Psychological Resilience and Cognitive Functioning in Black and White Men and Women

Abstract

Background and Objectives. Psychological resilience is associated with better physical and mental health, but little is known about its role in cognitive health from an intersectional perspective. This study aimed to assess the relationship between psychological resilience and cognitive function across subgroups of older non-Hispanic Black and White men and women while taking stress exposure into account. Research Design and Methods. A total of 453 participants (Black men = 87; Black women = 147; White men = 98; White women = 121) from the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project completed the Brief Resilience Scale and a neuropsychological battery. Analyses of variance were used to assess differences in psychological resilience across the intersection of gender and race. Linear regressions assessed relationships between psychological resilience and global cognition, controlling for sociodemographics and discrimination. Interaction terms and stratified regressions characterized these relationships across intersectional groups. Results. The level of psychological resilience did not differ across intersectional groups despite differences in stress exposure. Higher resilience was associated with better global cognition in the whole sample (β = 0.12, p = .002), but this association was found only among Black men (β = 0.40, p < .001). Discussion and Implications. Levels of resilience did not differ between Black and White older adults, despite disproportionate stress exposure among Black older adults. Links between psychological resilience and cognition may depend on stressors and resources that are differentially patterned across intersectional groups. Psychological resilience may be particularly important for cognitive health among Black men, who are frequently underrepresented in cognitive aging research.