Abstract

A sample of thirty-two older adult survivors of critical illness was first studied in 2012 using mixed methods. In 2017, all thirty-two participants were located for five-year follow-up. There were seventeen survivors; fifteen were able to participate in research interviews. By 2020, eleven of these fifteen participants survived. Participants who self-identified as religious or spiritual were more likely to survive. An illness response style that included healthy coping skills and regular religious practice was statistically correlated with survival. Comparing percentage survival from 2012 to 2020, all the participants who self-identified as Atheist in 2012 were deceased by 2018. This article explores the factors that contributed to participant survival including spiritual belief, religious practice, hypnagogic experiences, psychological agency and post-traumatic growth.