title: Navigating hardships in old age: exploring the relationship between spirituality and resilience in later life.
abstract: Research suggests that spirituality is important to a large percentage of the older adult population and serves as a promoter of healthy aging. In this qualitative research I conducted and analyzed multiple interviews with 6 women aged 80 and older. Using multiple in-depth interviews I explored the interplay between spirituality and resilience over the life course. A grounded theory analysis of the 30 interviews was performed. The major finding is that participants used their spirituality as a tool to promote and maintain resilience in later life. I present the results as an interpretation of the participants' perceptions of their spirituality, and indicate their reliance on spirituality to overcome hardship over the life course. In addition, I discuss the connections between spirituality and resilience. The roles these two constructs play in the lives of older adults are considered.
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. lydia.manning@duke.edu
authors.forename: Lydia K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D029181:Spirituality