Autobiographical Memory Function as a Related Factor to Resilience of Older Adults

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to measure the autobiographical memory function (AMF) of community-dwelling older adults to analyze its association with reminiscence function and with resilience.

Methods: A survey was conducted on cognitively and psychologically healthy older adults aged 60 years and older living in the community. The Korean Version of Thinking About Life Experiences, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Reminiscence Functions Scale for the Elderly were used to measure AMF, resilience, and reminiscence function, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were conducted to examine the associations between variables.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 73.14 years (SD = 7.59) (n = 121). The mean score of AMF was 1.99 (SD = 0.72). AMF tended to decrease with age (p = .32). AMFs were positively associated with reminiscence functions (p < .001). After controlling for sociodemographic and health characteristics, AMF was positively associated with resilience (β = 0.229, p < .05). AMF explained 4.2% of the variance in resilience.

Conclusion: The study confirmed that AMF is a related factor to the resilience of older adults. Further studies are recommended to measure AMF with various samples, including older adults with depression and cognitive decline, and to analyze it’s association with health-related variables in order to support the advantage of AMF in older adults’ health.