social isolation and was partially mediated by depressive symptoms.