title: Balancing psychache and resilience in aging Holocaust survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychache can and does co-exist alongside resilience and coping amongst trauma survivors. This has been the center of the a-integrative theory of aging demonstrating an attitude to life based on cognitive and emotional dimensions. Aging of Holocaust survivors (HS) is especially difficult when focus is brought to the issue of integrating their life history. The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between psychache and resilience amongst aging HS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of HS and a matched comparison group recruited from the general population was carried out. All underwent a personal interview and endorsed quantifiable psychache and resilience scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We enrolled 214 elderly participants: 107 HS and 107 comparison participants. Mean age for the participants was 80.7± years; there were 101 women and 113 men in each group. Holocaust survivors did not differ in the level of resilience from comparisons (mean: 5.82 ± 0.68 vs. 5.88 ± 0.55, respectively). Psychache was significantly more intense in the HS group (F(8,205) = 2.21; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates the complex interplay between psychache and resilience. Aging HS still have to cope with high levels of psychache while realizing a life-long process of development through resilience.
authors: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors: Irit
authors: I
authors: Ohana
authors: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors: Hava
authors: H
authors: Golander
authors: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors: Yoram
authors: Y
authors: Barak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017767:Holocaust / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011581:Psychological Tests; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*