This article describes the results of research study that investigated the relationship between life satisfaction and three primary protective factors—la adaptabilidad, la sabiduría, and pariente—that contribute to family resilience for Mexican American elderly who are experiencing self-reported anxiety. A sample of 135 Mexican Americans aged 65 and older were administered measures to assess self-reported anxiety, life satisfaction, and the three protective factors. Of these, 60 met the cutoff criteria for high anxiety and either high or low life satisfaction and were included in the final analyses. A significant positive relationship was found between higher perceptions of the protective factors la sabiduría and pariente and high life satisfaction. No significant relationship was found between la adaptabilidad and life satisfaction. These results provide support for a position asserting that the degree to which elderly Mexican Americans’ perceive their families to possess certain protective qualities may provide a competence-based focus for mediating adaptation in the presence of self-reported anxiety.
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