A cross-cultural comparison of resilience in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to continue the process of clarifying the concept of resilience in adolescence. At the completion of the first phase of this clarification process in 1997, it became evident that adolescents believed resilience hurt them more than helped them and encompassed such dimensions as self-protection and survival. To gain the broadest understanding of the adolescent's perception of resilience, this study qualitatively explored those perceptions from adolescents in varied socioeconomic and cultural environments. Using a focus-group format, we queried 40 adolescents from New England and Ghana about their perceptions of adversity, overcoming adversities, and resilience. The results indicated that irrespective of age, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status, all the adolescents believed that they were resilient; however, overcoming adversities and being resilient were different depending on the presence or absence of consistent, loving, caring, mentoring adults who helped the adolescent traverse the adversities of life. Those adolescents who were without such support systems (found predominately in the New England sample) showed survival and self-protective forms of resilience, whereas those with such support systems (found predominately in the Ghanaian sample) showed a connected form of resilience. Further research is needed; however, adolescents have given clear messages in two studies indicating that being resilient can hurt them as much as it may help them. When fostering resilience, consideration should be given to what kind of resilience is being fostered.