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Resilience in older adults: the role of gender and social support in the transition to long-term careSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Freya Anastasia Molnar, Danijela Lahe ORCID..., Suzana Ko¹ir* ORCID...
University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts, Maribor, Slovenia

The transition of older adults to long-term care facilities presents significant psychosocial challenges. This study examines gender-specific resilience mechanisms that influence transitions, focusing on social support, family cohesion, spirituality, and coping strategies. The study aims to understand how these factors contribute to resilience in institutional settings, emphasising gender differences. A mixed-methods approach integrated quantitative data from the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and qualitative insights from interviews with ten residents from two long-term care facilities in Slovenia. Quantitative analysis of ten participants (five men and five women) included descriptive statistics and inferential tests, while qualitative data underwent thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that women demonstrated higher resilience levels (M = 3.63) than men (M = 3.10), primarily due to their reliance on social support and communal coping strategies. Men showed greater dependence on individual coping mechanisms, which led to social isolation and difficulties with adaptation. These findings highlight the importance of social engagement and emotional support in facilitating successful transitions to long-term care. Higher resilience levels were associated with smoother transitions and enhanced well-being. This study emphasises the importance of gender-sensitive interventions in long-term care facilities, advocating for personalised support strategies. Future research should focus on developing resilience-building programs tailored to the needs of older adults in institutional settings, emphasising social integration and adaptation strategies.

Keywords: Coping mechanisms; Gender differences; Long-term care; Resilience; Social support
Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: December 18, 2025; Revised: March 14, 2026; Accepted: April 10, 2026; Prepublished online: May 29, 2026 

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