Flexible Resources Key to Neighborhood Resilience for Children: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Child Development

Background:

• Neighborhoods are key targets for health promotion and resilience-building strategies, especially after societal disruptions like pandemics and climate events.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of unexpected shocks and adverse social conditions.
• Understanding Neighborhood Resilience is vital for developing effective upstream health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conceptually examine and describe the construct of Neighborhood Resilience.
• To identify key themes impacting neighborhood resilience from existing literature.
• To focus on the implications of neighborhood resilience for childhood development and trauma.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted.
• Searched MEDLINE (PubMed) and CINAHL (EBSCOhost) databases using terms related to resilience and neighborhoods.
• Analyzed 57 articles meeting inclusion criteria, extracting data on study purpose, origin, findings, and environmental factors.

Main Results:

• A positive relationship was found between neighborhood resource density, neighborhood resiliency, and individual resiliency.
• Findings specifically highlight the impact on pre-school and school-aged children (1.5-18 years).
• Neighborhood resilience for children involves preventing or mitigating childhood trauma and enhancing protective factors.

Conclusions:

• Neighborhood resilience is significantly influenced by the availability of flexible resources like knowledge, finances, power, and social connections.
• Effective neighborhood resilience strategies for children aim to prevent trauma and support healing.
• Investing in neighborhood resources is essential for fostering individual and community resilience in children.