Elements of Dynamics V: Resiliency and the Narrative

Abstract

Although clinicians and researchers are increasingly interested in understanding mental health, the systematic study of resiliency presents unique problems. Constructs of mental health have been used in epidemiologic, population-based studies of wellness. Sociability, self-efficacy, and a sense of meaning appear to be common attributes of resilient people. These attributes seem to benefit individuals over time and despite hardships. Yet research that identifies particularly resilient cohorts may have limited generalizability. Furthermore, constructs of mental health may not capture the variety and dynamism of adaptive coping. Person-centered research methods such as psychoanalytic case studies and ethnographies can supplement population-based studies of resiliency with valuable context and detail. Examples are given of narrative-based studies of resiliency.