What is Resilience?

The Definition of Resilience

There are many definitions for the concept of resilience which centre around having reduced vulnerability to environmental risks (Rutter 2012), having the capacity to withstand and recover from significant challenges (Masten 2011), or being able to achieve a relatively positive outcome despite risk experiences (Zolkoski & Bullock 2012).

Brenda Myles’ definition of resilience is, however, similar to The American Psychology Association who define resilience as:

“The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress… in other words, resilience means ‘bouncing back’ from difficult experiences.”

As highlighted by The American Psychology Association:

“Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone”.