The association of resilience, social connections, and internal locus of control with pain outcomes among older adults

•Among survey respondents with diagnosed pain conditions (osteoarthritis, back pain, or rheumatoid arthritis), the prevalence of moderate/severe pain was about 40%.•Those with high resilience, diverse social connections, or high internal locus of control reported lower levels of pain; additively, reported pain severity decreased as the number of counted resources increased from 0 to 3.•For those with moderate/severe pain, there was reduced opioid use among those with more resources; and, for those with mild/no pain, decreased medical/drug expenditures among those with ≥2 resources.•Interventions that integrate psychological resources by pain severity levels may enhance their effectiveness.