Emotional Resilience: What Psychology Research Describes About Building It
Emotional resilience is a frequently discussed concept in mental health and psychology. This summary pulls from psychology research, mental health resources, and published studies to describe what resilience is, what contributes to it, and what evidence-based practices support its development.
This article does not claim personal experience with resilience or adversity. The information below reflects what published psychological research and resources describe.
What Resilience Is
The APA’s resilience resources define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. Reviews consistently note that resilience involves:
- Bouncing back from difficult experiences
- Adapting and continuing forward despite ongoing challenges
- Maintaining functioning under stress
- Growing from adversity (in some cases)
The research on resilience has evolved from earlier views that saw it as a fixed personal trait to current views that see it as a process influenced by multiple factors that can be developed.
What Contributes to Resilience
The published research consistently identifies several factors that contribute to resilience:
Social support: Reviews consistently identify strong social connections as one of the most important protective factors. The APA’s resilience resources emphasize that supportive relationships buffer against many stressors.
Cognitive factors: How people interpret adversity affects resilience. Reviews note that flexible thinking, realistic optimism, and the ability to find meaning in difficult experiences are associated with resilience.
Emotional regulation: The capacity to manage emotional responses without being overwhelmed is consistently identified as important. Reviews note this is a skill that can be developed.
Self-efficacy: Belief in one’s ability to cope with challenges is associated with resilience. Reviews note this develops through experiences of overcoming manageable difficulties.
Purpose and meaning: Connection to purposes beyond oneself (relationships, values, causes) is consistently associated with resilience. Reviews note this is a particularly important factor during significant adversity.
Physical health: Physical health behaviors (sleep, exercise, nutrition) support the physiological and psychological resources needed for resilience. Reviews note the mind-body interaction.
Problem-solving skills: Practical ability to address problems rather than feeling helpless. Reviews consistently note this is both a learned skill and a resilience factor.
What the Evidence Supports
Published research on resilience and its development includes:
Prospective studies: Reviews consistently note longitudinal studies showing that the factors identified above predict better outcomes following adversity, including bereavement, medical conditions, and trauma exposure.
Intervention studies: Reviews note that interventions targeting specific factors (cognitive, emotional regulation, social connection) have shown effects on resilience-related outcomes in various populations.
Military and first-responder research: Reviews consistently note extensive research on resilience in high-stress occupations, with particular focus on pre-deployment training and post-deployment adjustment.
Trauma research: Reviews note research on resilience following trauma exposure, with most individuals showing resilience trajectories even after significant traumatic events.
Common Misconceptions
The published literature consistently addresses several misconceptions about resilience:
- “Toughing it out”: Reviews consistently note that resilience is not about suppressing emotional responses or refusing help. Healthy emotional processing and social connection are resilience factors.
- “Bouncing back quickly”: Reviews note that resilience timelines vary widely; some people need longer to recover, and that’s also resilience.
- “Being positive”: Reviews consistently note that toxic positivity or forced optimism is not resilience. Resilience includes acknowledging difficulty while maintaining function.
- “Self-reliance”: Reviews note that social support is one of the strongest predictors of resilience, contradicting self-reliance narratives.
Building Resilience
Mental health resources consistently describe several evidence-based practices for building resilience:
Building and maintaining connections: Reviews consistently note this is one of the most evidence-supported approaches. Joining groups, maintaining relationships, and asking for help are practical actions.
Crisis reframing: Reviews note that reappraising difficult situations in ways that acknowledge difficulty while finding meaning or growth is associated with resilience outcomes.
Self-care practices: Reviews consistently note that sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress management practices support the physiological foundation for resilience.
Goal-setting and action: Reviews note that taking action on achievable goals, even in difficult times, supports resilience. The specific goals can be small and incremental.
Developing self-compassion: Reviews consistently note that self-compassion practices (related to but distinct from self-esteem) are associated with resilience. Self-criticism during difficulty is consistently identified as a resilience obstacle.
Mindfulness practices: Reviews note that mindfulness-based practices support resilience through improved emotional regulation and reduced rumination.
Considerations for Specific Populations
Research on resilience has identified some population-specific considerations:
Children and adolescents: Reviews consistently note that supportive caregiving, school environments, and community connections are particularly important for developing resilience in young people.
Older adults: Reviews note that resilience factors for older adults include maintaining social connections, physical activity, and finding meaning in life transitions.
First responders and military: Reviews consistently note that pre-deployment preparation, peer support, and post-deployment reintegration are particularly important in these populations.
Chronic illness: Reviews note that resilience in the context of chronic illness involves adaptation, finding meaning, and maintaining valued activities alongside illness.
Caregivers: Reviews consistently note that caregiver resilience involves maintaining self-care, social connection, and realistic expectations alongside caregiving demands.
Limitations
Some limitations in the published research on resilience:
- Many studies are correlational; causal claims are limited.
- Cultural variations in what constitutes resilience are not always well represented in the predominantly Western research base.
- Individual variation in factors that contribute to resilience is substantial.
- Long-term effects of resilience interventions are less studied than short-term.
What the Evidence Does Not Support
There are claims about resilience that outrun the evidence:
- That any specific factor is universally necessary. Reviews note resilience is multifactorial and individual.
- That resilience can be built quickly. Reviews consistently note that resilience develops over time through sustained practices and experiences.
- That resilience means avoiding distress. Reviews note that appropriate emotional responses to difficulty are part of resilience, not opposed to it.
Resources and Programs
Several evidence-based programs for building resilience have been developed:
- Master Resilience Training (MRT): Developed for the U.S. Army. Reviews consistently note this is among the most-studied resilience programs.
- Penn Resiliency Program: Developed for adolescents. Reviews note specific evidence for this age group.
- Bounce Back Now: Designed for various populations. Reviews note some evidence for adult populations.
- Mindfulness-based programs: MBSR and similar programs are often described as supporting resilience. Reviews note this is part of their documented effects.
Sources and Further Reading
- The APA’s resources on resilience.
- Published resilience research, indexed in PubMed Central.
- SAMHSA’s mental health resources.
These references are publicly verifiable, and the claims in this article are drawn from this kind of public material. No claim is based on personal experience with resilience or adversity.