Navigating Adversity After Natural Disasters: Community Resilience and Coping Among Older Adults

In the wake of disasters, resilience becomes a vital determinant of how individuals and communities adapt to adversity. This thesis explores resilience through a systemic lens, recognizing it not as a fixed trait but as a dynamic, multi-level process shaped by interactions among individuals, social networks, and broader environmental and institutional systems. Focusing on older adults, a population uniquely positioned within both vulnerability and adaptive capacity, the study examines how personal coping mechanisms interface with community structures to support recovery. Grounded in Systems theory, the research draws on four major models: Trajectory-Based Individual Differences Model of Resilience, Disaster Resilience of Place (DROP) Model, the Systemic Resilience Model (SyRes), and the Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR). These models collectively highlight how resilience emerges from the interplay of internal capacities, relational supports, and external socio-ecological resources. Special attention is paid to coping strategies such as emotional regulation, spirituality, meaning-making, and community engagement, all of which are embedded within, and influenced by, larger systems of meaning and support. By adopting a systemic approach, this thesis positions resilience as both an individual and collective phenomenon. It argues for a holistic framework of disaster recovery that not only supports personal adaptation but also strengthens the structural and relational systems that enable communities to withstand and transform in the face of adversity. This integrated perspective offers valuable insights for disaster response policy, mental health interventions, and age-inclusive resilience planning.