Resilience Flashcards
Stress: negative effects
Research typically focuses on the negative effects of stress exposure
- Mental health: e.g., major depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder
- Physical health: e.g., cardiovascular disease, immunosuppression (stress precipitation the progression from HIV to AIDS)
studies have shown that most people experience at least one even that qualifies as a life trauma
traumatic events are very prevalent - happen often and to most of us
Stress resilience
But, there’s actually a large variability in how people respond to stress
Many people do not seem to be negatively effected by stress, and some can even benefit from stress exposure
If we want to understand the influence of stress exposure, we need to acknowledge the full spectrum of its effects
-this arose at the same time that positive psychology came on to the scene
-some stress can benefit some
Why study resilience?
- Understanding the factors that contribute to resilience can help inform interventions for those more vulnerable (if we can really understand what characteristics are the secret to resistance we can take that to treat people who this doesn’t come more naturally to)
- Understanding that there can be beneficial effects of stress exposure can help bring meaning to negative experiences (research shows that many people come out of negative experiences relatively unscathed or come out stronger because of it)
What is “resilience”?
Umbrella term that includes 3 different responses to stress:
Sustainability
Recovery
Growth
(Zautra, Arewasikporn, & Davis, 2010)
sustainability and recovery are about baseline functioning
Sustainability
Maintaining functioning through a stressor with minimal disruption
-keep going and functioning at normal levels through that stressor and beyond
Recovery
Disruption, but quickly “bounce back” to baseline functioning following a major stressor
Growth
Enhanced adaptation beyond original levels of functioning
Resilience is the norm?
Traditionally, resilience thought to be rare
Just for “supercopers”, or a sign of denial or hidden psychopathology
-more common than we thought
Now resilience thought to be “ordinary magic” (Masten, 2001)
-it is remarkable that people can do this and it’s remarkably prevalent
Research approaches to resilience: Approach #1
Researchers examining developmental psychopathology in children who had experienced adversity
-physical abuse, parents with mental illness, parents with substance or alcohol abuse, poverty
Noted that a striking number of these children did not seem to exhibit long-term negative effects of these experiences
Childhood abuse and adult health
Isle of Wight community sample (N=364) to examine the prevalence of child abuse and its relationship to adulthood psychopathology (Collinshaw et al., 2007)
44 adults in the sample had experienced sexual or physical abuse as children
Assessed current and past psychopathology
-major depression, dysthymia, anxiety, panic disorder, social phobia, PTSD, OCD, anorexia and bulimia, alcohol and substance use or dependence, suicidality
Results
55.6% reported some form of psychopathology
Thus, 44.4% reported no current or past psychopathology (resilient)
-This resilient group also showed lower rates of personality difficulties, criminality, and relationship problems compared to non-abused group
-Also reported fewer physical health problems compared to non-abused group
take home:
resilience is remarkably common and it isn’t saying that child abuse isn’t detrimental, but it is remarkable that so many could come out without any negative consequences
Research approaches to resilience: Approach #2
Examining responses to “potentially traumatic events” (Bonanno, 2004)
-Natural disasters (e.g., Hurricane Katrina)
-Traumatic injury
-Bereavement
-War
Findings across a wide range of negative events suggest that the majority of adults maintain healthy functioning in the face of even extreme stressors
Adjustment following PTE:
35-65% - Resilient - can maintain functioning through stressful event
15-25% - Recovered - can bounce back quickly in aftermath of event
0-15% - Delayed - initially low distress but become more distressed as time goes on
5-30% - Chronic - consistent distressed response
Responses to 9/11 attacks :
Participants: 2,752 adults living in or near New York City
Contacted 6 months after 9/11
Assessed PTSD symptoms since the attacks
Results:
65.1% of participants reported 0-1 PTSD symptoms (resilient group)
28.9% of participants >=2 PTSD symptoms, in the absence of PTSD (recovery group)
6% probable PTSD
Thus, significant majority “resilient”
Resilience is still remarkably prevalent in those directly and personally affected!
Research approaches to resilience: Approach #3
Study of people diagnosed with life threatening medical conditions (e.g., HIV, cancer)
Examine how they respond and what factors are related to positive psychological adjustment, remission, survival
Distress Trajectories in the First Year After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
- found pretty much the same distribution as Bonano
- 15% chronic
- 15% delayed
- 33% recovery
- 36% no distress (resilient)
Resilience was predicted by mastery
-they looked at psychological factors that could predict trajectories and the only one they found was mastery
Mastery = belief that life is not ruled by fate but that one is personally able to influence the outcomes of important events or situations (e.g., “What happens to me in the future mostly depends on me”)
-it is basically a sense of control - having a sense of control over the results of their breast cancer
personal growth and positive changes
Some individuals not only maintain healthy functioning following a major stressor, but actually report personal growth and positive changes
- Benefit-finding (Affleck & Tennen, 1996)
- Thriving (Carver, 1998)
- Post-traumatic growth (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996)
Studies across different types of adversities (illness, divorce, war, cancer) show that >50% of people report some positive change (Updegraff & Taylor, 2000; Stanton, Bower, & Low, 2006)
- Enhanced relationships
- Improved perceptions of self
- Appreciation of life
- Enhanced spirituality
Psychological characteristics associated with resilience
Personality Factors
Social Factors
Appraisal and Coping Styles
World Views and Beliefs
Resilience: Personality Factors
optimism, positive emotions, humor, mastery
