ROLE OF RESILIENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH
Psychological resilience, often described as the 'bounce-back' ability, is the capacity to effectively adapt to trauma, adversity, danger, tragedy, or other significant stressors.
When faced with a difficult situation, such as losing a loved one, financial difficulties, health issues, or natural disasters, people with greater resilience are more likely to overcome negative emotions while maintaining a more positive,optimistic, and emotionally intelligent outlook on life, leading to personal growth and development.
IMPACT OF RESILIENCE ON ACADEMICS:
The health of young people is crucial for the future and development of a nation. It is the collective responsibility to enhance resilience in vulnerable populations and ensure holistic well-being. Elevated levels of resilience play a pivotal role in children's academic and emotional growth. As resilience increases the capacity to recover from challenging circumstances, it potentially enhances the psychological capabilities and social tendencies.
Research from 2022 has demonstrated a favorable association between psychological resilience and the effectiveness of the academic self. Therefore, building resilience among students is not just beneficial, but it is crucial. It helps them cope with stressful situations by reducing negative thoughts and risk of burnout, empowering them to achieve their full potential.
IMPACT OF RESILIENCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS:
According to the American Association of Psychology (APA), psychological resilience is the ability to be able to “bounce back” from stressful times. Recent studies link psychological resilience as a healthy coping method to various psychological and mental health concerns. It is a process of reintegrating into normal functioning after a traumatic experience, thereby aiding individuals in coping with stress and reducing negative feelings while enabling them to handle challenging situations.
A meta-analysis from 2024 showed that higher psychological resilience is a protective shield against the development of mood disorders, which are associated with reduced quality of life and increased suicide risk.The individuals suffering from mood disorders had lower psychological resilience scores than others, indicating that resilience can be a powerful tool in maintaining mental health and well-being.
LINK BETWEEN RESILIENCE AND GRATITUDE:
Embracing gratitude and actively acknowledging the positive aspects of our lives are powerful practices that can transform our overall well-being. Gratitude and psychological resilience emerge as complementary forces, underscoring the importance of being grateful in our daily lives and, in turn, improving resilience and well-being.
The results of a 2024 study revealed that those with high levels of resilience often find it easier to maintain a gratitude-oriented perspective, even in the face of challenges. This reciprocal relationship suggests that gratitude and psychological resilience reinforce each other.
AM I AT A HIGHER RISK OF ILLNESS IF MY RESILIENCE IS LOW?
Cognitive skills, the brain's tools for thinking, paying attention, processing information, and remembering, are not just academic concepts but practical tools we use every day. They constantly aid our thought processes and memory retention. There is a close connection between cognitive abilities and resilience. Analysis in 2023 suggested that in middle-aged individuals, greater levels of perceived stress and lower levels of psychological resilience were associated with a higher risk of dementia and poorer performance across all cognitive domains, specifically in attention and memory.
Mental health experts believe that anyone can strengthen their resilience and thus contribute to advancing health and, if ill, ease the illness, accelerate and facilitate healing.
A WORD FROM MENTAL NURTURING:
Resilience is a relatively new concept increasingly used in everyday conversation and across various disciplines. It is a complex multidimensional construct defined as the ability to adapt successfully to stress and adversity while maintaining normal psychological and physical functioning. Stress-related mental disorders are highly prevalent and pose a substantial burden on individuals and society. Good resilience prevents the onset of disease, provides good health, facilitates and accelerates healing, and provides productive life and a sense of well-being despite chronic illness.
Resilience is a learned trait, and you have the power to cultivate psychological resilience within yourself.
Few interventional studies indicated that psychotherapy interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, may improve psychological resilience. There is evidence to support that Mindfulness affects depression not only directly but also indirectly through the mediating effect of psychological resilience. Meditation fosters resilience as it cultivates a calm mind and a more profound self-awareness, empowering us to rise above challenges.
RESOURCES:
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2. Zhang J, Zheng S, Hu Z, Wang J. Effects of mindfulness on depression in college students: mediating role of psychological resilience and moderating role of gender. BMC Psychol. 2024 Jan 16;12(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s40359-023-01468-w. PMID: 38229195; PMCID: PMC10790462.
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Written by:
Dr.Saba Munir, MBBS,
On January 29, 2025
