The book Resilience and Mental Health: Challenges Across the Lifespan has been edited by Southwick and his colleagues Litz, Charney, and Friedman. It is an exploration of how an individual develops resilience especially when faced with trauma, loss, crises, and adversity. The book builds on and cites current research to investigate what makes individuals, families, and communities to adapt to extremely traumatic events. The text is critical for mental health professionals and critical thinkers as it gives a better understanding of resilience. The book has been divided into various sections and chapters, each detailing and exploring resilience in different facets. This paper is a book report divided into weekly sections, from week 1 through 6, that covers chapter summaries and synthesizes material to give a better understanding of resilience.
Week 1 Section 1, Part A Chapters 1-3
Section 1 of the book is titled “Pathways to resilience”, and is divided into six chapters. Part A covers chapters 1-3. Authored by Feder, Charney, and Collins, chapter 1 is titled “Neurobiology of resilience”. The chapter begins with the definition of resilience. Citing from previously done studies, resilience is defined as the ability to adapt and thrive regardless of adversity. A good example is when a survivor of a hurricane rebuilds her home to help revitalize her community. Most of the scientists and researchers in the past have focused on behavioral measures to identify and determine the traits of resilience. With the progresses and innovations in neuroscience, scientists are increasingly using biological measures to determine people’s resilience. Therefore, this part is primarily concerned with the physical health of a client and how it impacts emotional well-being and consequently resilience.
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Physiological states of the body must be well preserved for survival of humans. Variables such as osmolarity, PH, temperature, and oxygen levels are maintained through the process of homeostasis. There are other parameters that could disturb homeostasis, described by the term allostasis. Therefore, when there is any allostatic deviation, it takes a toll on the body. Depending on the extent to the severity load, the brain is less or more resilient.
Physical health of an individual significantly impacts their emotional health. When a client has physical health problems, they are at a higher risk for developing mental health problems and consequently emotional unwellness. The cortisol part of the body is responsible for increase on blood pressure, glucose, and memory formation, but suppresses growth, reproduction, and immune processes. Excessive exposure to cortisol increases physical health problems such as hypertension, obesity, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular illnesses. Consequently, the allostatic load deviates resulting in mental health problems including anxiety, post-traumatic disorder, and major depressive disorder.
The efficiency of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) predicts the degree of resilience. Rather, when the HPA is successfully activated when triggered by a threat and subsequently deactivates when the danger has passed, this shows its adaptivity and essential role it plays in promoting physical and mental health. Furthermore, the HPA axis is associated with both physiological and physical illness or wellness. Therefore, any factors that regulate the HPA, will consequently impact on resilience phenotypes. Also, monoamines which include norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine are implicated with emotional regulation. Located in the dorsal wall of pons on the floor of the fourth ventricle, norepinephrine plays a key role in emotional regulation. When provoked by stressing situations, the HPA axis gets exited resulting in arousal and relay of averse emotional memories. Hyperactivity for norepinephrine results in mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and intrusive memories, all of which negatively impact an individual’s emotional health. Factors that prevent hyperactivity of the norepinephrine system are likely to enhance resilience. Dopamine, for example would reduce the duration of norepinephrine activation and consequently increase resilience. Serotonin regulates anxiety, fear, aggression, impulse control, and mood hence boosting an individual’s resilience. Dopamine neuron activity depends on receiving rewards from food, sex, and social interaction. Stress reduces sensitivity to rewards and this implicates in vulnerability to developing anxiety and other mental health problems.
The first chapter of the book concludes with psychological processes and how they enhance resilience. Examples of psychological processes include optimism, active coping, positive emotions, social support, and prosocial behavior. Positive emotions reduce the activity of the HPA and facilitates recovery from negativity-induced stressors. Emotions that enhance resilience include humor, reappraisal, and making meaning with one’s life. In addition to these positive emotions, the kind of social interactions one has can constrain or promote resilience. Overall, the chapter has relied on allostatic framework to make the readers understand resilience and explore the neurobiological substrates. Furthermore, the neural system is involved in fear, emotional regulation and social behavior; all of which determine the degree of resilience.
The second chapter titled “Resilience in the face of stress: emotion as a protective factor”, covers and deeply examines the topics of stress, mental health, and emotional regulation. Admittedly, everyone has experienced stress at one point in their lives. Exposure to stress is linked to impaired mental health outcomes such as depression. However, people react differently depending on their levels of resilience. This variance depends on endogenous factors that serve as protective factors. Some frameworks have been developed to help explain the protective factors. One such framework is the appraisal theory and the role it plays in cognitive emotion regulation. The core point for the theory is based on the rationale that the way an individual evaluates an event determines their emotional reaction. Therefore, an individual’s subjective appraisal of an event will cause them to react in a particular manner. With appraisals being the center of emotion generation, cognitive emotion regulation has been used to alter the appraisal of an event and subsequently the duration and intensity.
Strategies that can be used for cognitive emotional regulation include attention control and cognitive reappraisal. Attention control focusses on selectively attending to certain stimuli, consequently changing emotional states of individuals. On the other hand, cognitive reappraisal entails reframing a situation to alter the emotional impact. For example, in a stressful situation, cognitive reappraisal can be altered to a more positive interpretation of the event. Of the two strategies, the ability to change appraisals determines an individual’s resilience. However, the two strategies are linked, implying that in an event where one is used, there is a likelihood of using the other.
Concerning the strategy of attention control and resilience, the authors have borrowed from empirical researches in the past which have also confirmed that the ability to selectively distract oneself from negative stimuli plays a protective role against long-term negative consequences. Previous studies conducted for depressive individual reveal that their ability to get distracted from their ruminative thoughts helps attenuate any negative emotions and feelings. Although there are positive outcomes, they wear off with time, implying that they are beneficial for a short term. Therefore, some studies have empirically found out that rumination- repetitive focus an individual and their negative emotions and consequences could result in positive outcome. Others have refuted these findings because rumination has been associated with high levels of anxiety and post-trauma stress. Overall, when people focus attention on their negative emotions, there is less likelihood of building resilience. Collectively these findings reveal that there is an effect between attention control and mental health outcomes. Consequently, selective attention control may enhance resilience in stressful events and situations.
Contrastingly, cognitive reappraisal occurs after initial reappraisal and involves reframing a negative situation more positively to decrease the feelings and negative effects of negative emotions. Empirical findings from previously conducted studies reveal that cognitive reappraisal is effective in altering the brain activation that is associated with emotion. When CR is used to reduce negative emotions, individuals will experience positive outcomes and increased resilience. Collectively, these findings reveal that those who use CR attenuates negative emotions, consequently increasing the likelihood of resilience. Furthermore, the CR strategy improves individual’s well-being when they are faced with high stress. The chapter concludes acknowledging that the use of the two strategies plays a protective role against negative developments in the context of stress. The ability to effectively use these cognitive emotion regulation strategies helps manage negative emotions and consequently build resilience.
