Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives

In this paper, inspired by the plenary panel at the 2013 meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Dr. Steven Southwick (chair) and multidisciplinary panelists Drs. George Bonanno, Ann Masten, Catherine Panter-Brick, and Rachel Yehuda tackle some of the most pressing current questions in the field of resilience research including: (1) how do we define resilience, (2) what are the most important determinants of resilience, (3) how are new technologies informing the science of resilience, and (4) what are the most effective ways to enhance resilience? These multidisciplinary experts provide insight into these difficult questions, and although each of the panelists had a slightly different definition of resilience, most of the proposed definitions included a concept of healthy, adaptive, or integrated positive functioning over the passage of time in the aftermath of adversity. The panelists agreed that resilience is a complex construct and it may be defined differently in the context of individuals, families, organizations, societies, and cultures. With regard to the determinants of resilience, there was a consensus that the empirical study of this construct needs to be approached from a multiple level of analysis perspective that includes genetic, epigenetic, developmental, demographic, cultural, economic, and social variables. The empirical study of determinates of resilience will inform efforts made at fostering resilience, with the recognition that resilience may be enhanced on numerous levels (e.g., individual, family, community, culture).受2013年国际创伤应激研究学会（International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies）年会全体专题小组讨论的启发，由史蒂文·萨瑟克德（Steven Southwick）博士担任主席，联合多学科小组成员乔治·博纳诺（George Bonanno）、安·马斯坦（Ann Masten）、凯瑟琳·潘特-布里克（Catherine Panter-Brick）与雷切尔·耶胡达（Rachel Yehuda）博士，探讨了韧性（resilience）研究领域当前最紧迫的若干核心议题，具体包括：1. 我们应如何界定韧性；2. 影响韧性的关键决定因素有哪些；3. 新兴技术如何为韧性研究提供科学支撑；4. 提升韧性的最有效路径是什么。 这些多学科专家针对上述复杂问题给出了独到见解。尽管各位小组成员对韧性的定义略有分歧，但绝大多数提出的定义均包含“个体在经历逆境后，随时间推移仍能维持健康、适应性或整合性的积极功能状态”这一核心内涵。小组成员一致认为，韧性是一种复杂的心理构念，在个体、家庭、组织、社会与文化的不同语境下，其定义可能存在差异。 关于韧性的决定因素，学界达成共识：对这一构念的实证研究需采用多水平分析视角，涵盖遗传、表观遗传、发展、人口统计、文化、经济与社会变量等多个维度。韧性决定因素的实证研究将为韧性培育工作提供科学依据，同时需认识到，韧性可在多个层面（如个体、家庭、社区与文化层面）得到提升。