Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Resilience is a critical element of sustained well-being. In order to build resilience, it is important for each person to understand how they respond to and cope with minor and major stressors. This paper analyzes how self-reported resilient individuals perceive stress and manage their emotions. This study utilizes an in-depth consultation with a medical expert and an experimental survey of 472 participants. In addition, this study investigates how resilient individuals appraise stimuli designed to elicit a stress response in randomized conditions of varying difficulty. Qualitative data from this study suggests those with high levels of resilience remain optimistic, practice calmness in the face of stress, accept uncertainty and employ adaptive coping strategies. Less resilient individuals, on the other hand, exhibit higher levels of anxiety, worry, fear and self-doubt, fixate on uncertainty and employ maladaptive coping strategies such as isolation or disassociation. Quantitative data suggests those with high levels of resilience appraised the stimuli as less stressful regardless of which condition they were assigned. Findings also indicate that the differences in individual stress appraisal, such as a predisposition to anxiety or negative emotions, exacerbate or amplify one’s appraisal of stressful stimuli. Finally, while positive emotional reactivity predicted higher levels of resilience, lower perceived stress predicted positive emotional reactivity, suggesting interconnectedness of the variables. Results from this study can be used to inform mental health interventions and health promotion strategies that reinforce adaptive coping, strengthen stress management skills and bolster positive emotional responses, thereby stimulating the development and enhancement of resilience.