Such resilience has been studied in particular by Bonanno and his colleagues. In 2002 Bonanno et al. published the results of a large scale investigation into the reactions of people bereaved of their spouses 6 months and 18 months after their bereavement. An important aspect of this study was that much information was also gathered some time before the bereavement.
Bonanno G A et al., Resilience to loss and grief: A prospective study from pre-loss to 18 months post-loss, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2002, 83, 1150-1164.
Among the participants Bonanno et al. found that 46% suffered relatively low levels of depression and symptoms of grief after bereavement. As measured prior to the bereavement there was no evidence that this group had less happy marriages. Bonanno et al therefore felt justified in concluding that these people had responded in a resilient manner. They looked for features that distinguished the resilient group, and found that resilience was associated with an acceptance of death and a distinctive "world view", a view that the world is essentially a just place.
In a more recent article Bonanno has reviewed other research relevant to the concept of resilience. His review demonstrates a number of characteristics typical of resilient people:
1 Hardiness. Hardiness comprises a commitment to finding meaning in life, the belief that one can influence one's surroundings and the outcome of events, and the belief that one can learn and grow from both positive and negative life experiences.
2 Self enhancement, that is the tendency to view oneself in a positive, perhaps excessively favourable, light.
3 Repressive coping, that is a tendency to avoid paying attention to reminders of the loss or trauma.
4 Using positive emotion and laughter.
Bonanno G A, Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?, American Psychologist, 2004, 59, 20-28.
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