Chapter three titled, “Cognitive factors and resilience: how self-efficacy contributes to coping with adversities”, targets the role of self-regulation cognition in relation with resilience. Primarily, the chapter focusses on contemporary cognitive factors critical for resilience. These include social cognitive theory, environmental factors, and social efficacy. Usually, cognitive approaches target individual appraisals of either failure or success in reaching important goals and consequently leading to cognitive adjustment through feedback. One of the possible trajectories is resilience. Coined by Bandura, the social cognitive theory reveals that future behavior can be predicted through interactions with human beings and the environment. Therefore, by conducting self-evaluation, individuals determine their successes and failures and consequently alter their behaviors and cognitions. Based on these actions there is a likelihood for positive outcomes in resilience.
In this self-regulatory dynamic, a key construct between an individual and the environment is self-efficacy. It is considered a part of the self-evaluation cognitive process and refers to the perceived capability to enact a particular behavior. In the context of severe adversity and traumatic events, self-efficacy helps in the recovery process and boosts resilience. Individuals develop self-efficacy through interactive feedback with either success or failure as people strive towards achieving goals that they deem necessary. Therefore, self-efficacy perceptions serve as both predictive behaviors and cognitive factors that influence stress response and outcomes following traumatic events. Previously done studies reveal that self-perceptions of coping capabilities among individuals are essential to consider as it provides an internal sense of self control that boosts motivation to respond to ingoing demands and consequently promote resilience.
The authors also reveal that personality traits are regarded essential in determining how people cope with traumatic events and adversity. Furthermore, personality traits and self-efficacy are correlated. Individuals who have resilient personalities in the five traits including agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism, and extraversion are likely to be less stressful as they have high self-efficacy capabilities to cope wit traumatic and adverse events. As the chapter concludes, the authors point out that there are several challenges associated with cognitive approaches and findings for resilience. One such is that resilience cannot be separated from self-regulatory mechanisms. Another challenge stems from the rationale that these studies have not detailed longitudinal and experimental factors as testing aspects in their studies Therefore, future research should be based on multiple theoretical approaches that determine how resilience would be boosted in the use of self-regulatory approaches such as self-efficacy in managing different environmental demands from traumatic and adverse events.
In conclusion, week 1, section one that covers chapters one to three of the book gives a detailed analysis of resilience and how it impacts emotional health. When the physical health of a client is impacted by stress, the various systems of the body become hyperactive resulting in health issues such as anxiety and depression. Consequently, resilience becomes low and it becomes difficult to cope with trauma and adverse events. Therefore, people should be physically well to boost resilience and subsequently enhance their emotional wellness.
Week 2 Section 1 Part B Chapters 4-6
This section primarily focusses on personality factors, societal ties, and spirituality and religion in relation to resilience. Chapter four of the book is titled “Personality factors in resilience to traumatic stress” and is authored by Mark Miller and Kelly Harrington. The chapter opens with the acknowledgment of the limited existing literature on personality factors involved in resilience to traumatic stress and loss. The authors group these studies into pre-trauma and post-trauma prospective studies. These studies reveal the different personality factors and traits and how they help in building resilience. One of the critical traits highlighted is hardiness. At its core, hardiness refers to the personality characteristics that offer resilience during stressful life events. Hardiness is considered a combination of commitment, control, and challenge facets. Therefore, hardiness builds resilience in that individuals perceive challenging situation as interesting opportunities for growth. It has significant impact on mental and physical health and therefore predicts how individuals are likely to adapt to stress. Further, hardiness has been linked to dimensions of personality and consequently used to determine how individuals deal with trauma and loss.
One of the personality traits that has been linked with high resilience is extraversion and positive emotionality. Positive emotional well-being- characterized by optimism, hopefulness, cheerfulness, interest and engagement in one’s activities, and social closeness are essential moderators in adjusting to trauma and increasing one’s resilience. Also, personality and resilience are linked by other factors and mediators including conditionability, social support, and the coping style. Coping style refers to cognitions that individuals use to reduce stress. An individual’s coping style are consistent over time and are predictable by personality traits. Individuals who have better coping mechanisms boost their resilience and stand a better chance of coping with post-traumatic stress. Also, the book reveals that social support plays a key role in mitigating negative impacts of stress on mental well-being. Furthermore, it boosts one’s ability to cope with exposure to loss and traumatic events. Future investigators should examine how these constructs reflect personality traits and their relation to increasing resilience in the face of trauma and adverse life events.
The fifth chapter, titled “Social ties and resilience in chronic disease” primarily focuses on resilience as it pertains adjustment to chronic illnesses. When an individual is stressed as a result of chronic diseases, social ties play a pivotal role in promoting resilience. Diagnosis with chronic illnesses can result in vulnerability in physical and physiological adversity. Social ties are therefore, essential in as they influence behavior associated with diet, exercise, and adherence to medication. The authors reveal that social relationships are characterized by social support and social integration. Though used interchangeably, these terms have different meanings. Social support refers to provision of materials crucial for benefiting the ability of an individual to cope with stress. It is enables by support resources that can either be informational, instrumental, or emotional. Social support is useful and most effective if it is in alignment with the needs of the recipient. Most recently a very wealthy friend of mine lost his mother to cancer. The burial was attended by the elites of the community we live in. A high percentage of them supported my friend with money, which I deemed not so necessary at that point. Such a bereaved person would benefit most from emotional support instead of material wealth.
As aforementioned, the authors distinguish between social support and social integration. Social integration defines the range of social activities and relationships that one is involved in. Categories of social integration depend on whether one is role-based or participation-based. To comprehend social ties depicted by social support and social integration, two models are useful; these include main effects and buffering models. The latter reveals that social integration positively impacts health of an individual by playing the protective role against stress and adverse events.
According to the book there are three main mechanisms by which social ties influence adjustment to stress and consequently increase resilience. These include psychological, behavioral, and physiological. Psychological mechanisms revolve around self-identity, self-esteem, and control over an individual’s environment. Social integration enhances health as it improves the feelings of self-identity and self-esteem. Social support and the willingness for one’s network to help increases the control one has over an event or a stressful situation. Behavioral mechanisms range from encouragement to engage in behaviors that promote good behavior to discouragement from risky behaviors that could be detrimental to one’s health. Physiological mechanisms involve three major pathways including the immune, cardiovascular, and neuroendocrine system and their responsivity to stress and trauma.
