[1] Individual resilience emerged primarily in the field of developmental psychopathology as scholars sought to identify the characteristics of children that allowed them to function "OK" after adversity.
The term resilience gradually changed definitions and meanings, from a personality trait[4][5] to a dynamic process of families, individuals, and communities.
[5] The concept of resilience has been heavily researched in adolescents and now includes specific character traits and behaviors known as protective and recovery factors.
[10][13][14] Currently, researchers are focused on specific interventions to increase resilience in the family unit, while considering related genetic and environmental factors.
Once thought of as simply a personality trait, resilience has become known as a dynamic process with many related factors that can change throughout an individual's life.
Family factors consist of stress management, emotion regulation skills, collaborative goal setting and problem solving.
[22][23] In contrast, individual factors that foster resilience include flexibility, use of social support, rebounding, high expectations, humor, self-efficacy, and self-esteem.
Protective factors that can be quantitatively measured include: celebrations, hardiness, time together, routines, traditions, communication, financial management, and health.
Card and Barnett (2015) discuss four key methodological issues in researching individual and family resilience: psychometric properties (reliability, validity, measurement equivalence), causality in the absence of experimental research, contrasting variable centered and person centered approaches, and the multilevel nature of family resilience.
Family functioning is also key in identifying basic elements in resilience, including such processes as cohesion, flexibility, open communication, problem-solving, and an affirming belief system.
This may include resources like providing financial security, practical assistance, social support, a basic sense of connectedness through kin and friendship networks, and religious or other group affiliations.
[22] With the current wars across the world, more military members are being deployed and are struggling with various issues such as: mental illness, substance abuse, difficulty with transitions, changes in roles, and ensuring their family is safe and healthy.
[36][40][41] The stress associated with the military can lead to depression if adequate coping mechanisms are not employed, or if the family does not possess the needed support or strength to adapt to stressors.
The Department of Defense has collaborated with positive psychology scientists to create the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program for members of the Army.
This project was created by a University of California, Los Angeles-Harvard intervention development team at a Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton.
Essentially FOCUS was created to supply education and skills training designed to aid with coping and deployment-related experiences for military parents and children.