The primary objective of this 18-month study is an examination of the relationship of psychological hardiness to mental health among elders living in residentially diverse settings. An existential theoretical perspective will be used to examine research questions and hypotheses about the relationship of psychological hardiness to positive well-being, anxiety, and depressive symptomatology among elders who differ by race, gender, and residence. Cross-sectional survey data will be examined from 500 older persons representing diverse residential setting in Kentucky, a state that reports approximately one half of its population as rural. ACS-Query, a computer assisted telephone interviewing monitor system, will be used to insure appropriate quotas of persons 65 years of age and older by gender and race across a continuum of residential settings.
Specific aims are to: (1) provide preliminary data on the relationship of psychological hardiness to older adult mental health; (2) examine levels of psychological hardiness among elders residing in a variety of residential settings; (3) examine gender and racial differences in the levels of psychological hardiness among residentially diverse elders; (4) examine residential, gender, and racial differences in the relationship of psychological hardiness to multiple aspects of older adult mental health, including anxiety, positive well-being, and depressive symptomatology; and (5) compare the replicability of psychological hardiness scales in order to examine the appropriateness of hardiness measures among elders. A variety of statistical techniques, including analysis of variance, path analysis, structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis will be used to examine specific study objectives. The study of psychological hardiness and its relationship to mental health is important for two reasons. First, hardiness continues to receive limited attention, particularly as a construct of interest with respect to aging populations. Relatively little is known about levels of psychological hardiness among elders. Second, the study will examine the relationship of psychological hardiness to aspects of mental health among elders living in a variety of settings. The study will contribute to the gerontological and mental health literature by: (1) examining levels of psychological hardiness among elders of different racial, gender, and residential groups; (2) providing information about the relationship of psychological hardiness to aspects of mental health across diverse subgroups of elders; and (3) providing information about the measurement properties of hardiness scales among diverse older adults.