When individuals are diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, Coronary Heart Disease or cancer, they experience stress. However, social ties and psychological adjustment can come a long way in promoting resilience to these physical diseases. At a personal level, I have had the chance to be socially supportive of a relative who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. At the time of the diagnosis, the doctors informed that William had only six months to live. The patient was stressed out and he could not believe that he was going to leave his beautiful daughters in six months’ time. As a family, we came together and decided to support him. The social support was in the form of frequent visits, encouragement to adhere with chemotherapy and drugs, and even helping with tuition fees for his children. The social support we offered helped him less stressed with the family financial burden and concentrated on recovery. It has been five years since the diagnosis and William is doing better physically and mentally despite being with a long-term chronic illness. This supports the findings of this chapter which posit that social ties in the form of social support and social integration helps protect individuals with chronic illnesses from developing depression, consequently improving their physical and psychological well-being. Overall social support and better adjustment to chronic illnesses is linked with social ties which include social support and integration.
The last chapter of section one-chapter six is titled “Religious and spiritual factors in resilience” and primarily focusses on the role played by religion and spirituality in coping with loss and traumatic events. Spirituality is an essential aspect in the lives of most individuals, as a significant population believes in God, are affiliated with faith and attend religious services. Previous studies reveal that spirituality and religion are linked with positive mental and physical well-being and increased longevity. Experiences in life of an individual may make them more religious or spiritual when faced with traumatic or loss events. Spiritual development begins with connection with God, learning beliefs, language, and traditions of a faith community, personal productivity within the community, inward connection with the divine, and maturity in spiritual development. With the varying facets of exposure to trauma, there may be different interactions depending on the victim’s stage of spiritual development, support, and the coping behaviors utilized. Depending on the impact of trauma an individual may mature spiritually, consequently improving their resilience.
The chapter has a section where selective studies on religion and resilience have been listed and expounded. The authors acknowledge that studies in spirituality and development are in their early phase but there has been a growing literature over the years. These studies have come up with spiritual strategies that can help boost resilience. These strategies include forgiveness, seeking spiritual connection and direction and religious appraisals. In relation to religion and spirituality, indicators of resilience amidst adversity, traumatic events, and loss are characterized by acceptance, emotional well-being happiness, quality of life, and a high self-esteem. In ideal circumstances, the spiritual beliefs and practices of an individual would be handy in coping with crises and as they help buffer the effects of severely traumatizing and stressful events by facilitating finding the meaning of one’s life. Simultaneously, religion and spirituality strategies can be used negatively, rendering them unsuitable for coping with traumatic and stressful life events. Collectively they have been termed as red flags and could impede progress towards recovery from trauma. These include the loss of faith, negative religious coping, guilt, and lack of forgiveness. These strategies tend to derail the overall progress of recovery.
A particularly important approach that can be used to build resilience is spirituality group therapy. With the above spiritual red flags common among survivors of traumatic events, this approach is used in building resilience especially among veterans. Studies cited in the book reveal that veterans are survivors of traumatic events but during group therapy, they tend to feel rage when spirituality is mentioned. This can be attributed to loss of faith and negative religious coping. Therefore, they tend to avoid religious faith as a coping mechanism. The spirituality group module is centered on themes that are divided into eight sessions, each of them covering different spirituality topics. The group approach is considered appropriate for traumatic due to a number of reasons. First, it provides social support for its member where there is accountability among one another. Secondly, it creates a safe environment where spiritual beliefs and practices are encouraged. Some of the healing pathways that can ameliorate impacts of traumatic events include altered cognitive processing of the event, enhanced social support, and a sense of meaning attached to the adverse event. With safe groups therefore, members can give and receive support as they try to work on making sense of the traumatic event.
Based on the chapter summaries of this section it is apparent that stress significantly impacts the grief work. Grief at its core refers to an individual’s psychobiological response to the bereavement of a family member, spouse, or something important. Usually, the hall mark of grief is sadness and yearning accompanied by thoughts and memories of the deceased or loss. Grief can either be acute or persistent. The experience of bereavement is stressful and therefore takes a toll on grief work. Grief can result in reactions of chronic mourning or prolonged absence of conscious grieving. The attachment theory posits that loss and bereavement is devastating and results in pervasive stress. Grief increases inflammation which worsens the already exiting health problems or even causes new ones. Also, it batters the immune system and makes one vulnerable to infections from bacteria and viruses alike. Stress links the emotional and physical pathways of grief. Systems in the body that process emotional stress from bereavement overlap with the physical systems. When stress becomes chronic, adrenaline increases and the HPA becomes hyperactive resulting in increased psychological length and time for coping with grief. Overall stress negatively impacts the pathway for grief work among individuals who are mourning the loss of a friend, spouse, or even family member.
Week 3- Section 2 Chapters 7-9
Section 2 of the book covers resilience across lifespan. Furthermore, traumatic events can occur anytime- at childhood, during adolescence and even at adulthood. Entirely, we have no control of traumatic and adverse events in our lives. Titled “Resilience in children and adolescents”, chapter 7 of the book primarily centers on concepts and findings from developmental research on resilience spanning childhood to adolescence. Part one of the chapter details the definition of resilience in developmental research and the surrounding controversies. The broad definition of resilience is great adaptation to significant threats to the development viability of the dynamic system. The inferential characteristics of the definition are dependent on the fact that to define resilience there must be exposure to risk and individuals must be able to show good adaptation. Expectations of resilience are different between children and adults.
In the context of childhood, the overarching goal of resilience is understanding how it happens and fostering positive adaptation in development. For children, good adaptation may exhibit in the form of obedience to adults, appropriate behaviors in the classroom, and getting long with peers and teachers alike. With maturity, comes the changes in developmental tasks and therefore, children are expected to adapt to these changes. Pertaining mental health issues, adaptation can be in the form of lack of mental health disorders. Risks in children range from low birth weight, abuse and neglect, and being involved in massive disasters such as hurricanes and war. Children who are able to adapt to these risks such that they do not significantly impact their normal functioning are said to be highly resilient. Protective factors that have been identified to help support children who are faced with trauma and adverse life events include use of community resources and the environment. Also, parents can take the proactive role of raining children in normal and healthy conditions. On the other hand, older children form friendships in the community and at school to help them establish social support that they can rely on when threats strike. Furthermore, as mentioned in the previous chapters, social ties in the form of social support are essential for dealing with traumatic life events. Children are not an exception.
