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Abstract
We know from anecdote and research, science and art, that human resilience is a powerful, seemingly ubiquitous force. What is needed is a better understanding of the properties, variations, and applications of that concept to health and well-being. In this paper we put forth two definitions of resilience: Sustainability of purpose in the face of stress, and recovery from adversity. We review current thinking in the social sciences on the nature of biological, psychological and socio-community processes that may confer resilience. In doing so, we encourage greater attention to aspects of biopsychosocial resourcefulness as a dimension of influence on health and mental health distinct from measures of risk found in standard models of public health inquiry. Multi-level, longitudinal, and intervention methods are advocated for research and applications of the concept with conceptual guidelines for the examination of laboratory, diary, and community indicator data on manifestations of resilience across the life span.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported in part by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R01 AG 026006), Alex. Zautra (PI), John Hall (Co-PI). In addition, the authors are grateful to St. Luke's Charitable Trust and the Arizona State University Office of the Vice President for Research for invaluable support of the RSG.
Notes
1. To develop specific answers to these questions, The Resilience Solutions Group of Arizona State University (www.asu.edu/resilience) has begun a comprehensive five-year study of residents of forty diverse ‘social worlds’ in greater Phoenix, Arizona. The results from that study and related research may provide empirical evidence to support a community resilience index and a menu of most effective options for building resilience in communities.