Resilience

Resilience is one psychological concept that has garnered attention over the years. It can be defined as "a class phenomenon characterized by patterns of positive adaptation in the context of significant adversity or risk" (Masten, Cutuli, Herbers et Reed 2009. Resilience is usually seen as the "bouncing back" from a difficult or negative experience or period of time in one's life.

The difficulty with resilience is finding any one particular way to define and measure it. How far must one recover from any physical or emotional trauma to be considered recovered? How is it decided when an individual has recovered? Must they recover in all aspects of life or only in one or two specific areas in which they previously had difficulty? These are some of the countless questions surrounding research in resilience. With the ambiguous measure of resilience, many approaches exist to attempt to categorize resilience.

Some research focuses on whether or not an individual achieves the average achievement in an area despite what may have happened to them previously. Another approach considers resilience when an individual has achieved more than was expected due to circumstances in their life. Many times resilience is impacted by the situation and how one chooses to decide if resilience is present.

To tackle resilience and its many facets, some researchers have taken to studying those showing resilience an attempting to see what these people have in common. This method tries to determine if any one or multiple characteristics assist in the ability of an individual to be resilient. Another method looks more closely at specific cases of resilience. It explores the way resilience has been seen in some individuals and has stood out more in these individuals than others. Was the person extraordinary? Why is this person considered resilient on such a scale that they become known for their resilience?

One organization in Denmark takes a problem-solution approach to resilience and coping with one's circumstances. Cafe Exit is a program targeting inmates in prisons and attempting to offer recently released prisoners a second chance and assist them in their transition from prison life to life in the real world. The Cafe takes a look at problems and solutions because there was some form of problem in the individual's life that led them to crime and a prison sentence. This could be low social relations with those that serve as possible role models or low socioeconomic  well-being that led to crime in an attempt to make more money. If the problem can be identified, then the Cafe and its volunteers and counselors can attempt to work with the individual and steer them towards a solution. This solution can be help finding a job or simply lending an ear for the individual to express the difficulties they are facing after their release. Venting to someone who is willing to help and has been in that position before can be a solution in itself.

Cafe Exit is a remarkable organization focused on helping those that have struggled to find a purpose and solution to their problems in hope of keeping them from further crime. This approach helps create resilient individuals as they work to become more than expected. The men that embrace Cafe Exit and it's assistance and message find themselves becoming regular members of society, more than the criminals they were expected to remain. This Cafe is truly focused on resilient individuals and their ability to create a life for themselves after they struggled.