Although resilience can exist at any point related to a traumatic event (before, during, or after), this fact sheet focuses on building resilience now, prior to another traumatic or terrorist event.

 

Resilience has been described as a phenomenon whereby individuals show positive adaptation in spite of significant life adversities (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000). It is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially highly stressful or traumatic events (O'Leary, 1998; O'Leary & Ickovics, 1995; Rutter, 1987). Resilience is an interactive product of beliefs, attitudes, approaches, behaviors, and, perhaps, physiology, that help children and adolescents fare better during adversity and recover more quickly following it. Resilient children bend rather than break during stressful conditions, and they return to their previous level of psychological and social functioning following misfortune. Being resilient does not mean that one does not experience difficulty or distress or that life's major hardships are not difficult and upsetting. Rather, it means that these events, although difficult and upsetting, are ultimately surmountable.

 

Resilience seems to be the general rule of human adaptation (Discovery Health Channel and APA Practice Directorate, 2002; Masten, 2001).

 

resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation to stressors can be cultivated and practiced

 

Hardiness describes those who are actively engaged, who believe they can influence the course of events in their lives, and who accept change as a part of life—as a challenge rather than a threat—and know that it can be beneficial (Kobasa, 1979). Evidence suggests that hardiness buffers the negative impact of stress, perhaps because it is associated with appraisals of events that minimize emotional distress and promote active coping (Wiebe, 1991).

 

There is no one right way to cope with stressful events (Silver & Wortman, 1980).

 

longer-term adjustment requires more of a problem-focused approach, when the difficulties posed by the stressor can be actively addressed.

 

Active coping (i.e., doing something to try to address the problem) is typically associated with better psychological and physical outcomes than avoidant coping (Holahan & Moos, 1985).

 

For low-control situations, when the difficulties posed by the stressor cannot be addressed actively (such as the possibility of a future terrorist attack), avoidance and emotion-focused coping (e.g., seeking support, expressing feelings) may help children and adolescents reduce or minimize anxiety (Klingman, 2002).