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Throughout our lifetimes, human beings experience varying degrees of trauma, loss or adversity. In the face of these challenges, most individuals show a remarkable capacity to ‘bounce back’ and rise above the difficulties. This ability is called resilience.
Resilience is defined as 'the ability to overcome serious hardships' (Public Health Wales, 2018). It is characterised by an ability to cope with, and adapt to, difficult life circumstances. Our resilience is influenced by multiple factors – some are internal (e.g. personality traits), others are external (e.g. social; circumstances).
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The word 'resilience' describes the capacity of something or an individual to ‘bounce back’ from stressors. A material’s resilience is indicated by its elasticity. Physical resilience is indicated by an ability to recover from illness and injury. Institutional resilience can be indicated by its ability to recover from financial stress (Levine, 2003).
Resilience is like the elasticity of a rubber band. A strong rubber band can withstand being pulled and wrapped around different objects to hold them together. It is very resilient to being stretched and changed. When an elastic band loses its elasticity and is put under stress (pulled and stretched), it is less resilient and more often than not, the band breaks.
In this section, resilience refers to emotional resilience, characterised by an individuals’ capacity to cope with, and adapt to, difficult circumstances or adversity.
Being resilient does not mean to never experience emotional distress or challenging times. In fact, resilience becomes most apparent during significant challenges. When researchers began studying the concept of resilience, they looked to children who had experienced multiple difficulties in their lives, such as poverty, bullying or neglect. Some children appeared to have an ability to carry on with great success, developing fulfilling lives despite their childhood difficulties (Southwick et al, 2014).
Resilience is a characteristic that everyone has to some degree. It is characterised by:
All of these characteristics can be developed further throughout individuals’ lives, boosting their resilience as a result (Southwick et al, 2014; APA: http://www.apa.org./helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx).
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Resilience and well-being (see 'How to understand growth mind-set' for a definition of well-being) are closely interlinked, both being partially defined as an ability to cope with challenges. Emotional resilience is sometimes used in research as an indicator of well-being, meaning that high emotional resilience scores indicate high levels of well-being.
Conversely, poor emotional resilience has been associated with common mental health difficulties, such as depression and anxiety. Individuals with low levels of resilience may find it difficult to cope with difficult life circumstances which can have further negative effects on mental health and well-being (Denny et al, 2010).
Strategies for enhancing resilience are often closely related to promoting those factors which also enhance well-being, such as positive social connections (Levine, 2003). In this way, enhancing resilience can contribute to improving overall well-being.
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The factors that impact resilience can be roughly divided into two categories – internal and external factors.
Internal factors include characteristics that are unique to the individual, regardless of the external circumstances. These could be personality, genetics, as well as beliefs and values (Stein et al, 2009). There are many positive internal factors that we can develop further in ourselves, including (Reyes & Elias, 2011):
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External factors can include social and economic circumstances that surround the individual, including their social and physical environment. External risk factors can include traumatic events, such as witnessing a terrorist attack or mass act of violence (Tucker at al, 2007). These external factors are particularly influential during childhood (Southwick, et al, 2014).
Even the most resilient individual can experience a traumatic event that threatens their resilience. For this reason, understanding and building protective factors into everyday life can strengthen resilience, even in the face of great tragedy.
Drag the statements into the positive or negative factors columns.
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Rosina is from Albania but is now seeking to be a refugee in Newport, South Wales. At 18 years old, she was promised a better life in Europe. She was asked by family friend, Ensa, whether she would like to go to the UK to work in hotels. She was told she would earn good money and have a better life there. Compared to her life in Albania, where she lived in poverty and there was a risk of war, the UK sounded like a safe and prosperous place.
She decided she would go but didn't want to tell her mother and father. Her father was very strict and had beaten her mother numerous times, something she had witnessed as a child. Her mother however, was very kind and loving. She had been a good mother and had helped Rosina to get an education at school. She thought it would break her mother’s heart if she told her she was leaving. Rosina planned that once she was in the UK, she would send money back home and help her mother and younger brother.
Rosina left the country one night with Ensa, in the hope of a better future. As soon as they arrived in the UK, Ensa forced Rosina into sexual prostitution. Rosina was frightened. She felt trapped, alone, abandoned and betrayed. However, determined to escape one day, she practised her English. She felt ashamed of her decision to leave home and missed her mother and brother terribly. She would spend many hours crying. A year later, Rosina found out that she was pregnant. Ensa threw her out and she was now homeless, alone and expecting a child. She was desperate.
