How can stress resilience be monitored? A systematic review of measurement in humans

Abstract

Stress resilience studies focus on resilience operationalised within the context of stressors. Currently, there is no clear operationalisation of stress resilience in humans. To identify and critically examine measures used to assess stress resilience. A systematic review of English and non-English articles using PubMed (including MEDLINE), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and CINAHL was conducted. No date limits were set. Search terms included stress resilience, resilience to stress, stress resilient, and humans. Studies were selected based on pre-determined eligibility criteria. Empirical, quantitative research studies that measured individual stress resilience in humans were eligible for inclusion in this review. Two researchers conducted independent extraction of articles based on predefined fields, focusing on types of measures used. A narrative synthesis was used to present the findings, structured around the types of instruments used and conceptual focuses of these measures. We identified a number of measures, both self-report and performance based. We highlight the heterogeneity in operationalisation of stress resilience and suggest that, in future, researchers’ state operationalised definitions of stress resilience overtly to decrease confusion.