Table 3.
Operationalized definitions of resilience by article included in the review
| Author (year) | Resilience model | Operationalized definition of resilience |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative, cross‐sectional or longitudinal studies (n = 35) | ||
| Castellano‐Tejedor and Lusilla‐Palacios (2017) 58 | Hybrid (trait–process) | A range of thoughts, feelings and behaviours and a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity; it is also considered a personality characteristic that moderates the negative effects of stress and promotes adaptation |
| Senturk et al. (2018) 59 | Trait | The ability of a person to successfully overcome and adapt to negative conditions despite the difficult circumstances; satisfaction with social network and social support, psychological well‐being, strength and a healthy life |
| Garity (1997) 76 | Trait | A personality trait or characteristic that moderates the negative effects of stress and promotes adaptation; persons who display courage or adaptability in the face of adversity |
| Scholten et al. (2020) 60 | Trait | Psychological factor related to psychological distress |
| Brickell et al. (2020) 77 | Process | Core concepts of adversity and personal adaptation; the concept of personal adaptation allows for resilience to be a flexible rather than fixed process and may be modified over time as the individual adapts |
| Simpson and Jones (2013) 91 | Process | A multidimensional construct constituting a range of thoughts, feelings and behaviours; a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity |
| Cousins et al. (2013) 61 | Trait | The characteristic way in which people approach and cope with life events, described in terms of three related tendencies: commitment, where behaviour is influenced by the meaning and purpose seen in a situation; control, the ability to make one's own choices in a situation; and challenge, the tendency to perceive life events as opportunities for development, rather than threats |
| Elnasseh et al. (2016) 62 | Process | A psychological phenomenon characterized by effective coping and adaptation in the face of loss, hardship or adversity; a protective factor; and personal strength |
| Ertl et al. (2019) 63 | Trait | An individual's ability to adapt, persevere and maintain emotional equilibrium despite adversity; psychological strength |
| Fitzpatrick and Vacha‐Haase (2010) 78 | Hybrid (trait–process) | Resilient individuals are able to confront a crisis successfully and engage in positive behaviour to adjust coping strategies for effective adaptation to the situation; a multidimensional construct involving not only psychological traits but also the individual's ability to use external sources to facilitate coping |
| Kimura et al. (2019) 87 | Hybrid (trait–process) | A dynamic and complex construct that involves the interaction of both risk and protective factors, internal and external to the individual, that act to modify the effects of an adverse life event; a protective factor that enhances health by buffering the deleterious effects of stress |
| Ruisoto et al. (2020) 64 | Hybrid (trait–process) | A control‐related intrapsychic variable that may promote a more successful adaptation to care demands; personality trait, but broader approaches underline the importance of relational and situational contexts for resilience behaviour |
| Scott (2013) 46 | Process | A characteristic or developmental process in individuals that, when activated, aids in thwarting the effects of social conditions that can lead to impaired daily functioning |
| Pessotti et al. (2018) 88 | Trait | One's capacity for successful adaptation when faced with the stress of adversity; not invulnerability to stress, but, rather, the ability to recover from negative events |
| Wilks and Vonk (2008) 79 | Trait | Implies a track record of successful adaptation in the individual who has been exposed to stressful life events, and an expectation of continued low susceptibility to future stressors; reflects an outcome strength, that is, the ability to recover from the stressor successfully |
| Rosa et al. (2020) 90 | Trait | One's capacity for successful adaptation when faced with the stress of adversity |
| Chan et al. (2019) 83 | Trait | Successful adaptation and competence that results in effective functioning in the face of stressful situations |
| Dias et al. (2016) 89 | Trait | One's capacity for successful adaptation when faced with the stress of adversity; facilitates adaptation by enabling one to identify what is stressful, realistically appraise one's capacity for action and solve problems effectively; considered as a personality characteristic |
| Serra et al. (2018) 65 | Trait | The abilities and personal resources of individuals that allows them to successfully deal with adverse situations |
| Sutter et al. (2016) 47 | NR | Relates to positive coping strategies, lower depressive symptoms and positive psychosocial variables |
| Jones et al. (2018) 48 | Process | The process of adaptation to distress and is associated with the caregiver's ability to draw on personal assets in combination with the availability, suitability and use of community and societal resources |
| Jones, Killett et al. (2019a) 55 ; Jones, Woodward et al. (2019b) 49 | Process | 2019a |
| Multidimensional concept that embodies personal qualities and external support systems that enable one to thrive in the face of adversity | ||
| Process | 2019b | |
| Positive adaptation to stressful situations and encompasses both individual characteristics and extrinsic factors, including social support from their family and the wider community | ||
