Resilience

Aging brings with it a variety of complex challenges. As we age, we are increasingly likely to experience common setbacks like onset of new major health conditions, financial setbacks, and the loss of friends, children, and other loved ones. Although most people find these kinds of stressful events to be challenging, some individuals recover from major setbacks better than others. 

In partnership with the Pepper Center on Aging and Public Policy, the CPC provides policy-informed research on resilience, including factors that improve recovery or accelerate bad outcomes following major stressful events during later life. 

Examples of Funded Projects:

“Education, Psychological Resilience, and Cognitive Decline in Later Life.” (2021-2022). Taylor, M. (co-PI) & Carr, D.C. (co-PI). Funded by National Institutes of Health R24 ($69,300); R24AG045061. 

“Is it possible to bolster resilience by increasing emotional regulation in later life?: Examining the neural correlates of emotion regulation and resiliency among older adults” (2018-2019). Principal Investigators: Dawn Carr, Natalie Sachs-Ericsson; Co-Investigators: Greg Hajcak, Sylvie Naar, Julia Sheffler, Miles Taylor. Funded by Institute for Successful Longevity, Florida State University. ($15,500).

Recent Related Publications:

Francios, G., Carr, D.C., & Sachs-Ericsson, N. (In Press). “Prediction of COVID-19 stress: The role of anxiety and resiliency.” Journal of Aging and Mental Health. 

Taylor, M., Carr, D.C., & Jason, K. (2022). Financial hardship and psychological resilience during COVID-19: Differences by race/ethnicity. The Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 77(7), e117-e122. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab173

Taylor, M. & Carr, D. C. (2021). Psychological resilience and health among older adults: a comparison of personal resources. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 76(6), 1241-1250Doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa116. 

King, B., Carr, D.C., & Taylor, M. (2019). Depressive symptoms and the buffering effect of resilience on widowhood by gender. The Gerontologist, 59(6), 1122-1130. Doi: 10.1093/geront/gny115 

Carr, D. C., Ureña, S., & Taylor, M. (2018). Adjustment to widowhood and loneliness among older men: the influence of military service. The Gerontologist, 58 (6), 1085-1095. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnx110