Resilience: The New Potential for Facing Tough Times

Abstract

Although there are many definitions of resilience, the most widely accepted description of the term is the dynamic process of positive attitudes and practical responses that a person uses in reaction to stresses and obstacles in life, or the capacity to persevere through hardship (Jensen et al., 2008). Resilience is defined as "the process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening conditions" (Masten et al., 1990, p. 425). Other definitions of resilience, according to The American Psychological Association, is the ability to adjust oneself in the face of difficulty, tragedy, trauma, or severe sources of stress, such as problems with one's family, relationships, health, finances, or interpersonal disputes at work.