Considering resilience in the rehabilitation of people with traumatic disabilities.

Abstract

Objectives: To provide discussion on (a) the construct of resilience in relation to people with traumatic injuries, (b) potential research directions, and (c) reliable and valid measures of resilience. Conclusions: Resilience as a construct is part of the "positive psychology" movement that focuses on identifying the strengths of an individual when faced with adversity rather than on his or her weaknesses (e.g., depression, anxiety). Although a universal definition does not exist, resilience is generally considered a multidimensional construct consisting of behaviors, thoughts, and actions, which can be learned overtime. Consequently, there is a growing body of literature examining resilience in different populations (e.g., children, older adults). However, there is a paucity of literature examining the resilience of individuals who have experienced a traumatic injury. Potentially, resilience and rehabilitation is a very fruitful line of research due to the extreme adversity individuals are faced with postinjury when dealing with the trauma of the injury and resultant impairments.

Lifetime exposure to adversity predicts functional impairment and healthcare utilization among individuals with chronic back pain

“…Nonetheless, understanding such mechanisms and their implications for pain management -the ultimate purpose of the present investigation -is necessary for developing individualized treatments and interventions. Promoting resilience may then become one focus of psychotherapeutic approaches [53]. Consistent with our data, resilience may not be attained by avoiding stress entirely, but instead by encountering and managing stressful situations, thereby fostering abilities to overcome subsequent, inevitable challenges during life [39].…”

Calidad de Vida Relacionada con la Salud y Factores Psicológicos: Un Estudio desde la Enfermedad Pulmonar Obstructiva Crónica - EPOC

“…Estos resultados llevan a pensar por un lado que los pacientes del estudio tienen habilidades y capacidades personales como de auto-confi anza, independencia, decisión, invencibilidad, poderío, ingenio, y por otro tienen capacidad de perseverancia, adaptabilidad, balance, fl exibilidad y una perspectiva de vida estable para lograr la auto aceptación tanto de sí mismo como de la vida a pesar de la adversidad (Connor & Davidson, 2003;Wagnild & Young, 1993). Numerosos estudios con enfermos crónicos han hecho relevante el papel de la resiliencia como factor protector ante circunstancias difíciles de la vida (Friborg, Hjemdal, Rosenvinge, Martinussen, Aslaksen, & Flaten, 2006;Rabkin, Remien, Katoff & Williams, 1993;White, Driver & Warren, 2008;Zautra, Johnson & Davis, 2005).…”

Resilience, self-esteem and self-compassion in adults with spina bifida

“…Even the extended CD-RISC, which incorporates broad constructs including affect, personal experience, spirituality and stress tolerance, has been criticised for not specifying the particular skills an individual should possess, or lack, to achieve resilience. 20 The final limitation is the reliance on self-reported questionnaires, which may include self-presentation and social desirability biases. However, given the wide sample base used in this study, this was considered to be the most efficient means of testing the proposed aims.…”