Youth Conceptualization of Resilience Strategies in Four Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

The concept of resilience is increasingly influential in the development of interventions and services for young people, yet there is limited knowledge of how resilience-building strategies are conceptualized by young people across different cultures, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to capture 274 young people’s voices in disadvantaged communities in Kenya, Turkey, Pakistan, and Brazil through participatory research methods. Young people defined strategies in response to 4 adversity scenarios reflecting socioecological systems (young person, family, school, and community). Template analysis, underpinned by thematic design, was used to establish three broad themes of intrapersonal (self-management, cognitive re-appraisal, agency), interpersonal (social engagement, informal supports, formal supports), and religious resources. Proposed strategies were largely similar across the sites, with some contextual differences depending on the scenario (stressor) and cultural group. The findings support an ecological systems approach to resilience, which is consistent with the development of multimodal interventions for vulnerable youth and their families in disadvantaged communities in low- and middle-income countries.

Disruptions, adjustments and hopes: The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on child well‐being in five Majority World Countries

“…Children's exposure to loss of life, both in their immediate environments and globally, also caused distress. Many of these children are unlikely to access help, given the limited mental health facilities in MWCs (Vostanis et al, 2020 ).…”

Youth and professional perspectives of mental health resources across eight countries

“…This evidence also shows that available informal and formal support usually consist of extended family, community forums and networks, schools, primary health clinics, social and sports activities ( Clark et al, 2018 , Panigrani et al, 2018 ). Indeed, youth in four GSC were found to utilize internal and informal rather than formal and structural resources when faced with trauma-inducing scenarios ( Vostanis et al, 2020 ). If services are to engage and actively involve youth, their perspectives need to be understood in conjunction with those of professionals and other providers across a range of cultures and systems.…”