Resilience:

What it is and isn’t

Amy House, Ph.D.

Alex Mabe, Ph.D.

Michael Rollock, Ph.D.

Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior

Medical College of Georgia/Augusta University

Absence of psychopathology

≠

Presence of Positive Well-being

Keyes, 2007, 2008; Lamers et al. 2011

A point of emphasis here is that well-

being is not just the absence of mental

disorder. For in the mental health

continuum, a state of well-being can be

possible when the individual:

realizes his or her own potential,

can cope with the normal stresses of life,

can work productively and fruitfully, and

is able to make a contribution to her or his

own community.

Resilience is…

a dynamic process encompassing positive

adaptation within the context of significant

adversity

a very important component of the mental health continuum of well-being

as it enables one to cope with the normal stresses of life

also relevant to the continuing of mental illness in that resilience can help

the individual prevent and recovery from mental illness

Being a Doctor Can be Difficult

Impact of Stress on

Physicians

54% of U.S. Physician experience symptoms of burnout

(loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, low sense of accomplishment)

“The joy of practicing medicine is gone.”

“I hate being a doctor… I can’t wait to get out.”

“I can’t tell you how defeated I feel.”

“I am no longer a physician but the data manager…”

Burnout rates twice the rate of the general population

Shanafelt, Hasan, Dyrbye, et al., 2015

Impact of Physician Stress/Burnout

Physician irritability/anger with staff

and patients

Poor patient satisfaction and

adherence to physician

recommendations

Reduced standards of patient care

More likely to prescribe inappropriate

medications

Reports of increased medical errors

Worse clinical outcomes

Bodenheimer & Sinsky, 2014; Wallace, Lemaire, & Ghali, 2009

Resilience Strategies of

Experienced Physicians

Found job-related sources of gratification

Leisure time activities to reduce stress

Cultivation of relationships with colleagues, family,

friends

Defining boundaries and limiting work hours

Proactive engagement with the limits of skills,

complications, and treatment errors

Cultivating professionalism

Self-Organization

Personal Reflection and useful attitudes

Spiritual practices

Zwack & Schweitzer, 2013

REVAMP Your

Professional Experience!

Bring(don’t give)

your whole self to work

Positive Well-being:

Complex… but worth it

Positive Well-being:

Complex… but worth it

http://communityhealth.mayoclinic.org/featured-stories/heart-health-lifes-

simple/?utm_source=ECHwebsite&utm_campaign=heart-health-lifes-simple&utm_medium=web&utm_content=twitter

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Relationships

• Engagement

• Vitality

• Accomplishment

• Meaning

• Positive Emotions

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Relationships

• Intimate relationships with close friends and loved ones

• Workplace relationships with colleagues, peers, mentors, and patients

• Our relationship with ourselves

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Engagement

• Create a daily work flow

• Practice mindfulness

• Find your key strengths—and use them.

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Vitality

• Physical activity

• Nutrition

• Sleep

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Accomplishment

• Savor Accomplishments

• Spot the underlying patterns of your personal strengths and how they have contributed

to your successes in life.

• Projected Accomplishments

• 'Achievement-savoring-in-advance‘: Scrapbook future goals with illustrations, photos,

articles.

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Meaning

• The human desire to belong to, connect with, or contribute to something

larger than the self.

• “Nothing is more motivating than progress

in meaningful work” - Teresa Amabile

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Positive emotions

• Resilient people are able to successfully cope with adversity because they use positive emotions to their advantage: humor, creative exploration, relaxation

• Have a Growth Mindset: Practice cognitive strategies to cultivate positive emotions so that you can learn and grow from your difficulties.

• “3 Good Things”: Gratitude increases Positive Emotions and Resilience

• *Medical professionals should never deny, suppress, or ignore the negative emotions induced by personal circumstances or the daily grinds of work, as they are a necessary part of the human experience.

REVAMP Your Professional Experience!

• Relationships

• Engagement

• Vitality

• Accomplishment

• Meaning

• Positive Emotions

Resiliency: Learning to Breathe Under Water

1)Emotional self-awareness (mindfulness)

2)Connection with values