Resilience for Today: Gaining Strength from Adversity

(Hardback)

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Description

The increased bombardment of information on the world's dangers, from imminent disasters to terror and wars reported in the media, make us particularly vulnerable to stress and feelings of helplessness. This volume is unique in describing how to promote resilience in different groups, under different circumstances, and dealing with different adversities. Resilience is the human capacity to deal with stress, adversities, and threatsand somehow emerge stronger. Today, the increased bombardment of information on the world's dangers, from imminent disasters to terror and wars reported in the media, make us particularly vulnerable to stress and feelings of helplessness. This volume is unique in describing how to promote resilience in different groups, under different circumstances, and dealing with different adversities. The contributorspsychologists, medical doctors, teachers and physical therapists among themshow how we can learn to draw on supports, build inner strength, and acquire interpersonal and problem-solving skills to deal with adversity. This volume will be useful for parents, service providers, researchers, policymakers, curriculum writers, and program developers. Research findings are applied to actions and policies so that the knowledge can be used in everyday life. Topics addressed include a basic understanding of resilience, resilience in families, the role of schools in resilience, and resilience for those needing health care. The text includes a discussion of the concern that too many children are protected from adversity, are unprepared to face future stressors, and become overly dependent upon others.

Reviews

"A book that makes the concept of resilience real and applicable."-Dr. Daniel Rogriguez Director, Department of Community Health, National University of Lanus, Argentina
"Children living on the street are prey to dangers of all kinds: abuse, violence, self-destruction. Their dreams shattered, they have little hope for a future. If families and communities were to adopt the resilience strategies so cogently presented in this book, these children would not be on the street in the first place!"-Thomas H. Bornemann, Ed.D. Director, The Carter Center Mental Health Program
"Dr. Edith Grotberg's work makes an important contribution to our understanding of mental 'health, ' going beyond the usual disease focus by exploring the concept of resilience, or those factors that not only sustain people through life's challenges, but actually help us grow and become stronger as a result."-Joy K. Rice Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
"Dr. Grotberg's work in the area of resilience has been ahead of its time. And that's a good thing, because those of us in policy making positions need her thinking in this area, as well as her ability to bring together other experts in the field."-James L. Stone Commissioner, Office of Mental Health, State of New York, Albany
"Parents, children, and youth, as well as communities, can only benefit from reading this book--it is a must in today's world."-Justine Beck Rose Executive Director, CLEAN Inc.
"Resilience for Today delivers great hope to individuals and communities who are faced with overwhelming challenges. The strength-based approach is refreshing and long overdue."-Joel Slack President and Founder, Respect International
Highly recommended. All levels; all collections.-Choice
"Highly recommended. All levels; all collections."-Choice

Author Bio

EDITH HENDERSON GROTBERG is Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Mental Health Initiatives at The George Washington University.