Better Mental Health Linked to Resilience in Older Women After Hip Fracture

TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Fewer depressive symptoms and better mental health are associated with higher psychological resilience among older women after hip fracture, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in the Journal of Gerontology: Series A.

Taylor McClennen, from the University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine in Worchester, and colleagues identified factors associated with increased psychological resilience in older women after hip fracture in a study involving 129 women aged 65 years and older with recent surgically repaired hip fracture. Baseline resilience was measured using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and was categorized as low (BRS <4) or high (BRS ≥5).

Overall, 57 women (44 percent) reported high resilience. The researchers observed no significant associations for education or cognition with resilience. In adjusted models, a lower Geriatric Depression Score (GDS) and better Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Mental Health (PROMIS-GMH) scores were associated with high resilience. The adjusted odds ratio for high versus low resilience was 0.76 for every 1-point worsening in GDS. Positive mental health remained significantly associated with higher resilience in a model with GDS, PROMIS-GMH, and age (adjusted odds ratio, 1.34).

“Hip fracture recovery highlights the interplay between psychological and physical health, and the importance of managing both of these in order to improve meaningful outcomes,” the authors write. “Our findings provide additional reason[s] to screen for mental health in older adults recovering from surgery.”

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)