Regardless of the availability of substantial research and evidence, definitions of resilience in the context of human development have been faced with controversies. One of the core reasons is that there have been inconsistencies making it difficult to have an aggregate meaning. For example, some studies base the definition of resilience on developmental task achievement while others depend on the subjective well-being. There have been controversies as whether to use each of these measures or both in aggregating findings of resilience in the context of human development. Another source of controversy stems from the uncertainty of whether to narrowly or broadly define resilience. For example, if a child does well in one sector but fails on the other, can this child be considered resilient. Another issue is on the time frame. In the face of trauma and adverse life events, people take different times to recover from the impacts. Some scholars have argued that recovery is mistaken for resilience when victims of traumatic events take longer periods to recover. Other issues ranging from capacity, process, or outcome are also to be considered in the definition of resilience. Besides there has been controversy whether the term resiliency can be used in place of resilience. Based on all these reasons, it has become difficult to have a clear definition of human resilience in the context of human development.
Various models and theories have been used to help understand resilience in children and adolescents. Examples of such models include person-focused, variable-focused, and the method of competence and cascades. On the other hand, theories such as attachment, self-efficacy, agency, and the mastery motivation system have played a crucial role in comprehending resilience in children. The book reveals that children, form the early stages of development tend to form close relationships which include attachment with family members, friends, parents, guardians, and caregivers. These attachments play a pivotal role in promoting resilience by providing emotional security, physical defense, and practical help in times of traumatic events. The attachment theory reveals that once a child has formed a bond with their parent of caregiver, the attachment figure is expected to provide comfort and be an emotional pillar in the times of adversity.
The central nervous system and its capability to think and resolve problems has also been identified with effective adaptation. Furthermore, the capacity of the human brain to think deeply and come up with solutions for improves brain development and consequently boosts individuals’ resilience. Motivation system also plays a key role in boosting resilience. The book reveals that adolescents and young adults alike have been have relied on motivation to change the direction of their lives. Also, when children and youth successfully help others to recover after a disaster, they may be positively impacted by the mastery motivation system consequently improving their resilience. Self-regulation and cultural systems have also been linked with resilience in young children. Through rituals, practices, and routines, fundamental protective systems for resilience are developed. Besides, cultural groups have values, advices, and wisdom that individuals can rely on to support the development of resilience in families, individuals, and communities.
The chapter concludes by highlighting the components for a resilience framework which include mission, models, measures, methods, and multilevel approaches. Each of these components plays a pivotal role in the framework for resilience. Based on this chapter there is still much to do on research on resilience in the context of human development. However, information from this chapter is beneficial in that if offers a strong foundation for future studies and can be integrated in further research. Also, the it offers guidelines for formulation of policies that are crucial in helping young people and children develop resilience in the face of adverse life events.
Authored by George Bonanno and Anthony Mancini, the eighth chapter of the book is titled “Toward a lifespan approach to resilience and potential trauma”. The chapter primarily focusses on the history of the construct of psychological trauma and describes variances across individuals. Also, there is analysis of individual differences and contextual factors associated with resilience outcomes in children and adults. The authors reveal that threatening life events are the core causes of psychological and physiological dysfunction. In the 20 th Century, there was the consensus that aversive events primarily caused trauma-related dysfunction. The major research developments surrounding PTSD have helped create an understanding of traumatic stress and how resilience among individuals varies.
In the events of traumatic or potentially traumatic events, individuals behave differently. For example, in the aftermath of an epidemic, traumatic injury, or bereavement, individuals are likely to exhibit chronic dysfunction or delayed reactions. The type of behavior is dependent on an individual and the type of adverse event they are faced with. For example, veterans and bereaved people are more likely to have chronic dysfunction than children who have been exposed to aversive events. Children may fail to have PTSD but exhibit behavioral problems and even their academic performances affected. Also, in the absence of signs of grief, there will be delayed reactions which are likely to manifest later. According to the authors, there is very few existing literatures on delayed reactions in extremely traumatic events and is likely to develop more in the future. In the past, the lack of grief, especially in the case of bereavement has been associated with exceptional emotional strength and denial. However, exhibition of lack of grief is a fundamental feature of normalcy in coping skills that can be exhibited by either children or adults. Therefore, in such as case resilience and recovery can be termed as separable trajectories, depending on the adverse or threatening life event.
Further, the book reports that there are various factors across children, adolescents, and adults that promote resilience. These include demographic and contextual factors, an individual’s personality, worldviews, and positive emotions. In the context of demography, it depends with age, gender, racial and ethnic background factors for one to be more or less resilient. With socioeconomic status under control however, it is easy to maintain resilience. Recent studies on resilience reveal that individuals who maintain employment and social support networks are better equipped for adverse events and consequently have a higher resilience. In regards to personality, individuals who have positive resiliency outcomes normally possess the ability to flexibly adapt to challenges. Flexibility is therefore perceived as a personality resilience that bolsters resilience to aversive life events.
Another predictor of resilience is the different worldviews. At their core, worldviews form generalized conceptions concerning life’s fairness, benevolence, and predictability. Normally stressful events reveal the kind of worldviews people have. In the case of bereavement, for instance, resilience of an individual can only develop if the person has an accepting worldview towards death. Also, positive emotions are linked with adaptive benefits in stressful events. In the case of bereavement, for instance, individuals who genuinely laughed and smiled to describe losses become better adjusted and more resilient. Overall positive emotions are linked with ease in adapting to critical life events.
Chapter 9 focuses on in-depth exploration of resilience in adults. The chapter opens with citing previously done studies to get the definition of resilience in the context of older adults. Resilience has been conceptualized as a response to a stressful event. Therefore, adults who are able to physiologically and physically function even in the face of trauma and loss are termed as resilient. Mental health is a key factor that determine resilience in older adults. Statistics reveal that mental health issues among older adults are underreported and undiagnosed. However, adults who are doing well tend to be more resilient as they face life adverse challenges that come with aging. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, most of the people who are faced with serious and adverse life events are able to recover in the long run.
Further, the authors have highlighted some theories that can be used to comprehend resilience and aging among older adults. These include vulnerability, inoculation, maturation, mortality, and burden theories. Due to their varies and accumulated life experiences, older adults are more vulnerable to both long-term and short-term life events. Coined by Eysenck, the inoculation theory asserts that earlier trauma fosters resilience to subsequent traumas. Adults are likely to exhibit direct tolerance or cross-tolerance which better equips them in dealing with trauma. The inoculation theory suggests that older adults are likely to be more resilient with trauma because of the experiences with earlier traumatic events in life. Burden hypothesis posits that adults are significantly affected by trauma because of huge disruptions and time demands as they are the providers for their children ad older adults. The burden hypothesis is mostly common among middle-aged adults. Based on the maturation hypothesis, adults tend to have better coping styles to stressful events and hence more resilient in the face of adversity. The mortality effect which asserts that the less resilient victims of trauma have died leaving the healthier group behind boosts resilience among adults. These theories are crucial in comprehending the correlation of age and trauma.