Rosina was determined not to give up, she worked hard at finding a solution to her problems and applied for asylum. She was thankful she was learning English and for her previous education in Albania. She was also thankful for the internal strength her mother had given her, even though she didn’t have any contact with her.
After the birth of her baby boy, Rosina was granted asylum and started to build a life in Wales. She attended an ESOL class (English as a second language) with a local charity and started to make friends at a drop-in centre at the local church. Here, she also got food and clothes for herself and the baby. She did not contact her family, as she felt ashamed and guilty for her decision to leave Albania. Rosina was also now a mother herself and she would have been looked down on in her own country, so she stayed in Wales and made a life for herself, hoping one day that she could see her mother again and introduce her to her grandson.
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For further study: Consider looking at 'Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs' in relation to this case study. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
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Research shows us that resilience can moderate (help) an individual’s ability to cope with some of the difficult things that might have happened as a child (adverse childhood experiences: ACE's).
Public Health Wales (2018) undertook a large study to see what things helped individuals be more resilient.
https://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/888/ACE & Resilience Report (Eng_final2).pdf
An example of a practical resilient activity for a child is being part of a sports team.
Children and adults can build resilience by:
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Everyone has a unique set of internal resources that can be drawn upon and build on to increase resilience.
Studies show that struggling through difficulties alone does not enhance resilience. Being part of a community, or even just a supportive friendship, offers a resource that we can draw on during challenging times.
Resilient individuals are more likely to accept an extended helping hand when they need it, recognising the support and resources available to them (Reyes & Elias, 2011).
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Five finger hand outline – on each finger, write a relationship you have that you can draw upon during times of stress, difficulty or simply to feel connected.
These relationships can range from those you have with family members (mother, father, brother etc.) to those you have within the wider community (counsellor, class friend etc.)
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Changing the locus of control from external to internal is related to high levels of resilience. Having a strong locus of control enables individuals to experience potentially traumatic events as opportunities for growth and personal development. When receiving criticism, it can be viewed as an opportunity for growth, learning and improvement. When setbacks happen, they can be used as opportunities to re-evaluate goals and better use strengths. In this way, the locus of control is taken on by the individual, providing a more proactive and optimistic response to adversity (Southwick, et al, 2014).
Drag the thought patterns into the internal or external locus of control columns.
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Altruism; doing good for others without expecting returns, has been shown to enhance resilience. Many individuals know at least one individual who, despite experiencing a debilitating illness or trauma, has focused their attention on helping others. Often, such resilient individuals use their tragic experiences to aid them in understanding and helping others who experience similar tragedies. By creating opportunities for altruism, resilience can be built, whilst also helping others along the way (Levine, 2003).
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Corrie ten Boom and her family hid Jews during the Second World War in the Netherlands. Eventually the whole family were arrested and sent to concentration camps. Only Corrie survived, having watched her sister die slowly in front of her in the appalling conditions of the camp. When the war was over she was able to encourage others all over the world with her story.
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Elizabeth Elliot and her husband Jim were Christian missionaries who travelled to Ecuador to meet with the Huaorani tribe. When their daughter was just 9 months old, the tribe they went to meet, murdered Jim and his team with spears. A year later, Elizabeth went back to the same tribe and spent many years with them helping and supporting them.
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Research an individual from any time period in history who has experienced personal tragedies and overcame their struggles by working towards an altruistic goal.
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Taking an audit of the assets and resources in local areas can help identify the sources of support, information and enjoyment that will come in handy when setbacks happen. When doing this, taking stock of the resources available before they are needed, is part of building resilience to potential challenges. This might mean finding local spots to relax and reflect in peace or it might mean finding local support and emergency services. For some, this might simply be thinking about who we can turn to if challenges arise. (APA: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx)
Research what assets and resources are available in your local area then drag the relevant pin to the correct location.
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It can be difficult to stay resilient when there is a feeling that most of what is done is meaningless. Everyone will have some mundane aspect in their lives, some repetition that makes individuals wonder why they are doing the entire enterprise at all. Experiencing that for a long time can negatively affect resilience.
It can be helpful to think carefully about goals and how they reflect individuals’ values and beliefs. Speaking and acting according to values, as much as possible, helps maintain motivation, finding purpose and meaning in day-to-day life (Levine, 2003).
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Three goals:
Three values: