Psychological Resilience and Personality in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Older Adults

Abstract

Objectives

Psychological resilience is the ability to cope with adversity and stressful situations, and it is considered a protective factor against cognitive impairment. This study compared resilience, personality, cognitive, and neuropsychological profiles of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and a comparison group without cognitive impairment. Moreover, we evaluated clinical and personality predictors of psychological resilience in both groups.

Design

Observational cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data were collected among outpatients followed up at the Memory Clinic of the Complex Operative Unit of Geriatric of the University Hospital “Federico II”, in Naples (Italy).

Participants

We enrolled 43 individuals with MCI and 70 older adults from the community.

Measurements

Participants completed neuropsychological and clinical assessments, the Resilience scale, and the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire.

Results

MCI scored significantly lower on psychological resilience and executive/attentional abilities, had more psychopathological symptoms, and scored higher on neuroticism, introversion, and psychoticism compared to the comparison group. In regression models, neuroticism was the only consistent predictor of psychological resilience across the MCI and comparison groups.

Conclusions

This study found lower resilience and a less adaptive personality profile in MCI. Neuroticism emerged as a key predictor of resilience, pointing to the importance of this personality trait for interventions aimed at enhancing resilience, mental health, and quality of life.