A longitudinal analysis of functional, social and psychological multimorbidity resilience and aging

Multimorbidity is the condition under which an individual has been diagnosed with two or more concurrent chronic diseases, which afflicts approximately two-thirds of the 65 and older population of Canada. This research will address why some older individuals adapt to the adversity associated with the presence of multimorbidity better than others, termed multimorbidity resilience. Specifically, we will explore three types: 1) functional resilience – focusing on physical disability and daily living functioning; 2) social resilience – focusing on social isolation and community participation; and 3) psychological resilience – focusing on psychological distress, depression and life satisfaction (positive). Prior research using the CLSA Baseline data has developed a multimorbidity resilience index and assessed validity properties with positive results and associations with health behaviours. The present work will extend this research using longitudinal data analyses.