Adaptability and Resilience in Aging Adults-2

Summary

Participation Requirements

Description

Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting over 100 million people in the United States and resulting in tremendous health care costs and psychological burden. Older adults are disproportionately impacted by pain, with an estimated 60-70% of people over the age of 65 reportin...

Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting over 100 million people in the United States and resulting in tremendous health care costs and psychological burden. Older adults are disproportionately impacted by pain, with an estimated 60-70% of people over the age of 65 reporting persistent pain. Despite this, pain management is frequently suboptimal among older adults as pharmacological therapies show limited clinical efficacy and a greater risk of adverse effects, and nonpharmacological (e.g., psychological) treatments are often underutilized. Resilience is conceptualized as adaptive functioning in the face of adversity and comprises a range of psychological, social, and physical resources. Increasing evidence suggests that modifiable resilience factors are associated with more favorable pain outcomes, including lower clinical pain/disability, higher quality of life, and enhanced psychological and physical functioning. Although cross-sectional research supports the significance of these resilience factors in pain adaptation, and positive psychological therapies have been shown to yield improvements in health and well-being, strategies to augment resilience are understudied in individuals with chronic pain. Using a Stage Model approach,the aim of this project is to conduct a Stage I pilot study and examine the feasibility and acceptability of a resilience intervention for chronic low back pain among older adults. Intervention modules will specifically engage hope, self-efficacy, positive affect, and pain acceptance.

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