This work represents a psycho-gerontological investigation that simultaneously
addresses how lifestyles, economic resources, health and psychological factors affect the subjective well-being of older people. It is hypothesised in this work that a) psychological resources central to the self play an important role in the regulation of subjective well-being by providing a sense of psychological resilience in older age, b) the maintenance of subjective well-being may be supported through the effects of psychological resilience as an 'interpretive link', and c) resilience may protect against factors associated with ageing that may be detrimental to the subjective well-being of an older person.
Multivariate modelling techniques were used to analyse previously unexplored
survey data drawn from a representative population sample of older people aged 50-90 in England, Wales and Scotland (N=l847). Although there are differential effects for the relationships across the age groups, it can be concluded that:
• Good health, adequate material resources and social support, few problems with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and participation in activities
(volunteering and outdoor leisure) were important for both resilience and life
satisfaction between the ages of 50-90.
• Mediation analyses implied that in some instances, resilience was a mechanism
linking good health, adequate material resources and social support, few
problems with IADL and participation in outdoor activities on the one hand with
life satisfaction on the other.
• Moderation analyses demonstrated that a high sense of resilience was associated with the maintenance of life satisfaction into the seventieth decade when levels of material resources, IADL and health were poor.
• In terms of the oldest age group, volunteering was a particularly important
source of well-being, as were few problems with IADL.
The research contributes new ideas to the quality of life literature. It furthers the
theoretical understanding of how well-being is developed and maintained in older age, and the role played by psychological resilience. The findings also have
implications for policy and practice. As the consequence of either societal
opportunities or constraints, the key factors examined in this research are amenable to influence by government action.