RESILIENCE - ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT

Resilience describes a process whereby people bounce back from adversi ty and go on with their lives, It is a dynamic process highly influenc ed by protective factors. Protective factors are specific competencies that are necessary for the process of resilience to occur, Competenci es are those healthy skills and abilities that the individual can acce ss and may occur within the individual or the interpersonal or family environment, Psychiatric-mental health nursing has always focused on m ental-health promotion and attempted to discern positive outcomes from adversity and states of wellness amidst difficult circumstances or se vere illness, Defining specific protective factors that facilitate men tal health in high-risk groups would enhance our position in today's h ealth care climate. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company