Reaching Resilience

What made you resilient? This is the question Dr. Denis’ Thomas posed to five adult children of divorce, and their answers are intriguing. Divorce is a major life stressor for many children across the globe. Much research has documented the risk factors, but what helps children become resilient in the face of parental divorce? And might that very event somehow equip them with the tools for resilience? This study provides the first hand stories of five university freshmen who experienced parental divorce in childhood or adolescence yet emerged resilient. In their own words, they provide the specific factors they credit with helping them overcome. Learn about the importance of cognitive coping strategies, the benefit of helping others, the significance of the relatedness need, and the value of multiple types of relationships. This is where research meets reality.