A Lifecourse Model of Multimorbidity Resilience

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to advance a Lifecourse Model of Multimorbidity Resilience. It focuses on the ways in which individuals face adversities associated with multimorbidity and regain a sense of wellness through a complex, dynamic phenomenon termed resilience. A comprehensive review of 112 publications (between 1995 and 2015) was conducted using several comprehensive electronic data bases. Two independent researchers extracted and synthesized resilience literature with specific applications to chronic illness. The article outlines five stages of theoretical development of resilience, synthesizes these with the aging and chronic illness literature, builds a rationale for a lifecourse approach to resilience, and applies the model to multimorbidity. Cultivating and maintaining resilience is fundamental to functioning and quality of life for those with multimorbidity. We found that there are a number of gaps in both basic and applied research that need to be filled to advance knowledge and practice based on resilience approaches.