Trait Resilience Research Articles

Mental health of circus artists: Psychological resilience, circus factors, and demographics predict depression, anxiety, stress, and flourishing

Circus artists perform physically demanding skills in a high-stress environment, yet little is known about their mental health. We explored emotional states of depression, anxiety, stress and flourishing in a sample of 500 circus artists. The predominantly female sample (n = 415) encompassed a range of performance levels (amateur 50%, part/full-time professional 41%, student 6%, retired 3%), with aerial acrobatics (71%) being the most frequently represented main circus discipline in the sample. Compared to previously established normative scores of a non-clinical population, circus artists scored higher on scales of emotions reflecting depression, anxiety, and stress, and lower on flourishing. They also scored higher on both state and trait resilience compared to previously established normative scores. Using a Bayesian estimation procedure, linear regression analyses showed that resilience, circus factors, and demographics (i.e., age and gender) explained between 24% and 51% of the variance in emotional states of depression, anxiety, stress, and flourishing. Consistently, circus artists with higher levels of state/trait resilience reported higher levels of psychological wellbeing, indicated by lower levels of emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress, and higher levels of flourishing. Therefore, the development of interventions for circus artists who experience lower levels of psychological wellbeing appears warranted.

Risk-taking, resilience, and state anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: A coming of (old) age story

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented hostile psychological environment for individuals. Against the backdrop of this exogenous shock and applying a Cumulative Prospect Theory framework, we examined a relationship between risk-taking, trait resilience, and state anxiety, wherein age moderates the relationship between trait resilience and risk-taking, on state anxiety during the pandemic. We assess risk-taking using a behavioral measure and assess trait anxiety, big five personality traits, and other demographic factors in a sample of 515 individuals in the United States. Regression analysis revealed that age moderates the relationship between risk-taking and state anxiety and that highly resilient, risk-tolerant individuals experience lower state anxiety than less resilient risk-averse individuals. In contrast, older, more resilient, risk-averse individuals experience lower state anxiety than their younger, more resilient, risk-averse counterparts. Study limitations are noted, and additional research is suggested.

Biomarking Trait Resilience With Salivary Cortisol in Chinese Undergraduates.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between trait resilience and salivary cortisol in a group of Chinese undergraduates. The Chinese versions of the Brief Resilience Scale and a measure of optimism, the revised Life Orientation Test were administered to 49 Chinese undergraduates who provided self-collected saliva samples six times per day (immediately after waking; 0.5, 3, 6, and 12 h thereafter; and at bedtime) over 3 consecutive weekdays. The cortisol data were aggregated across the 3 days to examine the association between resilience and components of the diurnal rhythm of cortisol using multiple regression. The results showed that higher resilience was associated with a stronger cortisol response to awakening and a steeper diurnal decline in cortisol from waking to bedtime. Resilience was positively associated with cortisol output over the course of the day but this relationship was not significant (p = 0.065). This pattern of diurnal rhythm is consistent with that typically observed in better adjusted individuals. Generated by an intensive protocol with compliance objectively monitored, these findings clearly indicate the important role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in health and adjustment and contribute to the growing literature on resilience and cortisol in humans.

Vitamin D levels are associated with trait resilience but not depression in a general population sample.

IntroductionInsufficient vitamin D levels were found to be related to various psychiatric disorders and particularly depression. The functional polymorphisms rs4588 and rs7041 of the vitamin D‐binding protein (also group‐specific component or Gc) influence vitamin D level and activity. Resilience is considered the individual predisposition to maintain psychological functioning in the face of adversities. We sought to investigate whether associations of vitamin D levels and genotypes of rs4588 and rs7041 were associated with trait resilience and symptoms of depression.MethodsSerum levels of total 25(OH)D were measured in a general population sample (n = 1,908) of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP‐1). The Resilience Scale‐25 (RS‐25) was applied to assess trait resilience. Lifetime depressive symptoms were assessed using the CID‐S, while current depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI‐II). Study participants were genotyped for rs4588 and rs7041.ResultsParticipants with vitamin D insufficiency had lower adjusted mean RS‐25 scores as compared to vitamin D replete subjects (p = .002). Linear regression analyses revealed a positive association between 25(OH)D and RS‐25 scores (ß = 2.782, p = .002). Additional adjustment for BDI‐II scores slightly attenuated this result (ß = 1.830 and p = .026). Symptoms of depression and the lifetime diagnosis of MDD were not significantly associated with vitamin D concentrations. rs4588 and rs7041 showed strong associations with vitamin D concentrations (both p < .001), but not RS‐25 scores.ConclusionsIn contrast with previous studies, our findings do not provide evidence for a strong role of vitamin D in the psychopathology of depression. However, considering the role of trait resilience as a common protective factor to different psychiatric disorders, our results support the concept of low vitamin D as a general risk factor to stress‐related psychopathologies.

