Psychological resilience, cognitive function, and positive/negative affect: a longitudinal mediation study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Psychological resilience has been consistently associated with better cognitive function in older adults, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study examined whether positive and negative affect mediate the association between resilience and cognition using longitudinal data from older Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were drawn from six waves (2010/2012, 2014/2016, and 2018/2020) of the Health and Retirement Study. A total of 8,296 adults aged 65 years and older were included at baseline. Cognitive function was assessed using the 35-point Telephone Interview Cognitive Screen, and psychological resilience was measured with a previously established simplified resilience score. Short-term health transition and long-term health trajectory models were first used to distinguish resilience from affect, followed by parallel mediation analyses. RESULTS: Psychological resilience and positive affect emerged as distinct constructs. Higher resilience was associated with greater positive affect and lower negative affect. Both positive and negative affect significantly mediated the relationship between earlier resilience and later cognitive function. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that affective processes could explain how psychological resilience contributes to cognitive health in later life, highlighting potential pathways for interventions aimed at maintaining cognitive function among older adults.