By  Javita  Narang,  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  

Executive  Summary  

Wright,  MOD.  &  Masten,  A.S.  (2005).  Resilience  Processes  in  Development.  in  S.  Goldstein  &  R.B.  Brooks  (Eds).  Handbook  of  Resilience  in  Children,  Chapter  2,  pp.17-­‐37  

Providing  a  brief  introduction  about  the  background  and  significance  of  resilience  research,  three  major  waves  of  resilience  research  over  the  past  three  decades  have  been  highlighted.    Resilience  Research:  Significance  and  Inception  According  to  Masten  (2001),  the  scientific  study  of  resilience  started  about  30  years  ago  when  it  was  recognized  that   some   subgroups   of   children  were   able   to   adapt   positively   against   adversity   or   factors   that   caused   risk   to  their  development.  The  focus  of  clinical  research  until  then  was  towards  understanding  negative  outcomes  such  as   pathology   and   problems   caused   due   to   risk   factors.   Some   such   risk   factors   that   pose   a   threat   to   positive  development  of   a   child   include  poverty,   neglect,  maltreatment,  war,   violence,   and  mental   illness  or   substance  misuse  among  parents.      The   resilience   research   brought   out   a   ‘revolution’   in   understanding   of   the   origins   of   psychopathology,   its  treatment  and  prevention  by  focusing  on  positive  developmental  pathways  such  as  good  outcomes  achieved  by  children,  particularly  considered  ‘at  risk’  to  psychopathology.      Emerging  Resilience  Framework:  Progression  in  Three  Major  Waves  over  past  three  decades    

   The  First  Wave:  Identifying  Individual  Resilience  and  Factors:  The  first  wave  in  resilience  research  is  marked  by:  • Development  of  the  phenomenon  of  resilience  • Clarification  and  consensus  over  the  basic  terms  and  key  concepts  used  in  resilience  research.  A  list  of  key  

terms  and  concepts  have  been  provided  in  the  paper  with  their  definitions  and  clarifications,  for  example,  ‘resilience’,   ‘adversity’,   ‘risk’,   ‘risk   factor’,   ‘cumulative   risk’,   ‘vulnerability’,   ‘protective   factor’,   ‘cumulative  protection’,  ‘developmental  tasks’,  ‘psychosocial  competence’,  and  other  such  terms  commonly  used.    

• Controversies   over   the   criteria   for   adaptation  by  which   resilience  would  be   judged   including  domains   of  functioning  and  assessment  of  outcomes  in  different  population  groups.        

• Identification   of   the   correlates   or   predictors   of   positive   adaptation   against   a   background   of   risk   or  adversity:   i.   Positive   or   promotive   factors   associated   with   better   adaptation   at   all   levels   of   risk,   and   ii.  Protective  factors  associated  with  positive  adaptation  at  high  levels  of  risk  or  adversity.    

• Understanding  of   a  developmental  perspective   in   resilience   studies   recognizing   that   children  at  different  developmental   stages   of   their   life   such   as   infancy,   childhood   or   adolescence,   might   have   different  vulnerabilities   and  protective   systems   around   them.   This   has   a   bearing   over   their   level   of   resilience   and  coping  in  the  world.    

 

By  Javita  Narang,  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  

     Person-­‐focused  and  variable-­‐focused  approaches  have  been  identified  to  explain  resilience  in  children.  Person-­‐focused   approaches   recognized   ‘resilient   individuals’   emphasizing   personal   traits   and   characteristics   that   help  them  function  well  compared  to  others  despite  vulnerability  or  risk.  Variable-­‐focused  approaches  highlighted  the  linkages  among  individual  characteristics  and  their  environments  that  lead  to  positive  outcomes  in  situations  of  high  risk  or  adversity.  By  the  end  of  the  first  wave,  a  common  set  of  broad  correlates  of  better  adaptation  among  ‘at   risk’   children  was   revealed   reflecting   ‘fundamental   adaptive   systems’   including   child   characteristics,   family  characteristics  and  environmental  (community  and  cultural  or  social)  characteristics.    The  Second  Wave:  Resilience  within  Developmental  and  Ecological  Systems:  The  progress   in  the  second  wave  marked  a  shift  from  the  individual  factors,  focusing  on:  • Processes  leading  to  development  of  resilience.    • Normative  and  pathological  development  with  the  emergence  of  developmental  psychopathology.    • Understanding   the   complex,   systemic   interactions   that   shape   both   pathological   and   positive   outcomes,  

emphasizing  resilience  as  a  complex  process  in  development.  • Integration   of   biological,   social   and   cultural   processes   into   models   and   studies   of   resilience,   leading   to  

contextualization  of  resilience  in  multiple  ways.    • Child-­‐context  relationships  and  interactions  reflecting  the  individual  differences  in  developmental.  • Pathways  and  contextual  variation  within  families,  communities,  societies,  cultures,  and  historical  periods.  • Internal  processes  reflecting  child’s  perception  and  interpretation  of  his  or  her  experiences.    

 Studies   emphasizing   contextual   specificity   of   protective   factors   and,   context-­‐specific   adaptation   have   been  reported   to   illustrate   processes   underlying   resilience.   Similarly   studies   highlighting   stability   and   changes   in  resilient  adaptation  over  time  illustrate  turning  points  in  individual’s  lives  and  possible  processes  that  can  operate  to  create  stability  or  change  in  resilient  adaptation.  This  points  towards  the  focus  on  healthy  versus  maladaptive  pathways  of  development  in  children  exposed  to  adversity  over  time.  Lastly,  potentially  damaging  consequences  of  viewing  resilience  as  an  individual  trait  have  been  discussed  including  the  tendency  to  blame  the  child  for  the  deficits  and  minimizing  the  significance  of  multiple  systems  of  interactions  influencing  the  child  including  cultural  influences.  Holistic  understanding  of  the  processes  that  foster  resilience  or  difficulties  has  been  emphasized.      The  Third  Wave:  Creating  Resilience  through  Preventive  Interventions:  The  focus  of  the  third  wave  has  been  on:  • Preventive  intervention  studies,  models  and  projects  to  foster  resilience  in  children  including  theory-­‐driven  

intervention  designs  to  increasing  experimental  studies  to  test  resilience  theory.      • Multifaceted   intervention   studies  designed   to  prevent  or   reduce   risky  behaviors,   delinquency,   and  other  

problems   in   children  as  well   as  early   childhood   interventions  planned   to   improve  poor  or  disadvantaged  living  conditions  of  children.    

• Interventions  and  multiple  strategies  aiming  to  promote  resilience  by  enhancing  success  in  developmental  tasks  and  reducing  risk  for  problem  behaviors.      

•  Interventions  for  reducing  risk  or  adversity  exposure,  boosting  resources,  or  mobilizing  protective  systems  in  order  to  bring  about  a  change  in  the  life  course  of  a  child  potentially  at  risk  for  psychopathology  or  other  problems.    

• Greater   need   for   research   to   understand   processes   that   underlie   successful   adaptation   in   adversity   is  emphasized  to  design  successful  interventions  for  promoting  resilience  in  vulnerable  children.    

 The   paper   concludes   with   the   recommendation   for   a   systematic   study   of   best   ways   to   translate   research   on  resilience  processes  into  effective  policies  and  programs  to  promote  resilience  and  well-­‐being  in  children.