The Athlete Gratitude Group (TAGG): Effects of coach participation in a positive psychology intervention with youth athletes

Learning how to cultivate gratitude can be a valuable skill for life and sport, allowing one to reframe negative situations, enhance interpersonal relationships, and build resilience. While one-time gratitude interventions have demonstrated benefits for personal and social well-being, multi-session programs have the potential to strengthen these effects, as well as team dynamics. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine (1) the impact of a multi-session gratitude intervention among youth athletes and (2) the effect of coach participation on respective outcomes. Eighteen varsity members of a high school girls’ soccer team participated in The Athlete Gratitude Group (TAGG). To test the effect of coach participation, team members were randomly assigned to receive the intervention with or without the head coach present. Repeated measures analysis of variance tests and subsequent pairwise comparisons found significant improvements in athletes’ state gratitude, mental health, resilience, team cohesion, and coach-athlete relationship pre- to post-intervention. For the entire sample, lasting effects on mental health, resilience, and coach-athlete relationship were observed at 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. Moreover, positive effects on mental health were significantly maximized for athletes in the coach group. No significant group x time interaction effects were observed on state or trait gratitude, resilience, team cohesion, or quality of the coach-athlete relationship; all athletes derived positive benefits from the program, regardless of group membership. Strengths, limitations, practical implications, and future research recommendations are discussed. Lay summary: A high school soccer team participated in “The Athlete Gratitude Group,” a multi-session gratitude intervention. Half the team completed the program with the head coach present. All athletes exhibited enhanced gratitude, mental health, resilience, team cohesion, and coach-athlete relationship, with the coach group reporting even greater improvements in mental health. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Intervention programs aimed toward cultivating gratitude in life and sport may enhance athlete mental health, resilience, team cohesion, and quality of the coach-athlete relationship. Coach participation in gratitude interventions at the team level may maximize positive effects on athlete mental health. Collectively engaging in gratitude practice as a team may increase resiliency and foster better quality relationships in sport.

Childhood Cancer-Related Posttraumatic Stress and Resilience Have Distinct Effects on Volume of the Amygdala and Hippocampus

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are extremely common among childhood cancer survivors (CCS). However, there are individual differences, which may relate to variability in resilience. Previous studies show differential effects of early adversity on the amygdala and hippocampus—brain regions that mediate the stress response and are implicated in the development and/or maintenance of PTSS. Although many children are diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses each year, neurobiological correlates of psychological outcomes following medically related adversity remain unclear. This study tests the impact of childhood cancer, cancer-related PTSS, and resilience on amygdala and hippocampal volumes. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were measured in 24 CCS (11 females, ages 5–17) and 24 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched controls. Cancer-related PTSS and trait resilience were assessed. We also assessed exposure to non-cancer adversities (e.g., bullying) and the parent’s cancer-related PTSS. Non-cancer adversities, resilience, and volume of the amygdala and hippocampus were similar between groups. Within CCS, higher cancer-related PTSS was associated with larger right amygdala volumes. More resilient CCS showed larger volumes of the left hippocampus relative to less resilient CCS. Higher parental PTSS was associated with higher PTSS in their child, and CCS reporting more non-cancer adversities showed higher PTSS. However, non-cancer adversities and parent PTSS were not related to regional volumes among CCS. We found distinct effects of resilience and PTSS on amygdala and hippocampal volumes in CCS. Altered development of stress response neural circuitry may be an important neurobiological substrate for understanding psychological outcomes in CCS.