Usually, older adults fall into various groups which include those suffering from chronic illnesses and being taken care of, widows, prisoners of war and veterans, survivors of holocausts, and survivors of terrorists’ attacks such as the 9/11 among others. Depending on the traumatic event, levels of resilience vary across these trauma groups of adults. Among adults, pathways with the dimensions of hardiness, self-enhancement, repressive coping, and positive emotions have been linked with higher levels of resilience. Overall, individuals who experience trauma in adulthood are likely to be more resilient and recover faster due to experience gained from previous traumatic events. Just as any other age group, older adults need social support to help with recovery of trauma. A hallmark of successful adulthood is the ability of older adults to become resilient and recover from adverse life events.
Based on the content of the third week’s section of the book, it is essential to understand how we can help our clients find resiliency towards healing regardless of the level of loss. The way society responds to trauma or various adverse life events can significantly impact the outcomes. One of the ways is by being knowledgeable about skills required for crisis management. For example, as mentioned in the book, we should be aware of various factors including age, culture and racial/cultural background that is likely to impact how people respond to trauma.
Also, it is essential to give social support. Aforementioned, social ties which can either be in the form of social ties and social support plays a pivotal role in helping build resilience. For example, supporting people who have been bereaved emotionally or giving material support in the form of materials and shelter for people who have experienced a crisis, is essential in helping them build resilience. For older adults, involvement in helping them cope with and manage chronic illnesses is also essential in building resilience. Furthermore, previously done studies that have been cited in section 3 of the book reveal that older adults are likely to experience stress with chronic illnesses. Overall, we can help our clients in the above discussed ways to help them build resilience and heal regardless of the loss or life crisis they are facing.
Week 4-Section 3 Chapters 10-12
Section 3 of the book is divided into three chapters; ten to twelve. The section broadly covers resilience in families, communities, and societies. Authored by Froma Walsh, chapter ten is titled “Family resilience: a collaborative approach in response to stressful life challenges”. Primarily, the chapter covers resilience from the perspective of families and highlights the sociocultural and developmental perspectives. The concept of family resilience draws attention from individuals and looks at the systematic perspective on risk and resilience in the family as a functional unit. According to Walsh, family resilience in the face of trauma and loss is more than the management of stressful conditions, burden, and surviving an ordeal. Instead, it extends to the personal and relational transformation that one can forge out of the adversity. Through being able to tap into the key processes for resilience, families develop insights and abilities that heightens their attention to the core values they uphold and important matters. Overall, the experience becomes an opportunity for reappraisal of opportunities and investment in meaningful relationships.
Further, Walsh reveals that family resilience is grounded in family systems theory. Therefore, a myriad of contexts such as biological, psychological, spiritual, and social contexts and orientations are involved in family resilience. Families may be faced with adversities such as tragic loss, large-scale disaster and even sexual assault. These situations can be overwhelming and may cause a family to be in distress especially when they can no longer cope. With a holistic approach however, the family as a functional unit can overcome these challenges and become more resilient. With the changes in family structures and overall societal transformations, so are the changes in family resilience. Over the years, family structures, and consequently gender roles have greatly changed. Modern families are marked with increased cohabitation rates, divorce, step-families, and single-parent households. This has led to concerns for children under such households. However, Walsh asserts that as long as these families have effective processes, they can function well.
Walsh developed a family resilience framework that is based on three major domains of family functioning. These include family belief systems, organization patterns, and communication processes. Shared beliefs among family members help to foster resilience whereby families can gain a sense of coherence when undergoing a crisis. Belief systems range from shared faith practices including meditation and religious involvement which help strengthen the bond and foster resilience. On the other hand, family structure is revealed by flexibility, mutual support, and teamwork in countering life’s challenges. Support and teamwork among family members helps facilitate resilience. Clearly communicating about the situation and the options available to navigate the situation helps facilitate resilience. For example, communicating about the interventions shifts attention from the crisis to a more proactive stance which eventually helps counter the challenges from the adverse life events. These three domains when combined with the resilience orientation approach can be pivotal in overcoming crises situations, persistent life challenges, and disruptive transitions. Also, collaborative programs can be helpful in overcoming challenges. For instance, programs revolving around chronic illnesses, complex trauma, gay couples, and refugee trauma, among others can be essential in building and enhancing resilience among families.
Although resilience among families may seem or appear straightforward, the complexity and dynamic structures of families present a challenge especially in research. Furthermore, with the cultural and family diversity, some processes are likely to be more useful when dealing with traumatic events and challenges than others are. Rather, findings from a certain family may not be generalizable for all families in dealing with adverse events and life challenges based on the rationale of differences and diversity. Various families across the world, however, are making progress in the application of Walsh framework to overcome diversity. Furthermore, resilience-oriented approaches empower families through hope, and the development of new and renewed competencies, consequently strengthening bonds in families.
Chapter 11 of the book is authored by Norris, Kathleen, and Betty and deeply explores the concept of community resilience. The chapter is divided into four major sections; section 1defines resilience across individual, family, community, and societal levels, section 2 describes theories that can help comprehend community resilience, section three outlines strategies and challenges in assessing capabilities, and the final section gives recommendations for interventions in the community level.
In this chapter, Norris and his colleagues perceive and define resilience as a process that links a set of adaptive capacities to positive trajectory functioning and adaptation after a particular disturbance takes place. This regard for resilience as a process stems from the rationale that the concept appears across several disciplines including sociology, physics and engineering, and psychology. Based on this rationale resilience encompasses concepts of emergence and secondly manifests in outcomes. Capacities for resilience seeks to investigate the resources that increase the likelihood of adaptation as a manifestation in psychological and population well-being. Furthermore, the ability of communities to be highly resilient is dependent on these resources. Four major resources that are helpful in community resilience are grouped into economic development, social capital, information and communication and community competence.
Economic development depends on the level of resources, diversity, and their equal distribution. Communities are usually interdependent, and therefore if the resources are voluminous and diverse, they will be able to cope with the any calamities or crises. Also, societies tend to unequally allocate environmental risk capabilities making the poorest communities the most vulnerable. In communities where resources are unequally distributed there is the greater risk for death and severe damage. In addition, there is they face the risk of severe damage and longer periods of recovery. Social capital is embedded on the idea that individuals use social networks to help overcome adverse life events. The presence of interorganizational networks in communities is a sign of availability of supportive frameworks for enhancing resilience. Just as social support, social capital is vital for community resilience in times of crises. Social support is also characterized by social influence. In times of crises, people look at similarities in situations to help in making decsions. To a larger extent social capital is involves helping behaviors in family and friendship networks, neighborhoods and communities. The sense of community and attachment is related to the connectedness in a community. Lastly, social capital also encompasses citizen participation in community events. Community resilience is made better where citizens of the community actively participate in offering support to one another in the times of crises.
