This research project used a positive deviance approach to identify Mexican immigrant women (MIW) who have experienced great stress and who have positive mental health indicators in order to determine the factors behind their resilience and coping skills. Signposts, strengths and resources contributing to positive mental health are identified and described. The resilience of participants in this study emerged as a very dynamic phenomenon. A series of internal assets helped these women find meaning, purpose and build resilience. Social networks, families, positive attitudes, and purposeful behaviors determine the strengths and well-being of this group. This may be the first exploration of the mental health assets of MIW. Although the purposive sample in the study limits the generalization of its results, the specificity of its population is a clear point of comparison and reference. The study has implications for the design of health promotion interventions with individuals of Mexican shared ancestry.
In this article, we describe habits that lead to resilience. We summarize empirical findings of two projects implemented with people living in the U.S.–Mexico border region that illustrate how when facing adversity, some individuals devise simple, uncommon strategies that through practice become habits and help them adapt positively. The studies discussed used a positive deviance inquiry framework. Positive deviance focuses on finding statistical outliers—those who are successful in the face of intractable problems without the use of special resources. As an inquiry framework, positive deviance enables identification of replicable behaviors that become habits and offer an avenue for behavioral change and the cocreation of sustainable interventions. The positive deviance approach has many potential applications in public health and is a useful framework for health promotion practitioners and researchers working in diverse settings.
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