Momentary well-being matters: Daily fluctuations in hotel employees’ turnover intention

Drawing on affective events theory and the unfolding model of voluntary turnover, the dynamic nature of emotional dissonance, job autonomy, subjective well-being (SWB), and turnover intention are examined in a daily diary study. The study's design employs an experience sampling method. Participants are full-time employees in guest-facing positions in full-service or luxury hotels in the United States. Sixty-five participants completed a one-time baseline survey and a daily diary study twice per day for at least five working days, resulting in a total of 416 day-level observations. Within-person variance in turnover intention is predicted by day-level within-person SWB and emotional dissonance. This study shows that SWB and turnover intention are not stable phenomena among frontline hotel employees. Moreover, the study emphasizes the important moderating role of daily job autonomy and the moderating effects of person-level trait resilience. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are also discussed. • A daily diary study was conducted to explore the dynamic nature of subjective well-being (SWB) and turnover intention. • Emotional dissonance, job autonomy, SWB, and turnover intention fluctuate daily among frontline hotel employees. • Daily emotional dissonance influences both daily SWB and turnover intention. • Daily job autonomy reduces the negative influence of daily emotional dissonance on daily SWB and turnover intention. • Trait resilience mitigates the negative influence of daily emotional dissonance on SWB and turnover intention.

Resilience Does Matter: A Meta-Analysis of Trait Resilience Outcomes in the Organizational Setting

Trait resilience is defined as assets or strengths helping resilient individuals to adapt in the face of adversity. In this study, I investigate the effect of trait resilience on work and life outc...

Cognitive mechanisms predicting resilient functioning in adolescence: Evidence from the CogBIAS longitudinal study.

Resilience is a dynamic process depicted by better than expected levels of functioning in response to significant adversity. This can be assessed statistically, by taking the residuals from a model of psychological functioning regressed onto negative life events. We report the first study to investigate multiple cognitive factors in relation to this depiction of resilient functioning. Life events, internalizing symptoms, and a range of cognitive risk and protective factors were assessed in a large sample of adolescents (N = 504) across three waves spaced 12-18 months apart. Adolescents who displayed fewer symptoms than expected, relative to negative life events, were considered more resilient. Adolescents who displayed more symptoms than expected, relative to negative life events, were considered less resilient. All cognitive factors were associated with resilient functioning to differing degrees. These included memory bias, interpretation bias, worry, rumination, self-esteem, and self-reported trait resilience. Regression models showed that memory bias was a key factor explaining unique variance in prospective resilient functioning. In a subsequent cross-lagged panel model, memory bias and resilient functioning were reinforcing mechanisms across time points, supporting cognitive models of emotional resilience. This study adds to the literature, by highlighting key cognitive mechanisms as potential intervention targets.

Gray matter volume differences between lower, average, and higher pain resilience subgroups.

Resilience refers to the capacity to function well despite adversity and facilitates adaptation to various stressors, including pain. Previous studies have operationalized resilience via questionnaires or task performance behaviors that do not always correlate with one another and tested extreme (lower vs. higher) resilience subgroup differences that do not permit the assessment of nonlinear associations between resilience and brain matter volume. To address these limitations, we identified high (HPR, N=21), moderate (MPR, N=20), and low (LPR, N=16) pain resilience subgroups from a trait resilience questionnaire as well as behavioral performance on a laboratory pain task. Subsequently, resilience subgroup differences in gray matter volume (GMV) and behavior responses to a novel numerical interference task (NIT) were assessed. Behavioral results indicated the LPR subgroup was slower in responding to NIT trials accompanied by pain compared to MPR, and especially, HPR subgroups. Voxel-based morphology analyses indicated the LPR subgroup had more GMV in the left postcentral gyrus than did MPR and HPR subgroups. LPR and MPR subgroups displayed larger GMV in the right inferior temporal gyrus than did the HPR subgroup. Nonlinear relations reflecting less regional GMV in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)/putamen, orbitofrontal cortex and left IFG/insula were also observed for the MPR subgroup compared to LPR and HPR subgroups. In sum, lower pain resilience is characterized, in part, by comparatively greater GMV in pain processing regions and reduced GMV in "resilience" regions, though regional GMV also has several nonlinear associations with resilience.

Trait resilience and mental health in older adults: A meta-analytic review.

