Sandra J. Winter

The aim of this study was to explore the association between resilience and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults. We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods study design to recruit older adults who spoke English and were 60 and above during the pandemic. Survey data investigated older adults’ resilience, post-traumatic growth, well-being, and demographics. Extreme case purposeful sampling of their resilience score was used to select interviewees. Qualitative data sought to understand the relationship between resilience and how older adults responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploring the relationship between resilience (well-being in the face of challenge) and one’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that participants categorized as having high resilience had long held behaviors of contemplative practices that helped them effectively adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to face global challenges, we must redefine care, guide interventions, and promote healthy aging by incorporating contemplative practices into the lives of older adults.

The morbidity and mortality experiences of people who are unhoused have been well-described, but much less is known about the overall well-being of these individuals. In this mixed methods study, housed and unhoused participants completed a multi-faceted 10 domain measure of well-being (the Stanford WELL Survey), and a subset of unhoused participants shared their experiences during qualitative interviews. Using propensity score matching, unhoused participants (n = 51) were matched at a ratio of 1:5 with housed participants (n = 255). The mean overall well-being score of the unhoused participants was significantly lower than that of the matched housed participants (B = −5.022, p = 0.013). Additionally, the two groups differed on some of the constituent domains of well-being, with unhoused participants reporting statistically significantly lower mean scores on social connectedness (B = −1.086, p = 0.000), lifestyle and daily practices (B = −1.219, p = 0.000), stress and resilience (B = −0.493, p = 0.023), experience of emotions (B = −0.632, p = 0.009), physical health (B = −0.944, p = 0.0001), and finances (B = −3.099, p = 0.000). The unhoused participants had a statistically significantly higher mean score for spirituality and religiosity (B = 2.401, p = 0.000) than their matched housed counterparts. The qualitative interviews further highlighted spirituality and religion as a coping mechanism for the unhoused. The results of this study highlight both unexpected strengths exhibited by the unhoused individuals and areas of challenge.

Increasingly the organizational environments in which we work can be characterized as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA). Equipping leaders to thrive in VUCA environments requires more than merely imparting a list of competencies that can be observed, described, and measured. Indeed, competency-based leadership training runs the risk of being insufficient, incongruous, idealized, fragmented, and unconsciously coercive. Rather than helping leaders develop the more elusive and subtle leadership qualities and attributes necessary to thrive in VUCA environments, competency-based training can leave them feeling inadequate, as if they do not ever quite measure up, and can fuel “imposter syndrome”. The Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) Mid-Career Leadership Institute provided training that was far more than competency based. It was broad enough to be relevant to fellows working in a variety of contexts and provided a framework directly applicable across settings. The training was multipronged and included: a 2 day in-person workshop designed to maximize active participation; intensive mentoring by both peers and senior members of SBM; three individual one-on-one executive coaching sessions with a professional career coach; and a leadership project in which we applied the knowledge gained during our training in our diverse organizational settings. The SBM Mid-Career Leadership Institute training increased my self-awareness about important leadership concepts, the executive coaching sessions helped me become more productive, and the relationships I built have helped me develop my professional network and deepen my connection with fellow scientists and practitioners. “Fake it till you make it” and feelings of insecurity and self-doubt have been replaced by authentic leadership.

Mobile and tablet apps, ubiquitous and pervasive computing, wearable computing and domotics for health.