Resilience
Theory
Components
Activation
Resilience Theory
Resilience Theory broadly involves overcoming adversity to a variety of life events. While there are numerous definitions of resilience, psychological resilience has been selected in the current project based on its conceptualization and potential for growth and modification. Psychological resilience has been described as a dynamic process where there is a positive adaptation in response to exposure to adversity.
Components
Internal psychological characteristics include self-efficacy, humor, patience, optimism and faith. Social-emotional competence has been identified as another key component and protective factor against the risks and outcomes associated with trauma. It involves “acquiring and applying knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, create positive goals, feel and show empathy, establish and maintain positive relationships, and increase engagement in adaptive decision making” (Hutchinson et al., 2020, p. 1258). For children, emotional stability has been found to be associated with decreased chance of childhood obesity.
Activation
Resilience is activated during times of despair. During these times it is necessary to draw on capabilities and personal resources to move beyond the state of despair. Despair is revelatory: what the person believes in, how she views herself, her strengths and weaknesses all become evident. Recalling times of despair is the first place to start when considering personal resilience history. From a philosophical standpoint, what a person actively chooses to focus on is a primary determinant of the reality that is constructed.
Self-Regulation and Support
Self-regulation develops through an internalized locus of control where a person believes the outcomes of their life are in their control. For children exposed to trauma, having external support has been found to promote an internal locus of control and the environment where resilience can develop. The external support is characterized into three needs: need for safety, attachment and consistency. These needs are actualized through physical environments, supportive relationships and meaningful life structure.