| Wilks et al. (2011, 2018) 80 | Trait | 2011 |
| Implies adaptational success; a characteristic of psychological well‐being, referring to the ability to recover from negative life events, leading to hope and expectation of success in the face of future adversity; reflects postadversity strength boosted by protective factors | ||
| Trait | 2018 | |
| The positive role of the ubiquitous phenomenon of individual difference in people's responses to stress and adversity reflects an outcome of strength, recovery and hardiness postadversity | ||
| Wilks (2008a) 66 ; Wilks and Croom (2008b) 82 | Trait | 2008a |
| An adaptational outcome success; suggests overcoming the odds, adapting to high risk (adversity) and recovering from adversity by adjusting successfully to negative life events | ||
| Trait | 2008b | |
| Viewed as being augmented by protective factors and defined as a psychological phenomenon referring to effective coping and adaptation although faced with loss, hardship or adversity | ||
| Anderson et al. (2019) 92 | Hybrid (trait–process) | The ability to adapt in the face of tragedy, trauma, adversity, hardship and ongoing significant life stressors; a multidimensional construct comprising a mix of personal skills and attributes, social competence, social resources and spirituality, which may be associated with reductions in morbidity and increased positive well‐being |
| Hayas et al. (2015) 50 | Process | The process of positive adaptation in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress; a dynamic process in which psychological, social, environmental and biological factors interact to enable an individual at any stage of life to develop, maintain or regain his or her mental health despite exposure to adversity |
| Vatter et al. (2018, 2020) 56 , 57 | Trait | The ability to bounce back from stress |
| Ledbetter et al. (2020) 67 | Hybrid (trait–process) | An individual's successful adaption to adversity or stressful experiences, informed by both elements of their personality and the contextual, ongoing situation in which adversity occurs, but is frequently measured at a discrete point in time; a combination of both personality and situational factors that inform how individuals cope with stress and adversity |
| O'Rourke et al. (2010) 68 | Process | The process of adaptation in response to adversity, threats or significant stress such as the diagnosis and care of a family member with a major illness |
| Rivera‐Navarro et al. (2018) 51 | Trait | Protective factor |
| Tyler et al. (2020) 69 | Process | The process of negotiating, managing and adapting to significant sources of stress or trauma; assets and resources within the individual, their life and environment facilitate this capacity for adaptation and ‘bouncing back’ in the face of adversity |
| Quantitative, intervention studies (n = 4) | ||
| Ghaffari et al. (2019) 84 | Process | Describes a situation in which a caregiver improves social performance and overcome difficulties, despite experiencing high mental pressure |
| Lavretsky et al. (2010) 75 | NR | NR |
| MacCourt et al. (2017) 70 | Trait | A positive personality characteristic that enhances individual adaptation, preserving balance and harmony |
| Pandya (2019)85 | NR | NR |
| Mixed‐methods studies (n = 4) | ||
| Maneewat et al. (2016) 86 | Process | A process of growth and adaption with a multidimensional structure; a holistic and dynamic development that encompasses the ability to cope with stress and serious situations |
| Bull (2014) 71 | Process | A dynamic process that fluctuates across time and situations and enables individuals to adjust or cope successfully despite stress or adversity |
| Jones et al. (2019) 54 | Process | A dynamic and interactive phenomenon, which is triggered by an antecedent event and developed through the interplay of risks and resources |
| Kidd et al. (2011) 72 | Trait | Human beings are engaged in goal‐directed movement that has unified patterns and utilizes creative power (resilience) to overcome obstacles; resilience is a positive psychological resource |
| Qualitative studies (n = 7) | ||
| Bekhet and Avery (2018) 19 | Trait | When homoeostasis is restored after adversity, which includes new insight and growth from a disruptive experience |
| Roberts and Struckmeyer (2018) 73 | Hybrid (trait–process) | The ability to maintain normal or enhanced functioning during times of adversity and consists of two components: the first is thriving and succeeding; the second is showing the competence in difficult situations or a situation where others often do not succeed |
| Han et al. (2019) 25 | Trait | To be able to restore balance and harmony when they encounter negative circumstances, which may be achieved by enhancing inherent adaptation |
| Liu et al. (2020) 74 | Process | The process of effectively negotiating, adapting to or managing significant sources of stress or trauma; assets of and resources available to the individual, their life and environment facilitate this capacity for adaptation and ‘bouncing back’ in the face of adversity; across the life course, the experience of resilience will vary |
| Donnellan et al. (2015, 2017, 2019) 38 , 52 , 53 | Process | The process of effectively negotiating, adapting to or managing significant sources of stress or trauma; assets of and resources available to the individual, their life and environment facilitate this capacity for adaptation or bouncing back in the face of adversity |
Abbreviation: NR, not reported.