Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges

Interdisciplinary perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID23312957
AuthorsSteven M Southwick (Yale University, corresponding author), George A Bonanno (0000-0002-8260-4435, New York University), Ann S Masten (0000-0003-2871-7508, University of Minnesota), C Panter-Brick (0000-0002-4635-2234, Jackson Memorial Hospital), Rachel Yehuda (0000-0001-8307-677X, Mount Sinai Hospital)
Year2014
Volume5
Issue1
Publication date2014-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2000-8066 • E-ISSN: 2000-8066
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338
PMID25317257
PMCIDPMC4185134
OpenAlexW2000653311
LanguageEN
Citations received565
References cited61

In this paper, inspired by the plenary panel at the 2013 meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dr. Steven Southwick (chair) and multidisciplinary panelists Drs. George Bonanno, Ann Masten, Catherine Panter-Brick, and Rachel Yehuda tackle some of the most pressing current questions in the field of resilience research including: (1) how do we define resilience, (2) what are the most important determinants of resilience, (3) how are new technologies informing the science of resilience, and (4) what are the most effective ways to enhance resilience? These multidisciplinary experts provide insight into these difficult questions, and although each of the panelists had a slightly different definition of resilience, most of the proposed definitions included a concept of healthy, adaptive, or integrated positive functioning over the passage of time in the aftermath of adversity. The panelists agreed that resilience is a complex construct and it may be defined differently in the context of individuals, families, organizations, societies, and cultures. With regard to the determinants of resilience, there was a consensus that the empirical study of this construct needs to be approached from a multiple level of analysis perspective that includes genetic, epigenetic, developmental, demographic, cultural, economic, and social variables. The empirical study of determinates of resilience will inform efforts made at fostering resilience, with the recognition that resilience may be enhanced on numerous levels (e.g., individual, family, community, culture).

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