Protective Factors and Processes
After doing the activities in the previous chapter, you will see that a person needs to have some internal capacities to be resilient. For example, they may need to be flexible and do activities they are not used to or have self-regulation and efficacy to solve a problem. These people are generally more capable of taking advantage of opportunities and resources available to them. So, most of the time, we emphasize improving these internal qualities to enhance resilience. However, a person needs more than internal capacities to cope with stressful events. They need external resources to help them accomplish tasks and face challenges. Knowing that support and resources are available for them when needed also brings positivity and confidence when facing challenges.
Various studies have identified internal capacities and external factors related to resilience. Here is the link to a list of 26 internal factors and 26 resources related to resilience identified in a previous study by Ungar and Jefferies (2021). You can use this list for Activity 4 or the key characteristics of resilience adapted from MacLeod et al. (2016) below. For the next activity, students can apply these lists to the case from previous activities and the case stories to identify factors related to the older person’s and caregiver’s resilience.
| Mental | Social | Physical |
| Positive coping styles | Community participation | Independence in doing daily activities |
| Sense of gratitude | Connections with families and friends | Actively mobile |
| Optimism | Self-perception of successful aging (socially) | Good physical health |
| Positive emotions and self-regulation | Have a purpose in life | Sense of successful aging physically |
| Ability to seek social support | ||
| Having strong and positive connections |
Activity 4
Using the case from the previous activity, identify the factors relevant to the older person’s and caregiver’s resilience and identify:
- the internal/mental factors related to their resilience;
- physical factors related to their resilience;
- social factors directly related to their resilience;
- other factors that, although indirectly related to their resilience, play significant roles.
Case Story
Pick one case story and identify the factor relevant to the person’s and their caregiver’s resilience, and identify:
- the internal/mental factors related to their resilience;
- physical factors related to their resilience;
- social factors directly related to their resilience;
- other factors that, although indirectly related to their resilience, play significant roles
Alternatively, you can use the socioecological model below, ask the students to identify the resilience factors and assign them to the model (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem).
Below are additional references related to the socioecological model:
- Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. International encyclopedia of education, 3(2), 37-43.
- Eriksson, M., Ghazinour, M., & Hammarström, A. (2018). Different uses of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory in public mental health research: what is their value for guiding public mental health policy and practice?. Social Theory & Health, 16, 414-433.
- Greenfield, E. A. (2012). Using ecological frameworks to advance a field of research, practice, and policy on aging-in-place initiatives. The Gerontologist, 52(1), 1-12.