This study aims to systematically review research on the association between resilience as a personality trait and mental health in older adults and to meta-analytically quantify this relation. We included studies assessing older adults (mean age 60years or older), measuring trait resilience with a version of the Resilience Scale (RS) by Wagnild and Young and mental health. We conducted a comprehensive search in Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, PubPsych, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Full Text database and the theses database of the German National Library for eligible studies. Study data on associations between resilience and mental health were aggregated using a random-effects model. Twenty-seven studies with 13444 participants were included. Trait resilience and mental health were strongly interrelated (r=0.40, 95% CI [0.36; 0.44]) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 =83%). Published studies revealed larger associations between resilience and mental health (r=0.41 [0.37; 0.45]) than unpublished studies (r=0.25 [0.11; 0.38]). Higher levels of resilience are associated with better mental health in older persons. Because associations were solely assessed cross-sectionally, longitudinal studies are highly needed to draw causal inferences. © 2020 The Authors Personality and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Associations between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Creative Thinking, and Trait Resilience among Chinese Adolescents Exposed to the Lushan Earthquake

AbstractTrauma has been shown to have a detrimental impact on individuals; however, it may also provide an opportunity for individual growth. The present study investigated the relationship between post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and creative thinking and examined the role of trait resilience as a potential moderator of the relationship. A longitudinal study was conducted 1.5 months after the Lushan earthquake (T1: June 2013), and 102 students who experienced the earthquake were surveyed. PTSS were measured at T1 (June 2013), trait resilience was measured at T2 (October 2013), and creative thinking was measured at T3 (April 2014). PTSS and trait resilience were measured by self‐reported questionnaires, and creative thinking was assessed by the Practical Creative Thinking Test. Overall, PTSS were negatively associated with creative thinking, and trait resilience moderated this relationship. Further analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between PTSS and creative thinking for individuals with high trait resilience. The current study highlights the moderating effect of trait resilience on the relationship between PTSS and creative thinking and identifies a positive association between PTSS and creative thinking among early adolescents with high trait resilience. Our findings suggest that increased creative thinking may be a manifestation of post‐traumatic growth in the cognitive process.

The Association Between Perceived Care From Family, School Staff, and Other Social Agents and an Adolescent’s Presentation of Empathy, Trait Resilience, and Psychological Strengths

The abilities to experience and understand another person’s feelings (empathy), to successfully cope with stress (resilience), and to harness personal skills (psychological strengths) are dynamic qualities that may be associated to an adolescent’s perception of care from others (i.e., family, friends, school staff, and significant others). Although the association of these different social sources have been studied independently, it has yet to be elucidated which of these sources is most highly associated to the presentation of these three qualities. For this study, high school students from a northern community completed a series of online questionnaires. A series of hierarchical regressions showed each source of care accounted for unique variance in the presentation of resilience and strengths, with perceived care from school staff and family accounting for the greatest variance, emphasizing the equal importance of examining the school and home environment. Further research is needed to understand how teachers and the school culture are associated with personal growth. Keywords: adolescent growth, resilience, psychological strengths, positive psychology, social support Les capacités de ressentir et de comprendre les sentiments d’autrui (l’empathie), de bien gérer le stress (la résilience) et d’exploiter ses compétences personnelles (forces psychologiques) sont des qualités dynamiques qui peuvent être associées à la perception qu’ont les adolescents des soins dispensés par les autres (c.-à-d., la famille, les amis, le personnel de l’école et l’être cher). Si l’association de ces différentes sources sociales a été étudiée indépendamment pour chacune d’elles, il reste à comprendre laquelle est la plus fortement liée aux trois qualités décrites ci-haut. Dans le cadre de cette étude, des élèves du secondaire provenant d’une communauté du nord ont complété une série de questionnaires en ligne. Une série de régressions hiérarchiques a démontré que chaque source de soins expliquait une variance unique dans la présentation de la résilience et des forces. Les soins perçus de la part du personnel de l’école et de la famille représentent la plus grande variance, ce qui souligne l’importance de se pencher tant sur le milieu scolaire que le milieu familial. Il faudrait mener des recherches plus poussées pour comprendre dans quelle mesure les enseignants et la culture scolaire sont associés à l’épanouissement personnel. Mots clés: croissance des adolescents; résilience; forces psychologiques; psychologie positive; soutien social

The Association Between Perceived Care From Family, School Staff, and Other Social Agents and an Adolescent’s Presentation of Empathy, Trait Resilience, and Psychological Strengths

