Promoting resilience in families experiencing stress

All families experience many different life events, strains, and hassles over their life spans. Stress emerges in the family when demands exceed capabilities. When this imbalance persists and becomes larger, children and other family members often show signs and symptoms of distress, including health-related problems. Pediatricians are increasingly called on to evaluate this situation and to be helpful to stressed families and their children. A family assessment model is presented to aid pediatricians in helping families to identify the sources and degree of stress they are experiencing, and even more importantly, to facilitate their ability to discover and use their own strengths and resources. The goal for the pediatrician is to promote balance and resilience in families, which, in turn, will contribute to better health and functioning in children.