Loss, trauma, and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

Loss, trauma, and human resilience: have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?

George A Bonanno. Am Psychol. 2004 Jan.

Abstract

Many people are exposed to loss or potentially traumatic events at some point in their lives, and yet they continue to have positive emotional experiences and show only minor and transient disruptions in their ability to function. Unfortunately, because much of psychology's knowledge about how adults cope with loss or trauma has come from individuals who sought treatment or exhibited great distress, loss and trauma theorists have often viewed this type of resilience as either rare or pathological. The author challenges these assumptions by reviewing evidence that resilience represents a distinct trajectory from the process of recovery, that resilience in the face of loss or potential trauma is more common than is often believed, and that there are multiple and sometimes unexpected pathways to resilience.

((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

• On hardiness and other pathways to resilience.
  Maddi SR. Maddi SR. Am Psychol. 2005 Apr;60(3):261-2; discussion 265-7. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.261. Am Psychol. 2005. PMID: 15796684 No abstract available.
• The human capacity for growth through adversity.
  Linley PA, Joseph S. Linley PA, et al. Am Psychol. 2005 Apr;60(3):262-4; discussion 265-7. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.262b. Am Psychol. 2005. PMID: 15796685 No abstract available.
• Has resilience to severe trauma been underestimated?
  Litz BT. Litz BT. Am Psychol. 2005 Apr;60(3):262; discussion 265-7. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.262a. Am Psychol. 2005. PMID: 15796686 No abstract available.
• Conceptual clarifications in the study of resilience.
  Roisman GI. Roisman GI. Am Psychol. 2005 Apr;60(3):264-5; discussion 265-7. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.264. Am Psychol. 2005. PMID: 15796687 No abstract available.
• Natural resilience and innate mental health.
  Kelley TM. Kelley TM. Am Psychol. 2005 Apr;60(3):265; discussion 265-7. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.3.265a. Am Psychol. 2005. PMID: 15796689 No abstract available.
• What is the typical response to sexual assault? Reply to Bonanno (2013).
  Steenkamp MM, Litz BT, Dickstein BD, Salters-Pedneault K, Hofmann SG. Steenkamp MM, et al. J Trauma Stress. 2013 Jun;26(3):394-6. doi: 10.1002/jts.21804. J Trauma Stress. 2013. PMID: 23737299

Similar articles

• Resilience in the face of potential trauma: clinical practices and illustrations.
  Mancini AD, Bonanno GA. Mancini AD, et al. J Clin Psychol. 2006 Aug;62(8):971-85. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20283. J Clin Psychol. 2006. PMID: 16700017 Review.
• The human capacity to thrive in the face of potential trauma.
  Bonanno GA, Mancini AD. Bonanno GA, et al. Pediatrics. 2008 Feb;121(2):369-75. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-1648. Pediatrics. 2008. PMID: 18245429 Review.
• Resilience in the face of coping with a severe physical injury: a study of trajectories of adjustment in a rehabilitation setting.
  Quale AJ, Schanke AK. Quale AJ, et al. Rehabil Psychol. 2010 Feb;55(1):12-22. doi: 10.1037/a0018415. Rehabil Psychol. 2010. PMID: 20175630
• Childhood trauma and emotional reactivity to daily life stress in adult frequent attenders of general practitioners.
  Glaser JP, van Os J, Portegijs PJ, Myin-Germeys I. Glaser JP, et al. J Psychosom Res. 2006 Aug;61(2):229-36. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.04.014. J Psychosom Res. 2006. PMID: 16880026

Cited by

• The Spiritual Psychological Robustness Scale (SPRS): A New Measure for Assessing Spiritual and Psychological Strength in the Context of Turkish Culture.
  Okan N, Ekşi F. Okan N, et al. J Relig Health. 2024 Nov 14. doi: 10.1007/s10943-024-02175-5. Online ahead of print. J Relig Health. 2024. PMID: 39542979
• Enhancing nurse faculty resilience through self-leadership: guidelines for resource mobilization in dynamic academic environments.
  Matahela VE, van Rensburg GH. Matahela VE, et al. Front Psychol. 2024 Oct 29;15:1280561. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1280561. eCollection 2024. Front Psychol. 2024. PMID: 39534479 Free PMC article.
• Emotional resilience and sense of danger among doctors in hospitals during periods of heightened tensions and warfare in Israel.
  Joachim MV, Atia Joachim D, Korn L, Shapiro Y, Laviv A, Zigdon A. Joachim MV, et al. Isr J Health Policy Res. 2024 Nov 11;13(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s13584-024-00655-3. Isr J Health Policy Res. 2024. PMID: 39529161 Free PMC article.
• Proactive personality, social support and post-traumatic growth caused by COVID-19: mediating effect meaning in life in China.
  Yao Y, Wang P, Zhao K, Li Q, Li Y. Yao Y, et al. BMC Psychol. 2024 Nov 7;12(1):634. doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02156-z. BMC Psychol. 2024. PMID: 39511643 Free PMC article.
• Spirituality, Resilience and Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth Among Orthopedic Nurses in Nigeria.
  Chukwuorji JC, Aluma LC, Ibeagha PN, Eze JE, Agbo AA, Muomah RC, Okere AV, Zacchaeus EA. Chukwuorji JC, et al. J Relig Health. 2024 Nov 4. doi: 10.1007/s10943-024-02167-5. Online ahead of print. J Relig Health. 2024. PMID: 39495386

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • American Psychological Association
  • Ovid Technologies, Inc.

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information