Resilience and Personality Disorders

No class on Wednesday; it follows a Friday schedule.
Grading will happen randomly over the next several days.
Grades can be posted online or shared after reviewing papers, based on student preferences.
The third exam will take place in room 380, not the regular classroom.

Resilience is a concept used to describe the ability of individuals to cope with adverse events or trauma.
It is not typically defined in textbooks, which makes it an essential topic of discussion.
Types of Resilience: Conducted through Individual Factors
- Process-based: Resilience develops as a response to challenges.
- Product-based: An inherent quality some individuals possess.
- Interactional: It is influenced by social relationships and interactions with other people.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The nature of resilience: It encompasses overcoming significant adversities rather than minor setbacks.

External factors (social relationships) and internal factors (individual traits) both play a role in resilience.
Individuals who have experienced similar childhood adversities can react differently, leading to varying outcomes regarding mental health.
There are common narratives about those who rise above poverty or misfortune to achieve success, illustrating resilience.

Important Points
- Resilience against trauma is associated with effective coping mechanisms.
- Resilience takes time, especially when dealing with cumulative stressors.
- Resilience can also be defined as the trait that enables individuals to continue pursuing their goals despite difficulties.
Resilience can be viewed as an overarching trait that encompasses qualities like perseverance, grit, and conscientiousness.
Quote by Ann Masten highlights resilience as a composite of innate qualities and social support systems, not magical traits.

Positive psychology focuses on understanding positive emotions that resilient individuals can cultivate.
Emphasizes accessing positive reactions from adverse experiences.
Coping with stressors effectively is linked to maintaining optimism and a forward-looking perspective.

Both significant single adversities and the accumulation of smaller everyday stressors affect resilience.
Resilience isn’t innate; it can be developed through experience.
Maintaining stability (homeostasis) during stressful periods is crucial to preserving resilience.

Social connections provide protective factors for resilience.
Strong social networks lead to better coping abilities. Studies show women often have more robust social networks.
Personal experiences, such as friendships in childhood, strongly correlate with future resilience.

Individual traits such as temperament, self-regulation, and humor affect resilience.
A sense of personal agency and confidence is critical in maintaining resilience.
Resilience can differ across situations; some people may be more resilient in certain areas of their lives and less so in others.

Resilience can fluctuate during significant developmental phases (e.g., transition from high school to college).
Important to recognize how resilience evolves over time due to life changes and experiences.

Resilience is situational and can change based on context and individual development.
It is essential to identify and focus on individual strengths in relation to resilience.
Always emphasize fostering resilience alongside understanding challenges in mental health.