The abilities to experience and understand another person’s feelings (empathy), to successfully cope with stress (resilience), and to harness personal skills (psychological strengths) are dynamic qualities that may be associated to an adolescent’s perception of care from others (i.e., family, friends, school staff, and significant others). Although the association of these different social sources have been studied independently, it has yet to be elucidated which of these sources is most highly associated to the presentation of these three qualities. For this study, high school students from a northern community completed a series of online questionnaires. A series of hierarchical regressions showed each source of care accounted for unique variance in the presentation of resilience and strengths, with perceived care from school staff and family accounting for the greatest variance, emphasizing the equal importance of examining the school and home environment. Further research is needed to understand how teachers and the school culture are associated with personal growth. Keywords: adolescent growth, resilience, psychological strengths, positive psychology, social support Les capacites de ressentir et de comprendre les sentiments d’autrui (l’empathie), de bien gerer le stress (la resilience) et d’exploiter ses competences personnelles (forces psychologiques) sont des qualites dynamiques qui peuvent etre associees a la perception qu’ont les adolescents des soins dispenses par les autres (c.-a-d., la famille, les amis, le personnel de l’ecole et l’etre cher). Si l’association de ces differentes sources sociales a ete etudiee independamment pour chacune d’elles, il reste a comprendre laquelle est la plus fortement liee aux trois qualites decrites ci-haut. Dans le cadre de cette etude, des eleves du secondaire provenant d’une communaute du nord ont complete une serie de questionnaires en ligne. Une serie de regressions hierarchiques a demontre que chaque source de soins expliquait une variance unique dans la presentation de la resilience et des forces. Les soins percus de la part du personnel de l’ecole et de la famille representent la plus grande variance, ce qui souligne l’importance de se pencher tant sur le milieu scolaire que le milieu familial. Il faudrait mener des recherches plus poussees pour comprendre dans quelle mesure les enseignants et la culture scolaire sont associes a l’epanouissement personnel. Mots cles: croissance des adolescents; resilience; forces psychologiques; psychologie positive; soutien social

Effects of age on trait resilience in a population-based cohort and two patient cohorts

ObjectiveWe examined (i) the mean-level stability and change of trait resilience with age in three cohorts from a single study (population-based controls, depression patients, cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients), (ii) associations of sociodemographic, personality, and other factors (sex, education, Big Five, childhood trauma, depressive symptoms) with trait resilience, and (iii) the intra-individual stability across repeated trait resilience self-assessments. Methods1544 participants from the BiDirect Study completed the Resilienzskala-11 (RS-11; German short version of the resilience scale 25) up to three times over about four years. The repeated-measures data were analyzed using linear mixed models, stratified by cohort. Outcome was the RS-11 score, the underlying time variable was age. All factors mentioned above were considered as fixed main effects. Bland-Altman plots assessed intra-individual stability of RS-11 scores. Results(i) In the population-based control cohort, there was no association between age and trait resilience (est.: −0.01; 95%-CI: −0.06, 0.04). There were modest positive associations in the patient cohorts (depression: est.: 0.08; 95%-CI: −0.01, 0.16; CVD: est.: 0.15; 95%-CI: 0.03, 0.26). (ii) For all cohorts, female sex, high education, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Big Five) were associated positively with trait resilience. Childhood trauma, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism were associated negatively with trait resilience. (iii) In all cohorts, the level of intra-individual stability was moderate. ConclusionWe found that trait resilience was rather stable across decades of age in all cohorts, albeit intra-individual self-assessments agreed only moderately. We confirmed previous findings regarding negative and positive associations of personality and sociodemographic factors with trait resilience.

Towards a Higher-Order Model of Resilience

Resilience theory often conceptualizes resilience as a higher-order construct that draws upon other constructs which individuals use to adapt when facing adverse circumstances. However, current research on resilience often reduces it to a single construct. The single construct approach poses the risk of missing the effects that the underlying resilience components may have on the adverse event or behavior under study. To address this discrepancy, the current study developed and tested a higher-order model of resilience with underlying components from a trait resilience perspective. Two samples were gathered from Mechanical Turk (n = 500) and undergraduate college students (n = 720) who completed measures of 8 constructs theorized to underlie resilience, and a previously validated measure of resilience. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, results suggested six constructs (purpose in life, self-esteem, life satisfaction, cognitive flexibility, proactive coping, and social support) comprise a higher-order model of resilience. Invariance testing showed acceptable model fit across the two samples, across genders, and across ethnicities, offering evidence of generalizability for the higher-order model. We found evidence for validity by correlating the higher-order factor in our sample with the already validated resilience measure. These findings provide support for a higher-order model of resilience with at least six underlying components. Future research could determine if the six components used to identify resilience have different effects based on the context within which they are studied, and other future studies should consider validating the higher-order model using additional underlying constructs and samples.

