Positive Epidemiology - Pre and Peri-Pandemic Psychological Resilience in Older Veterans in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

How and why do some older adults adapt and thrive better than others in the face of challenges? Do prior life experiences, such as having served in the military, play a role in the development of resiliency at older ages? These are questions we will explore in this research project. Several U.S. studies have highlighted the resilience of Veterans, but we have not found any comparable studies in Canada. Resilience is often characterized by personal growth following stressful experience(s) and the development of coping skills (e.g., mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility) in the face of adversity. Sometimes referred to as post-traumatic growth, this resiliency has been suggested to occur in Veterans following trauma and/or military-related experiences (in some cases, decades after military service). It is well accepted that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected different population groups (e.g., older adults). Research on Veterans specifically suggests features of both resilience and vulnerability in response to the pandemic. Prior military trauma may translate to difficulty coping with the pandemic (e.g., due to increased social isolation), but may also reveal the resiliency of older Veterans during challenging times. In the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), more than 4,000 participants self-identified as Veterans. Using data from the CLSA collected over time, we will examine psychological resilience in older Veterans in Canada for the first time, how resilience manifests over time, and how it relates to pandemic experiences and health states.