Resilience Vs Psy

One must wonder how a person with Steve’s shocking childhood could grow into a man who is successful, not only in his career but in his personal life as well. Resilience theory is a possible explanation as to why Steve survived, despite the odds that were stacked against him. Resilience theory is a strength based approach which provides a framework that focuses on positive outcomes and not just the negative ones. The idea is that it promotes what works best while de-emphasizing psychopathology. Resilience theory defines resilience and possesses several key terms, which include protective/risk factors. Research on resilience has been valuable in directing attention toward youth who succeed in spite of high levels of stress and economic instability, as it identifies factors that can serve as protective functions which foster competence.

What are the short and long-term stressors impinging on this family? What strengths counterbalance these stressors? How is the family reacting to these stressors (identify functional and dysfunctional coping strategies)?

Resilience is a term that is often applied to those who have faced hardship and viewed the experience in a positive light as an opportunity to grow and change for the better (Wagnild & Collins, 2009). The definition however seems to vary from place to place. Ungar et al. (2008) stated “definitions of resilience are ambiguous when viewed across cultures" (p.174) which is why the understanding of resilience may be difficult to capture (as cited in Windle, Bennett & Noyes, 2011). Although the literature agrees on several common themes about resilience there are many varying opinions on how to define the concept or the attributing factors. Earvolino-Ramirez (2007) and

Michael M.C; Petit, Gregory S.; Bates, John E.; Dodge, Kenneth A.; & Lapp, Amie L. (2009). Family Adversity, Positive Peer Relationships and Children's Externalizing Behavior: a Longitudinal Perspective on Risk and Resilience. Child Development, 73(4), 1220-1237.

This has been commonality in children living in poverty, violence, and conditions where families struggle with having enough resources. Thompson believes because of plasticity and other brain and biological developments, the effects can be reversed. Thompson believes a familial and relational intervention can help underprivileged children reduce stress therefore reversing the potential effects of stress. Thompson suggests a “multigenerational” approach will give at-risk children the coping skills and the ability to handle on-going stressful conditions. This multi-generational approach would begin with the child’s immediate family and venture into extended family and caregivers. Many behavioral issues in children are precisely due to familial issues within the household and environmental issues. The article recognizes the nurturing of child can aid in reversing and reducing stress

In today’s modern society, there is no more “normal” families. Normal can no longer be defined because what we use to see as a typical family of a mom, dad, and kids is not the kind of family that most kids are being raised in. Today we have a variety of functioning families such as two same sex parents, and minority families. According to our textbook, how a particular family functions will depend on several variables. Starting with the culture in which the family originated from, the subgroup of that culture, the individual characteristics of family members, how the family adapts to stress, and how the family functions within their culture.

According to the chapter, family conflict is a risk that could cause unhealthy development where parental support and monitoring, and positive relationships with adults promote healthy development (Broderick, & Blewitt, 2014). A healthy family system promotes healthy development however there are many things that could upset the balance of the family system. Henson described an unhealthy family system as dysfunctional (Family Systems, 2017). He uses his own life story by describing how his mother left him and his father. This would make a family unbalanced as the role of the mother is no longer in the picture. With his father’s several remarriages, it caused him to carry anxiety into his adulthood. Anxiety can affect a child’s social development. A child that doesn’t have a stable mother figure could possibly grow up fearing women or may make their own relationships with women difficult. If a family is living in an abusive situation, that could affect the victim's emotional, spiritual, physical and social development. A child who gets abused by a parent could become more isolated. It could affect their self-esteem. Abuse can physically affect the development of a mother's unborn child. Another thing that could affect a family's spiritual development is the loss of a family member, or a home itself. Pain from a sudden loss doesn’t go away fast. It is something that can keep the family unbalanced for a long

The purpose of this analysis was to gather information from previous investigations on resilience from a variety of fields, synthesize the findings, and identify the critical attributes common to all. Then, filter through those attributes to find those distinct to an individual’s resilience and were necessary for resilience to take place.

On the other hand, circumstances and behaviours which lead to positive outcomes in the lives of some ‘at-risk’ adolescents are called protective factors. Resilience is the ability to access and mobilise protective resources that counteract risks (Rew & Horner, 2003). An important part of planning a response to an adolescent’s situation is to identify their needs. An assessment for these factors must be part of the screening process to facilitate early detection and health promotion in young people (Sanci et al., 2003).

In conclusion, one can clearly see the vast significance that the role of family plays in the physical, spiritual, social and cognitive development of an individual. The family unit is the training ground for life in the world at large and its impact can be either positive or negative. However there are several other factors at work in determining how an individual will handle their life regardless of the cards that they are dealt. For instance a child who grows up in a home where he has been the victim of psychological maltreatment may still have a chance

The resiliency framework can be used in research to understand how a healthy family functions in situations of risk and resilience. By using the resiliency framework we can also see which strengths a family processes under stress and examine a family’s ability to recover and grow out of adversity (Walsh, 2003). The framework was used in a study of the comparative analysis of parent-adolescent conflict, family cohesion, and self-esteem among Hispanic adolescents in immigrant families (Li & Warner, 2015). From using the research and data found in this study a better understanding of the frameworks successful use and limitations can be made.

Vulnerability and resilience among children continues to be a popular topic in research of developmental psychology. The two definitions are closely tied together as they are considered both sides to the spectrum. Schaffer (2006) defines vulnerability and resilience “as the susceptibility to develop malfunctioning following exposure to stressful life events, as opposed to the capacity to maintain competent functioning stress”. If stressful life events are the trigger here, why is it that some children are far more vulnerable, yet others are more resilient? The three studies discussed in this paper will attempt to explain why these differences occur and what can we do to enhance protective factors.

As time has progressed, researchers have learned of different ways to approach and help “at-risk” adolescents. As practitioners working with youth who lack social support at home it is important to implement both a strength based and community youth development approach, rather than just focusing on trying to “fix” adolescents. Not only do youth become resilient when faced with a challenge, but they also are able to showcase their assets and strengths while overcoming their challenges. Instead of denying young people opportunities, mentors and teachers are able to foster real hope that sometimes is not given at home. This is achieved by looking at adolescents as resources, taking negative labels off them,and building student-teacher relationships.

Although varying cultures have different family structures, practices, rituals, religions, and struggles cultures and ethnic groups appear to have quite similar common factors when describing resilient families. Overall, worldwide it is agreed that the importance and emphasis on family, “kin relationships, striving for satisfying parent-child relationships, family members meeting each other’s needs, and the family as a source of comfort and security” (Black & Lobo, 2008,

According to Salvador Minuchin’s family structural theory, a family can be functional or dysfunctional based on its ability to adapt to stressful or crisis situation, which includes extra-familial, idiosyncratic, and developmental (psychotherapy pdf). In this model, the healthy or functional families are considered to follow the hierarchy of power, typically with the parental subsystem on top, and the children subsystem at the bottom (psychotherapy pdf). When this subsystem boundaries are challenged or broken, it can lead to a dysfunctional family.