Investigating relationship between psychological trait resilience and forgiveness among internally displaced persons

AimIn general, conflict has many adverse effects on individuals’ lives. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between psychological trait resilience and forgiveness among internally displaced persons (IDPs).MethodThe sample consisted of 244 IDPs (111 males and 133 females) who have been exposed to various stressful situations. Age of participants ranged between 18 and 60 years (M = 32.63 years, SD = 8.18). Psychological Trait Resilience Scale and Enright Forgiveness Inventory were used through a cross-sectional study to collect data.ResultsThe results showed that IDPs reported low levels of resilience and forgiveness. The results also indicated that ecological resilience was positively related with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive forgiveness, while engineering resilience was positively related with emotional and cognitive forgiveness. Adaptive resilience was found to be positively related with emotional forgiveness. Regression analysis indicated that ecological resilience uniquely predicted emotional, behavioral, and cognitive forgiveness after controlling for demographic characteristics.ConclusionThese results suggest that higher levels of resilience are important for forgiveness among IDPs. Interventions aiming to enhance IDPs’ forgiveness should account for psychological trait resilience.

Measures of adult psychological resilience following early-life adversity: how congruent are different measures?

Psychological resilience - positive psychological adaptation in the context of adversity - is defined and measured in multiple ways across disciplines. However, little is known about whether definitions capture the same underlying construct and/or share similar correlates. This study examined the congruence of different resilience measures and associations with sociodemographic factors and body mass index (BMI), a key health indicator. In a cross-sectional sample of 1429 African American adults exposed to child maltreatment, we derived four resilience measures: a self-report scale assessing resiliency (perceived trait resilience); a binary variable defining resilience as low depression and posttraumatic stress (absence of distress); a binary variable defining resilience as low distress and high positive affect (absence of distress plus positive functioning); and a continuous variable reflecting individuals' deviation from distress levels predicted by maltreatment severity (relative resilience). Associations between resilience measures, sociodemographic factors, and BMI were assessed using correlations and regressions. Resilience measures were weakly-to-moderately correlated (0.27-0.69), though similarly patterned across sociodemographic factors. Women showed higher relative resilience, but lower perceived trait resilience than men. Only measures incorporating positive affect or resiliency perceptions were associated with BMI: individuals classified as resilient by absence of distress plus positive functioning had lower BMI than non-resilient (β = -2.10, p = 0.026), as did those with higher perceived trait resilience (β = -0.63, p = 0.046). Relatively low congruence between resilience measures suggests studies will yield divergent findings about predictors, prevalence, and consequences of resilience. Efforts to clearly define resilience are needed to better understand resilience and inform intervention and prevention efforts.

Psychological Predictors of Perceived Age and Chronic Pain Impact in Individuals With and Without Knee Osteoarthritis

Chronological age is a risk factor in chronic pain; however, aging research supports the premise that physical and psychological health may better predict perceived age. Given the lack of evidence on perceived age in the context of chronic pain, the current study presents novel findings about the relationship between perceived age, chronic pain impact, and psychological function in adults with and without knee osteoarthritis. This secondary analysis was part of an ongoing multisite observational cohort study to understand the progression of knee pain and disability. Community-dwelling adults (N=227) ages 45+ completed measures of trait resilience, trait positive and negative affect, pain catastrophizing, subjective perceptions of age, and the Graded Chronic Pain Scale. On average, participants reported feeling 10 years younger than their chronological age; however, this effect was attenuated in individuals reporting high-impact pain. Lower perceived age was associated with lower pain impact (low pain/low disability), while higher perceived age correlated with higher pain impact (high pain/high disability) and more adverse psychological effects. Using hierarchical linear regression, high-impact pain and positive affect emerged as statistically significant predictors of perceived age, whereas no differences were observed among trait resilience, negative affect, or pain catastrophizing. These findings highlight the importance of a biopsychosocial approach in understanding the intersection between psychological and physical factors associated with chronic pain. Addressing negative self-perceptions of aging, while simultaneously augmenting positive affect, through psychological therapies may mitigate pain and disability.

Self‐Compassion, Trait Resilience, and Trauma Exposure in Undergraduate Students

The authors investigated the relationship between self‐compassion and trait resilience and tested the potential moderating roles of these variables in the relationship between trauma exposure and general psychological distress in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 296). Results revealed a significant relationship between self‐compassion and trait resilience. Self‐compassion emerged as a significant moderator in this relationship, whereas trait resilience did not. Given high rates of trauma exposure in college student populations, implications for counseling are discussed.