Cognitive and behavioral components of resilience to stress

Resilience refers to possessing a set of adaptive characteristics that enable an individual to cope with and recover from (or even thrive after) stress or trauma. There are neurobiological factors associated with resilience, including genetic factors, neurochemical systems, and the functioning of specific neural networks. Psychosocial factors also contribute to resilience, and in this chapter, we review the psychosocial factors most strongly associated with resilience in the scientific literature: optimism, cognitive flexibility, active coping skills, social support networks, physical activity, and a personal moral compass. This chapter focuses on the cognitive and behavioral components of these factors and provides strategies for cultivating these factors to promote resilience.