Resilience in Development and Psychopathology: Multisystem Perspectives

Abstract

Resilience science in psychology and related fields emerged from clinical research on risk for psychopathology in the 1970s and matured over the ensuing decades with advances in theory, methods, and knowledge. Definitions and models of resilience shifted to reflect the expanding influence of developmental systems theory and the growing need to integrate knowledge about resilience across levels and disciplines to address multisystem threats. Resilience is defined for scalability and integrative purposes as the capacity of a dynamic system to adapt successfully through multisystem processes to challenges that threaten system function, survival, or development. Striking alignment of resilience factors observed in human systems, ranging from individuals to communities, suggests the possibility of networked, multisystem protective factors that work in concert. Evidence suggests that there may be resilience factors that provide transdiagnostic protection against the effects of adverse childhood experiences on risk for psychopathology. Multisystem studies of resilience offer promising directions for future research and its applications to promote mental health and positive development in children and youth at risk for psychopathology. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Volume 17 is May 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Self-efficacy, subjective well-being and positive coping in adolescents with regard to Covid-19 lockdown

“…Since the abilities to face difficulties and to resist are connected to everyday normative individual resources (Masten et al, 2021 ) and they have a pivotal role in the response to COVID-19, in the present study it is assumed that home confinement and online learning, even if they represent difficult situations to face, may provide opportunities for those who possess higher emotional and self-regulated learning self-efficacy beliefs. Such individuals are able to handle important challenges and foster SWB, despite various difficulties; in turn, higher SWB, both cognitive and emotional, is expected to favour the use of positive coping strategies oriented towards positive acceptance, reinterpretation and use of active strategies.…”

Amygdala Allostasis and Early Life Adversity: Considering Excitotoxicity and Inescapability in the Sequelae of Stress

“…Negative outcomes, like higher aggression or greater depression, are enhanced, but these are not deterministic links. Many factors (e.g., social support, cognitive functioning) protect youth in the context of severe adversity (for thorough discussion, see the work of Ann Masten, e.g., Masten et al, 2021), We, as a field must be mindful that: (1) many exposed to ELA do not evince significant impairments; (2) there may be positive change that occurs as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life crises (Infurna and Jayawickreme, 2019); and (3) successful outcomes may be achieved through differential trajectories of neural and behavioral functioning. Holding these collective concepts in mind can limit the further marginalization of ELA-exposed populations and will no doubt aid in supporting youth exposed to adversity.…”

Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Resilience-Focussed Interventions: A Conceptual Analysis to Inform Future Research

“…Other international experts in the field, such as Masten, et al, in the United States, have provided ongoing, and particularly recent, detailed explorations of advancements in the theory, methods, and knowledge of resilience-based research in children and adolescents (e.g., [ 23 , 25 , 45 , 50 , 56 ]). In one of their most recent papers, Masten and colleagues outline a shortlist of resilience factors reported across studies that span individual, family, school, community, and organizational domains [ 23 ] ( Table 1 ). Similarly, in Australia a key agency for advancing mental health in Australia, Beyond Blue recently released a document to guide practitioners in building resilience in children [ 53 ].…”

“…Many operationalisations of resilience exist [ 15 , 16 ]; however, it is often referred to as dynamic, and multifactorial, involving the ability to maintain or return to a positive state of mental health by employing multiple internal or external assets and resources (i.e., protective factors) [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. A complex field, work in this space is diverse, with many prevention approaches adopted across relevant intervention studies internationally including: cognitive behavioural therapy; positive psychology; social and emotional learning; social skills; life skills; coping skills; interpersonal and self-management skills; psychological wellbeing therapy; the affective-behavioural-cognitive-dynamic (ABCD) model; mindfulness; and mental health promotion [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”