Resiliency and Optimism: An African American Senior Citizen’s Perspective

Abstract

A total of 52 African American senior citizens (aged 59-99 years) were asked to participate in a study examining psychological resources (ego resilience and dispositional optimism) and the experience of racial stress as a function of geographical location (north vs. south). This is an understudied population, and African American seniors who remain relatively active within their respected communities may provide useful information regarding these psychological constructs in particular and successful aging in general. Participants completed the ego resilience, optimism, stress, and distress surveys. When collapsed across geographical location, resilience was negatively correlated with distress and positively correlated with optimism. Dispositional optimism was negatively correlated with levels of psychological distress. African American seniors who resided in the north reported significantly less distress than those in the south. Findings support resiliency and optimism as stress buffers for older African Americans.