Building Resilience In Fragile People

Fiona WilliamsEducational Psychologist

04/10/11

AimsWhat are protective and risk factors and why are

they important in understanding human development?

What is resilience?

Why are some people more successful than others at resisting and overcoming stressful episodes?

How can we promote resilience in friends / colleagues?

Personal dimensions of mental, emotional and social health

Self esteem Emotional wellbeing

Thinking clearly

Ability to grow Resilience

Ability to make

relationships

Mental, Emotional & Social HealthK Weare (2000)

COMMUNITY(including school / workplace / church)

FAMILY

CHILD

ecological model of child development

Protective & Risk Factors

What helps?What are the

protective factors in life?

CommunityFamily Self

What hinders?What are the stress

factors in life?

Community Family Self

Child Risk Factors

Genetic influencesLow IQ Learning disabilityCommunication

difficulty

Difficult temperamentPhysical illnessAcademic failureLow self esteem

Risk Factors in the Family°

Overt parental conflictFamily breakdownInconsistent disciplineHostile and rejecting Unable to adaptAbuse Poor attachment

resulting in poor internal model

Death and loss Parental psychiatric

illnessCriminality,

alcoholism or personality disorder in parents

°Risk factors that existed in the past can still have adverse effects even if home setting has changed.

Internal working model

The early emotional and social experiences that we have help us to construct an internal working model of relationships that affects the way we relate to the external world.

Internal working model

Not all people will carry positive internal models in their minds and consequently may view the world as a hostile and threatening place and themselves as bad or worthless.

Risk Factors Environment

Socio-economic disadvantageHomelessnessDisasterDiscriminationOther significant life events

Resilience

Resilience:- With your

neighbour take 5 mins what do you think this means ?

Resilience

Normal development under difficult conditions

Three types of resilient individuals

Those who do not succumb to adversity in spite of their high risk status

Those who develop coping strategies in situations of chronic stress

Those who have suffered extreme trauma and who recover and prosper

Masten, A et al (1990)

Secure Attachment

Secure Attachment

Ability to plan &problem solve

Ability to plan &problem solve

Religious beliefs& capacity to

reflect.

Religious beliefs& capacity to

reflect.

Easy Temperament

Easy Temperament

Sense of humour

Sense of humour

Intelligence &communication

skills

Intelligence &communication

skills

Resilience Resilience

Resilience Factors: In Child

AffectionAffection

Authoritative supervision

Authoritative supervision

Support foreducation

Support foreducation

Supportive Marriage /partnership

Supportive Marriage /partnership

Absence of severe discord

Absence of severe discord

Unconditional lovefrom one family

member

Unconditional lovefrom one family

member

Resilience Resilience

Resilience Factors: In Family

Good housing Good housing

High moraleHigh morale

Environments with

supportive policies

Environments with

supportive policies

Environments with strong academic/

non-academicopportunities

Environments with strong academic/

non-academicopportunities

Range of positive sport &

leisure

Range of positive sport &

leisure

Opportunities for meaningfulparticipation

Opportunities for meaningfulparticipation

Resilience Resilience

Resilience Factors: In Environment

Domains of ResilienceDaniel & Wassell 2002

Model of developing resilience (Grotberg, 1997)

‘I HAVE’ (external supports and resources which promote resilience)

‘I CAN’ (social and emotional competencies)

‘I AM’ (internal and personal attributes)

The Resilience-Building Environment

In groups, focus on aspects of Grotberg’s model of resilience I HAVE (‘secure base’, ‘friendships’)I CAN (‘education’, talents and interests’)I AM (‘positive values’, ‘social competencies’)

For that particular aspect, think of ways in which you could promote resilience in your workplace / family etc