Information and communication are essential in communities. One of the ways a community can be resilient is by being aware of information about dangers that could cause them adverse life effects including behaviors. On the other hand, community members should adhere to the information communicated. Communities that have a communication infrastructure are better equipped for adverse events. As revealed by Norris and his colleagues, community competence is also crucial for enhancing resilience. Community competence refers to capacity for meaningful and intentional action. For example, if a community can acquire the correct and right information, it can be considered competent. This is based on the rationale that this information is crucial for solving emerging problems. A competent community according to the book is one in which there is effective collaboration to achieve goals and priorities by taking the necessary actions. The ability of a community to effectively respond to a hazard is shaped by all the factors that make it highly competent.
The chapter concludes by highlighting the implications for this study by Norris and his colleagues. Communities must have diverse economic resources, reduce inequities, and attend their greatest area of social vulnerability. Secondly, engaging the local community members in the mitigation process enhances resilience. Thirdly, interorganizational networks are pivotal in the rapid mobilization of support for victims of adverse life events. Lastly, community preparedness is essential for unexpected disasters which can be achieved through effective communication and having a trusted source of information that is functional.
Authored by Carl Bell, chapter 12 of the book is titled “Trauma, culture, and resiliency”. Just as the title suggest, this chapter covers the intersect of culture, trauma, and resilience. Further, the chapter covers the cultural context, genetic, and monocultural ethnocentrism as crucial for understanding resiliency. The kind of cultures we are accustomed to significantly shape our worldviews, perceptions and orientations. Recovery from trauma involves reconstruction of meaning and considering resilience must take into account people’s culture. In the American culture, for instance, individuals are highly accustomed to individualism and therefore in understanding resilience, such characteristics have to be considered. Ethnic and racial backgrounds are imbued in cultural aspects. Also, religious and spirituality are a key component of culture which shapes how people cope with trauma and other adverse life events.
Aforementioned, monocultural ethnocentrism also determines community resiliency. At its core the term refers to belief in a single culture and valuing it over other cultures. It makes it difficult to appreciate cultural differences and diversity within certain races. Also, genetic interactions determine the correlation with trauma and resilience. For example, when parents and offspring are interacting, resilience can either be a protective or risk factor for illness. Religiosity, according to the authors can impact genetic expression. Being raised in a highly religious household serves as a protective against alcohol use. For example, people who tend to regularly attend church are associated with less alcohol and substance abuse.
People with religious upbringing who take part in church attendance regularly tend to have higher resilience in countering life’s challenges.
Specific cultural and racial groups have considerations that have to be taken into account to cultivate resilience. Among African-Americans, characteristics including their history, family bonds, and strong religious and communal orientation plays a key role in understanding resilience. Black families and communities associate resilience with protective parenting, spirituality, and being future-oriented. Such racial socialization messages create resilience among African-Americans by enhancing self-esteem. Also known as Alaska Natives, American-Indians also experience many challenges that determine their resilience. Looking at their history, for instance, they were exposed to genocide and their land grabbed. Regardless, they highly value spirituality and have medicines that are oriented towards restoring balance and harmony. Arabs, Muslims, and people of Middle East ethnicity tend to be family oriented and highly religious. They also value virtues such as patience, honesty, and hard work. Their resilience is characterized by therapies, oaths, visitation of shrines, and common resilience cultivating approaches. Asians, on the other hand, are less religious but have other philosophies that determine their resilience. Among Chinese, for instance, Taoism teaches communities on how to live contented and constant exercise that cultivates physical and mental well-being. There is also the Confucian tradition that teaches Asians to persevere when difficulty arises.
Caribbean uphold values such as extended family, work ethic, spirituality, and multiculturalism, which helps them cultivate resiliency. On the other hand, Asian Indians view family as very essential and have practices such as Yoga and tantra that help in cultivating resiliency. Also, their strong belief in karma enables them to quickly accept the inevitable life events and help counter adversity. Latinos have great regard for collectivism and other values such as respect, family ties, and personal relationships that help cultivate resiliency. The chapter concludes that cultural considerations are essential in seeking to cope with trauma and enhance resilience. Future studies should focus on different cultures to understand and create resiliency on various global groups.
Considering the analysis of this section, there are various ways through which we can help our clients build the necessary skills to move on after an adverse life event. One of the ways that has been apparent throughout the book is providing social support. This can be in the form of having training centers where they are trained on how to overcome traumatic events. Secondly, we can help them through understanding their ethnic and racial background. Being competent about some of the values, virtues, and practices they hold will help them to overcome adverse life events. For example, if a client is of Indian ethnicity or racial background, some of the practices that can be helpful include yoga, meditation, and tantras. If the client is Chinese, focusing the healing process and Taoism and Confucian traditions can help a great ideal. The rationale is based on the fact that understanding people’s culture and ethnic background plays an important role in helping them cultivate resilience.
My experience in this area has been vast. I have been able to help families and individuals in building skills that they can use to overcome trauma and loss and enhance resilience. Recently I was involved in rehabilitation program for youths who were constantly abusing drugs and alcohol. Most of them were African Americans. Therefore, before taking any measures, I took time to understand some of their cultural values and traditions that could be essential in enhancing resilience. One of the key factors I identified is that African Americans are religious. So, I encouraged these youths to get involved in church event and be proactive members. With time, I noted significant differences and reduced substance abuse. Also, they were able to open up about some of the reasons why they were involved in drug abuse. Overall, understanding people’s cultures helps identify the traditions they associate with, which can be used as strengths to build and cultivate resilience in communities, families, and individuals.
Week 5-Section 4 Chapters 13-19
The fifth section of the book addresses specific challenges and covers chapters 13 through 19. Authored by Anthony Mancini and George Bonanno, the section opens with chapter 13 titled “Loss and grief: the role of individual differences”. Primarily, the chapter addresses the various patterns of grief, the response, and people’s understanding of the grieving process. According to the authors, grief manifests in the form of health deficits and dysfunctional health and social occupations, cognitive disorganization, and dysphoric emotions. Given that grief and loss has these manifestations it is crucial to comprehend the trajectories and individual differences in grieving.
Some of the approaches used to comprehend these differences include resilience, recovery, and chronic grief. The implication is that the once one-size fits all approach that was used is no longer tenable because these differences approaches confirm that individual are different. For example, the ability to regulate emotion flexibility differs across individuals and situations.
Chapter 14 covers on adapting resilience in post-disaster. The chapter begins by introducing disaster as a public health concern and further explores the application of the concept of resilience post-disastrous events. Admittedly, disasters are common globally and are costly in terms of infrastructure, finances, and human life. The increase in disasters over the years has been associated with population concentration in urban areas and climate changes. Although incidences and consequences of disasters are unequally distributed worldwide, they can occur any part of the globe. Looking at disasters as a public health concern aims to identify the outcomes. Furthermore, most are associated with psychological health problems. According to the authors, disasters are difficult to study because they are unanticipated. Besides, their occurrence in less wealthy nations is challenged by the lack of health infrastructure.
