Skip to main content

What Is Resilience?

What Is Resilience?

Many people experience adversities during their lives (e.g., major disappointments, difficult living conditions, severe trauma). However, most of them manage to move beyond these events and conditions and overcome them to stay healthy and achieve their dreams. This ability is called resilience.

In general, people have fluctuating levels of resilience throughout their lives. Resilience is more or less strong at certain times in life and in particular circumstances. Some people have high levels of resilience, while others have lower levels. The good news is that resilience can be developed. That's what the Resilience + Kit is all about.

Resilience can help people maintain or regain balanced mental health, adapt to change, anticipate danger, protect their weaknesses, build on their strengths, and pursue their goals, among others.

Resilience is built in the interconnection between resources and risk and protective factors. The following sections discuss risk and protective factors. They should help you to better understand how resilience is built.

References

Cénat, J. M. (2018). Traumas et résilience. Leçons du tremblement de terre de 2010 en Haïti. Presses de l'Université Laval.

Anthony, E. J., Chiland, C., & Koupernik, C. (1982). L'enfant vulnérable. Puf.

National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. (2004). Risk and Resilience 101. Retrieved June 12, 2020, from http://www.promoteprevent.org/sites/www.promoteprevent.org/files/resources/Risk%20and%20Resilience.pdf

Prevention United. (2020, February 26). Risk and resilience. Retrieved June 12, 2020, from https://preventionunited.org.au/prevention-basics/risk-and-resilience/