Psychological Hardiness Among the Elderly : A Theoretical Approach in Light of Health Psychology

Abstract

Aging represents a developmental stage characterized by a set of psychological, social, and physical transformations that may impose new patterns of adaptation on the individual. With advancing age, the elderly may face a relative decline in physical abilities, the emergence of some chronic diseases, the loss of close people, a change in social and professional roles, in addition to the possibility of feeling isolated or decreased independence.

    In this context, psychological toughness emerges as one of the psychological resources that helps the individual confront pressures and deal with them in a more adaptive manner. Hardiness gains special importance in the field of health psychology because it is linked to how the individual perceives health pressures, his interpretation of illness and physical changes, and his ability to maintain psychological balance in the face of difficult circumstances. Research on older adults has shown that positive psychological characteristics, including health-related hardiness, are associated with better indicators of perceived health.