Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The world is experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift, with more people entering old age than ever before. The ageing process is often accompanied with decreases in functional capabilities, e.g. physical strength, and the onset of age-related disorders, e.g. arthritis. When presented with these challenges some older adults adapt more positively than others, maintaining high levels of wellbeing and quality of life. This positive adaption to adverse events, known as resilience, is the primary focus of this study. Using data from the oldest British birth cohort study, which has followed 5362 individuals from birth in 1946, I am able to examine how social factors experienced throughout the life course influence resilience up to age 70. These analyses will then be replicated in several Canadian and European studies to further examine the evidence for these results and increase the strength of these conclusions. I am particularly interested in how socioeconomic position and social networks influence individuals' resilience. Is greater social mobility associated with greater resilience? Do larger/stronger networks of friends/family improve individuals' resilience? These questions will provide evidence of the ways in which older adults can increase their resilience. Additionally I will also examine the policy implications of these results, identifying the ways in which policy can foster resilience. This work will identify ways in which individuals can maintain a high level of wellbeing and quality of life despite experiencing impairments in physical functioning, providing novel insights and robust evidence on resilience in older adults.