Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
05:03
Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
Published on: December 15, 2023
Resilience to loss and potential trauma.
George A Bonanno1, Maren Westphal, Anthony D Mancini
1Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA. gab38@columbia.edu
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
|November 25, 2010
Summary
Most people show resilience after potentially traumatic events (PTEs), not dysfunction. Resilience arises from multiple factors, and interventions may enhance this capacity.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Traditional research on loss and potentially traumatic events (PTEs) often uses psychopathological or event-based approaches.
- These methods have limitations in capturing the diverse individual responses to trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent research on the heterogeneity of outcomes following aversive events.
- To identify prototypical outcome patterns and predictors of resilience after PTEs.
- To critically evaluate the efficacy of resilience-building interventions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of traditional research findings.
- Application of sophisticated latent trajectory modeling.
- Review of studies on predictors of resilient outcomes.
Main Results:
- The most common outcome after PTEs is a stable trajectory of resilience or healthy functioning.
- Resilience is predicted by multiple independent factors, not a few dominant ones.
- Research indicates a need for further investigation into the effectiveness of resilience-building interventions.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the heterogeneity of responses to PTEs is crucial.
- Resilience is a multifaceted outcome with diverse predictors.
- Future research should focus on the impact and effectiveness of interventions designed to foster resilience.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Bonanno's Theory of Grieving
Grieving is a complex psychological and emotional process that varies significantly among individuals. George Bonanno's research on bereavement identified four distinct patterns of grieving, offering a nuanced understanding of how people cope with significant loss, such as the death of a spouse, over extended periods. These patterns — resilience, recovery, chronic dysfunction, and delayed grief — highlight the diversity in emotional responses and adaptive mechanisms.
Resilience
The resilience...
Resilience
The resilience...
01:20Traumatic Memory
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual remembers mundane...
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
01:30Unrealistic Optimism Bias
Unrealistic optimism bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes. This cognitive bias makes individuals believe they are less likely to experience failures, setbacks, or risks and more likely to succeed than others. For example, people may assume they are less prone to health issues, accidents, or financial struggles than their peers, even when they share similar risk factors.One key component of this bias is the above-average effect, where individuals perceive...
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...