In disaster studies, resilience serves to comprehend the various purposes of functioning. For example, disasters can be understood in the context of physical health, physiological, environmental, displacement, relationships between people, rescue and clean-up operations, and in the family. Depending on the context of the disaster, resilience can mean different things to individuals, families, communities, and societies. When applying resilience to the different contexts of disasters, there are challenges. First, is the definition of the term community. The rationale stems from the fact that community are dynamic and therefore it is difficult to have a single characteristic that defines them all. Another challenge stems from the definition of a baseline level to the functioning of the community. Based on these challenges, it is difficult to determine the usefulness of the concept of resilience in disasters. Regardless, some reorientation has been done to bring the meaning of the concept and its applications in the disaster. First, its overall definition of return to normalcy is appealing. Secondly, there are aggregate measures in communities that assess functioning and determine resilience. Lastly, community level is meaningful and practical. The chapter concludes by acknowledging that more development is needed in the future to realize the potential of resilience as a tool in the field of disaster.
Chapter 15 covers a specific challenge-rape and sexual assault. The chapter covers prevalence of rape, impacts and risks such as mental health problems and potential PTSD as a consequence of rape. According to Heidi and his colleagues, rape is a common problem in many countries worldwide and America is not an exception. The U.S. Census data reveal that approximately 20.2 million American women have been raped in their lifetime. Further, women who have been raped stand a high risk for mental health problems. A significant number develop PTSD as a consequence. Rape is considered a crime in the U.S. It can take various forms including forcible, drug and alcohol-facilitated, attempted, incapacitated, statutory, acknowledged and unacknowledged rape. Various factors have been associated with resilience and post-rape functioning. These include demographics, history of assault, mental health, characteristics of the assault, and peritraumatic reactions.
From a demographic standpoint, factors such as age and minority status increase the risk of rape and sexual assault and consequently PTSD. Also, victims who have prior history of traumatic events beside the rape case have a higher chance and risk of developing PTSD. Furthermore, prior assault history is associated with PTSD, psychiatric conditions, and treatment. Besides prior history of rape is highly associated with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Also, the presence of mental health issues current or prior to the rape incident can result in the development of PTSD among rape victims.
According to the authors, there are several post-rape factors that are help build resilience and also facilitate functioning. These include social support, coping, and additional stress and trauma. Social support stems from the positive social reactions that victims are likely to get upon disclosure. However, social support can also be negative. Victims who get negative social support are more likely to develop PTSD and it becomes difficult for them to properly function. However, if the social support meets the individual needs of rape survivors, resilience will be enhanced and recovery facilitated. Also, their ability to cope with rape reduces the risk of PTSD. Coping can either be approach oriented or avoidance oriented. Depending on the approach that the victims of rape use, there is a likelihood or less risk for developing PTSD. Notably the exposure to rape does not take place in isolation. There can be additional life stresses which can impact their functioning. For example, if a woman is subsequently exposed to another traumatic event their resilience will be decreased.
The chapter concludes by giving future directions for studies involving rape. For a study to be considered ideal for determining resilience in women, it must be inclusive of a large sample population. Secondly, future studies should focus on both early and late interventions that can be critical in the functioning of rape victims post the disaster. Therefore, the authors recommend that attention should be given to developing and evaluating early interventions and exploring any differences to determine which approach best suits a given situation and enhances resilience to stop the development of PTSD.
Chapter sixteen uses the stress continuum model to look at military organizational approach to resilience and recovery. Resilience among the military members is crucial as it helps them survive potential threats and accomplish the mission for safety and welfare of others. Most of the missions in which the military is involved can severely expose them to mortal loss, danger or even compromise of their morals, consequently causing PTSD. Resilience among the military is divided into three classes operational, post deployment, and psychological. Operational resilience is established at the battlefield. The ability of the military to be successful at promoting and maintaining resilience at operations determines their resilience. Also, after soldiers are post-deployed, their ability to cope reveals their resilience. However, a significant number of members of the military are involved in substance abuse, divorce, suicide and substance abuse revealing that post-deployment resilience levels are low. Also, there are high levels of low psychological resilience and therefore high PTSD in military organizations.
To counter the challenges of resilience there are COSC and OSC programs which help promote resilience. These approaches are also used by the U.S. Navy and Marine. The stress continuum model is a prerequisite for implementing efforts to promote resilience in the military. The model is divided into four major zones which include the green, the yellow, the orange, and the red. Each of these zones plays a crucial role in helping build resilience and is family oriented where all members and people associated with the military are involved in the process. For psychological among leaders in the U.S. Navy, five core leader functions are essential. These include strengthen, mitigate, identify, treat, and reintegrate.
In conclusion, the chapter addresses resilience concerns in the military. Although the discussed program is useful and effective, the authors reveal that there is a broad need for evaluating these programs and the development of well-articulated conceptual frameworks. These steps will help address challenges in the field.
Another common challenge that could cause trauma among members of society is terrorism. Chapter 17 of the book is titled “Resilience in the face of terrorism: linking resource investment with engagement” and focuses on resilience among terrorists. One of the key theories used in this chapter is conservation of resources theory that is based on several principles and corollaries. The theory posits that individuals tend to protect the things they place central value. The theory is based on three principles which include the primary of resource loss, resource investment, and the salience of gain under situations of resource loss. Another theory that has been extensively covered is the engagement theory. The theory posits that individuals who are likely to remain in a state of fulfillment despite of challenging circumstances are resilient. Engagement is characterized by vigor, absorption, and dedication. Following the COR theory mentioned above, distress and engagement may interact in a number of ways. First through the role behavior, limitation of the individual’s ability to maintain commitment to life tasks, and the interaction of gain cycles, distressed individuals are likely to be engaged in activities that enhance their resilience. Following events of terrorism engagement helps prevent PTSD consequently showing signs of resilience.
In the 18 th chapter of the book, John Buckner and Jessica Waters help address resilience in amidst poverty. Poverty is the state of lack of resources such as money, goods, and means of support. Manifestations of poverty can be in developed and developing countries and communities. Poverty is associated with high levels of crime, mental health diseases, and substance abuse. The chapter highlights several studies that have conducted resilience among children living in poverty. The studies reveal that children who are more resilient have better education and competent caregivers. Intelligent children have also been said to be at a better position in dealing with poverty. Furthermore, an intelligent child is able to self-regulate better.
