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Building Resilience For Youth With Mental Health Problems

Although resilience develops individually, it can also be supported with help by:

  • Assessing the factors causing stress in the individual
  • Adapting the person to his or her environment and changing life circumstances (e.g., moving)
  • Aiming at the prevention of problems
  • Promoting well-being
  • Creating a strong community (e.g., friends, community groups, family, etc.)
  • Focusing on positive emotions, thoughts, and behaviors
  • Improving a person's quality of life
  • Identifying and using available resources (e.g., family, community, school resources, etc.)
  • Reinforcing the person's abilities
  • Valuing cultural differences
  • Allowing young people to speak openly and honestly

For more information on how to support young people, visit Supporting Someone

References

DeRosier, M. E., Frank, E., Schwartz, V., & Leary, K. A. (2013). The potential role of resilience education for preventing mental health problems for college students. Psychiatric Annals43(12), 538-544.

Jourdan-Ionescu, C. (2014). Projective assessment of resilience. From Person to Society, 1087.

Jourdan-Ionescu, C., Ionescu, S., Bouteyre, E., Roth, M., Méthot, L., & Vasile, D. (2011). Résilience assistée et événements survenant au cours de l’enfance: maltraitance, maladie, divorce, décès des parents et troubles psychiatriques des parents. Traité de résilience assistée, Paris: PUF, 155-246.

Mayo Clinic. (2020, May 15). How to build resiliency. Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/resilience-training/in-depth/resilience/art-20046311

World Health Organization (2003) Mental health, resilience and inequalities. Geneva, World Health Organization (https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/99551/E92227.pdf).