title: [Resilience among the elderly cared for by the primary healthcare network in a city of northeast Brazil].
abstract: The objective of this study is to evaluate the capacity of resilience, self-esteem and social support among the elderly by means of an exploratory study. The convenience sample consisted of elderly users of the public healthcare network in Natal-RN, Brazil, who answered the questionnaire and the Resilience, Self-Esteem and Social Support Scales. Participants were 65 seniors, with a mean age of 71 years, 81% female, with poor socio-economic conditions. It was found that the elderly participants have resilient characteristics, positive self-esteem and social support perceived as satisfactory, despite their losses and decline due to aging. Furthermore, moderate and positive correlations were observed between resilience and self-esteem, because as one increased, the other also increased. Therefore, it appears that resilience, considered a resource that assists development, favors staying well through this critical period, as well as the protective factors, which are important health indicators.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, RN, Brasil. camomilapsi@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Camomila Lira
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Lúcia Maria Oliveira
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Eulália Maria Chaves
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Maia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires