What is resilience?

When we hear the word resilience, we often picture someone who stays strong during difficult times and quickly “bounces back” afterwards. Yet resilience research presents a much broader picture. Resilience is not simply mental toughness or a fixed personality trait. It is a dynamic capacity to adapt to adversity, shaped by our biology, thinking, emotions, relationships, culture and the environment in which we live.

This becomes particularly interesting when we look beyond psychological resilience. Our ability to adapt can be understood across several interconnected dimensions. Biological factors, including genetics, epigenetics and brain reserve, contribute to the physical foundations of resilience. Cognitive factors influence our capacity to learn, solve problems and adapt our thinking. Psychological resources such as emotional regulation, self-awareness and coping strategies affect how we respond to difficult experiences. Social resilience comes from the relationships and communities around us, including family bonds, social connection and knowledge passed between generations.

None of these exists in isolation. Economic circumstances, pollution, climate, education, neighbourhoods and access to resources can all influence the conditions under which people are expected to adapt. This changes the question from “How resilient is this person?” to “What resources does this person have within themselves and around them?”

Culture adds another layer. Much of the traditional Western understanding of resilience has emphasized individual characteristics such as self-efficacy and personal coping. Yet this is not necessarily how resilience is understood everywhere.

The African philosophy of Ubuntu, for example, emphasizes interconnectedness, mutual support and collective well-being. In many Latin American contexts, familismo highlights the protective role of close family relationships. Communal coping approaches found in South Asian contexts similarly demonstrate how adversity can be navigated collectively rather than individually. These perspectives challenge the assumption that resilience means being able to handle everything yourself. Sometimes resilience is precisely about knowing who you can rely on.

Resilience also develops and changes throughout life. During childhood, responsive caregiving, nutrition, learning opportunities and stimulating environments can contribute to cognitive reserve and healthy development. In adulthood, work demands, relationships, caregiving responsibilities and social expectations introduce different challenges and resources. As we grow older, changes in the brain and body may increase vulnerability, but physical activity, cognitive engagement, social participation and a sense of purpose can continue to support resilience.

Even the way resilience is measured raises important questions. One widely used tool is the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), which assesses characteristics associated with adapting to adversity. However, measures developed within one cultural context may not fully capture how resilience is experienced elsewhere. Translating a questionnaire does not automatically translate the meaning behind its concepts.

Researchers are therefore exploring broader approaches. The WHO's intrinsic capacity framework, for example, considers cognition, mobility, vitality, sensory functioning and psychological well-being rather than focusing exclusively on psychological coping. Culturally adapted approaches can additionally incorporate family support, social belonging, community resources and traditional practices. Newer research is even examining physiological and real-world indicators through biological markers and wearable technologies that capture factors such as activity, sleep and patterns of stress recovery.

Perhaps the most important implication is that resilience should not become another expectation placed entirely on individuals. Teaching people how to regulate emotions, cope with stress and develop psychological resources can be valuable. But an individual cannot simply “cope better” with every environment.

Financial insecurity, unsafe living conditions, inequality, pollution or limited access to education and healthcare can continually place demands on a person's capacity to adapt. Resilience therefore also depends on families, organisations, communities and wider systems. The research increasingly points toward approaches that combine individual resources with cultural, biological, social and environmental conditions rather than treating resilience as an isolated psychological characteristic.

Maybe resilience is not best understood as how quickly we bounce back.

It may be better understood as the changing capacity to adapt, supported by the resources within us, between us and around us.

Reference:

Udeh-Momoh, C.T., Migeot, J., Blackmon, K. et al. Resilience and brain health in global populations. Nat Med 31, 2518–2531 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03846-w