How Can a Majority Be Resilient? Critiquing the Utility of the Construct of Resilience Through a Focus on Youth in Contexts of Political Conflict

Barber, Brian K.; Doty, S. Benjamin

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-6375-7_17

Cited by 13 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Empirical investigation of protective and risk factors can assist with the testing and development of effective multimodal interventions. While resilience is defined differently by various authors (Barber & Doty, 2013;Hoge, Austin, & Pollack, 2007), we refer to this construct as positive adaptation in the context of severe adverse circumstances (Luthar, Cicchetti, & Becker, 2000;Hooberman, Rosenfeld, Rasmussen, & Keller, 2010). Research has demonstrated that protective factors increasing resilience such as adaptive coping styles, social support, and community engagement may mitigate the negative effects of trauma and reduce psychological impairment (Başoğlu, Paker, Özmen, Taşdemir, & Şahin, 1994;Bonanno, 2004;Hooberman et al, 2010).…”

Section: Protective and Risk Factors -Moderating Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Chronic Traumatic Stress Framework: A conceptual model to guide empirical investigation and mental health treatment for refugees and survivors of torture

Fondacaro

Mazzulla²

2018

Torture

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An increasing number of refugees and survivors of torture resettled in the United States are presenting to clinics for treatment related to trauma and postmigration difficulties. Although clinicians experienced in treating trauma with diverse populations may recognize the limitations of a PTSD diagnosis, one of the primary diagnoses received by refugees and survivors of torture remains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A variety of interventions exist (e.g., supportive, trauma specific, interdisciplinary including physical, social and psychological) for survivors of torture and trauma that move beyond this diagnosis, however, a unifying conceptual model is needed to guide treatment and further the empirical investigation and evidence base in this growing field. In this paper, we propose a broader biopsychosocial framework of the impact of traumatic war events including the measurement of stress related to post migration living difficulties, and daily hassles while highlighting the importance of protective and risk factors. Intervention outcomes emphasize resilience, physical well-being, and mental well-being, along with traumatic stress symptoms. We describe Chronic Traumatic Stress (CTS) as an integrated and unifying framework which provides guidance for the growing number of providers conducting assessment andintervention with refugees and survivors of torture. We also highlight that this model is specifically designed for empirical testing.

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Section: Protective and Risk Factors -Moderating Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Chronic Traumatic Stress Framework: A conceptual model to guide empirical investigation and mental health treatment for refugees and survivors of torture

Fondacaro

Mazzulla²

2018

Torture

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“…The discordance of this exceptionalist view of resilience with another thread in the resilience literatures – that resilience is more normative – will be discussed below. Suffice it for the moment to make the point that basic conceptualizations of resilience (particularly, resistance) imply that it reflects uncommon imperviousness to expected injury or an unusual ability to quickly recover from it (Barber & Doty, ).…”

Section: Defining Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…As we wrote elsewhere: ‘it begs the fundamental question of how it is possible for a majority to be resilient. That is, if resilience defines a unique group of individuals – a group that would be of even smaller size because of the severity of the risks it is exposed to – then it is logically untenable for the group to also be characterized a majority.’ (Barber & Doty, )…”

Section: The Discordance Between Expectations and Research Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…That is, if resilience defines a unique group of individualsa group that would be of even smaller size because of the severity of the risks it is exposed tothen it is logically untenable for the group to also be characterized a majority.' (Barber & Doty, 2013) Instead, the research findings are consistent with a different thread within the resilience literatures that suggests that such functioning is far more ordinary than it is unusual (Bonanno, 2004(Bonanno, , 2008, even in contexts of severe adversity (Masten, 2001). Here, rather than being unique or unexpected, resilience is construed as a defining feature of life (Richardson, 2002); as intrinsic recovery, a fundamental characteristic of normal coping, not a sign of exceptional strength (Bonanno, 2008); and that majorities of people exposed to potentially traumatic events exhibit stable, healthy functioning (Hoge et al, 2007;Westpahl & Bonanno, 2007).…”

Section: The Discordance Between Expectations and Research Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Annual Research Review: The experience of youth with political conflict – challenging notions of resilience and encouraging research refinement

Barber

2013

Child Psychology Psychiatry

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178

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Researchers and practitioners interested in employing resilience as a guiding construct will face such questions: Is resilience predicated on evidence of competent functioning across the breadth of risks associated with political conflict, across most or all domains of functioning, and/or across time? In reality, youth resilience amidst political conflict is likely a complex package of better and poorer functioning that varies over time and in direct relationship to social, economic, and political opportunities. Addressing this complexity will complicate the definition of resilience, but it confronts the ambiguities and limitations of work in cross-cultural contexts.

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“…While ecological perspectives critique the definition of resilience as uncommon and unexpected, much contemporary research on resilience still risks underestimating children's competence in adjusting to trauma and the natural self-orientation of the human being to 'ease-' rather than 'disease'-oriented responses to extreme adversities such as war and political violence (Barber and Doty, 2013). In other words, the construct of resilience may still represent a strong reaction to 'high risk' and severe threat that is differentiated from normative well-being and competent positive adjustment (Barber, 2013;Fergus and Zimmerman, 2005).…”

Section: The Western Stereotype Of Child Vulnerability: Going Beyond mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘When the doors of Hell close’: Dimensions of well-being and positive adjustment in a group of Palestinian children living amidst military and political violence

Veronese

Castiglioni

2013

Childhood

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Palestinian children living amidst political and military violence are often labeled as affected by post-traumatic stress syndromes. Some researchers report that a majority of Palestinian children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and other stress-related psychiatric impairments in the wake of military incursions and bombings. On the other hand, data from field research and clinical experience show that these children continue to display positive functioning in terms of adjustment to trauma, despite the adverse environmental conditions. This article reports on qualitative research with children from two refugee camps in the West Bank, Occupied Palestinian Territories: Nur Shams and Tulkarm. Thematic content analysis was applied to narratives and written materials produced by 74 school-age children during two summer camps held in the Tulkarm region in 2010 and 2011. The aims of the study were: (a) to explore the domains of well-being that help children cope with violence and insecurity and (b) to investigate whether experiential activities focused on emotional and relational competences influenced children's selfperceived well-being. Personal, environmental, micro-and macro-social factors were identified as playing a role in well-being. The article discusses the limitations of the study and its implications for clinical and community work with children exposed to political and military threat.

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How Can a Majority Be Resilient? Critiquing the Utility of the Construct of Resilience Through a Focus on Youth in Contexts of Political Conflict

Cited by 13 publications

References 106 publications

The Chronic Traumatic Stress Framework: A conceptual model to guide empirical investigation and mental health treatment for refugees and survivors of torture

The Chronic Traumatic Stress Framework: A conceptual model to guide empirical investigation and mental health treatment for refugees and survivors of torture

Annual Research Review: The experience of youth with political conflict – challenging notions of resilience and encouraging research refinement

‘When the doors of Hell close’: Dimensions of well-being and positive adjustment in a group of Palestinian children living amidst military and political violence

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