Resilience and recovery

The theme for this article identifies a shift in psychological, psychoanalytic concern from an individualistic interpretation of human experience to one that offers a systemic approach to a child’s life. Resilience research departs from previous patterns in which psychological insight was grounded on what we knew about individuals in terms of their present and past experience. In describing resilience as a systemic approach, this article examines responses children make to trauma and loss, by looking at a whole world experience that shapes and informs those responses. Resilience research identifies external factors and internal characteristics of those children that develop their capacity to thrive under stressful conditions and recover after they have experienced loss. The purpose of the article is to show that, by understanding the capacities some children have for resilience, others might gain knowledge to continue more meaningful lives despite, or perhaps due to, a significant loss. In addition, that knowledge may inform and inspire the adults who care for them. The possibility of recovering from loss is a human potential: as Confucius said, ‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall’. Using several case studies, the author outlines the nature of resilience and picks out its role in recovery to make the point that resilience, i.e., doing well, despite adversity is an outcome of a set of interrelated components in a child’s life. The argument is made that resilience relies for its development on relationships among positive personal responses to crises, a caring family, and a civil community.