Besides children, communities and families also experience poverty and are expected to be resilient. Studies reveal that children are more negatively affected that parents in poor families. The use of coping mechanisms, however, helps overcome the negative impacts of families. Families that are resilient are characterized by cohesion, warmth, affection, and emotional support for family members. For example, the ability to maintain housing in the event where a family is extremely poor can be considered as resilience. Families and communities that are facing poverty can rely on social capital, cohesion, and collective efficacy to become more resilient. The strength-based approach has been termed as the most effective in promoting resilience among families and individuals who have been faced by poverty.
Authored by Meyer and Mueser, the last chapter of section four covers resilience in individuals with mental illness. The chapter opens with the definition of the revolving concept of recovery and then explores the role of resiliency as an adaptive measure in mental health illnesses. The authors reveal that recovery from mental disorders has significantly shifted from complete remission of symptoms to explicit definition of characteristics of a particular mental illness. Themes of recovery in mental illness are characterized by hope and optimism, coping, self-respect and self-determination, openness to discovery and new experiences. These themes are a clear indication that recovery in mental health is multidimensional and people can fully recover and establish a sense of purpose after a serious mental illness.
Resiliency in mental illness encompasses strategies and resources that can help individuals move pat traumatizing events. The primarily used approach is one that focusses on helping individual to overcome deficits through strategies such as coping, increasing social support and solving problems. Other strategies include use of self-esteem and pursuing meaningful goals. Also, interventions such as practicing mindfulness help enhance resilience. These strategies when applied effectively can help improve resilience in individuals suffering from mental health illnesses.
Week 6-Section 5, Chapters 20-23
Section 5 begins with Chapter 20 which covers interventions for enhancing resilience among adults. There are several measures of resilience and constructs that can be used in training for professionals trying to enhance resilience in adults. These include hardiness, self-efficacy, and making meaning with one’s life. Resilience is measurable by a number of scales depending on whether one is a child or an adult. Hardiness training refers to a construct used for inner resources. Stress inoculation training involves using the strategy of coping to enhance resilience. It involves three phases and in the last phase individuals are encouraged to practice coping skills.
According to the authors there are various interventions that can be used to enhance constructs related to resilience. These include social support interventions, optimism training, and well-being therapy. Organizations are expected to make preparations for training. They can do so by forming examples of cases and taking the above discussed approaches to encourage training. Further the authors list the five seps deemed crucial for overcoming crisis in life. These include face facts, choose life, reach out, get moving, and give back. These interventions can be delivered in various settings including classrooms, as part of therapy or over the internet.
Chapter 21 discusses childhood resilience. Primarily the chapter focuses on how relationships in the life of a child can moderate and buffer effects of trauma and loss. During childhood, attachments are formed with close members of the family. These relationships and attachments lay the foundation for which various skills are developed among children. Besides attachment neurobiological models play a crucial role in enhancing resilience. According to the authors, there are intervention approaches that enhance resilience for healthy allostasis. Among children these include interventions with parents, in schools and community, and educating the children about emotional literacy. Also, the involvement in team sports at school and the community level can enhance resilience. Outdoor education programs, training on moral courage, and are also crucial in enhancing resiliency among children.
In conclusion, the chapter posits that caregiving relationships fostered at home, school, or within the community can help enhance resilience. Also, positive and nurturing relationships can buffer the detrimental effects of adverse life event and stress. In the future, studies should explicitly consider how educational and intervention programs for children can help in the adaptation and mastery of the challenge of adversity.
Chapter 22 looks at building resilience through military mental health training. One of the key concepts that has been covered is battlemind training. This involves the inner warrior strength to face realities with courage, confidence, and resilience. It is essential for military people to be mentally fit so as to continue upholding the safety of the people they protect and achieve the goals of the missions where they are sent. Principles of training for the military include the strength-based approach, use of the relevant content, experience, and using action-based strategies. Other approaches include developmental approach, comprehensive and integrated training. These approaches can be implemented through integration into organizational culture, using quality control, and timely training. The trainings should also be sustainable and exportable and scalable.
Chapter 23 is the last chapter that links public health and disaster resilience. The chapter looks at the various tools that can be used for promoting resilience among populations. Based on the previously cited studies, the strategies are similar as those in occupational health such as educating the public, leadership, and legislation among others. Employees are expected to maintain resilience by supporting safe work practices that create a better working environment. The chapter effectively gives relevant research that links public health and resilience. There is repetition of ideas that have been covered in other chapters. For example, the tragedies such as coping and social support can be used across all populations. The parting shot for the book and chapter is that future research has much to investigate about how people enhance resilience in the face of adversity or traumatic life events.
There are three approaches that can be used to assess the capacities for community resilience. These include population-based surveys, community-based participatory approaches, and the community assessment of resilient tool. These approaches, though different, they help promote trust, foster mutual understanding and collective problem resolution. When using these approaches, it is essential to convince community members of their value, validity, and reliability. Notably, these approaches are labor intensive and time consuming but have resulted in positive outcomes in communities where they have been used to counter challenges of and support the efforts of building community resilience.
Cultural diversity and economic disparity also play a key role in building resilience among families. As families become more diverse, multiethnic, and multiracial, they become obligated to accept differences amongst themselves. Also, socio-economic conditions revealed by the wide gap between the rich and the poor have negatively impacted families worldwide. The high rates of unemployment fuel conflict, violence, and homelessness. Also, discrimination and unhealthy living conditions worsen the chances for life among children and parents. Also, the variance in life course has increased resilience based on the rationale that children are able to successfully transition in and out of various households across their lifetimes. In the broader context of family resilience, family members can face adverse life events such as combat-related trauma from veterans. Also, there could be PTSD associated with substance abuse, emotional, and behavioral problems. Such traumatizing events could have ripple impacts and cause distress for all family members and children. Therefore, the holistic approach of family-centered treatment is deemed crucial in addressing distress caused by such events. Other causes of distress include stressful transitions, piled up challenges, and intergenerational legacies. With the recent transitions in family structure, economic, and social transformations, there is not a single model that can serve as a one-fit for all families and situations. Families react and cope differently in the tie of crisis. A family resilience framework offers different advantages and mainly focusses on the family’s strengths
The practice of self-reflection is essential for my personal and professional life. Through self-reflecting I am able to determine how to counter challenges that I may experience personally or professionally. This helps me determine the best approach that I can use to counter these challenges. For example, if I find work to be overwhelming, I can take breaks to reflect and rejuvenate instead of getting stressed up. Furthermore, stress is not good for my mental health. In my profession, I take time to determine the best strategy and approach that I can apply to a particular situation. Overall, I would recommend self-reflection to anyone. Also, I would recommend this book for professionals and scholars who are seeking to expand research in the area of resilience. Although it is repetitive, it helps the audience understand resilience under different contexts.
