Accountability and Implications for Profiling Human Resilience

​“As a concept and metaphor, resilience lends itself to multiple dimensions of human development, social organization, and the biosphere, so it is futile to seek to establish a single definition” (Almedom, O’Byrne & Jerneck, 2015, p. 1). This article focuses on human psychosocial resilience in public peer-reviewed journals with emphasis on measurement that is accountable and scientifically sound, as well as useful results. Materials referenced include articles about epistemological and methodological questions in mental health along with articles with new insights on psychosocial resilience.
 
The discussion has been shifting from vulnerability to strength yet overlooks culture. It turns out that art helps restore well-being and functioning. Unfortunately, few studies are based on information originating from their populations. To be evidenced-based, epistemology needs to shift from reductionism to hermeneutics. Australia draws mental health experts from Aboriginal communities. Ultimately, good research uncovers strengths.
 
Accurately measuring resilience includes considering “the full range of feelings and experiences of the individual, and mask differences, disparities, and possible shared meaning systems of the communities or societies in which individual lives are nested” (Almedom, O’Byrne & Jerneck, 2015, p. 5) rather than using checklists. Study participants are better informed and empowered when active in the study design with the results being more likely to “contribute directly to sustainable mental and emotional well-being across the life course, and in turn to the psychosocial resilience of successive generations” (Almedom, O’Byrne & Jerneck, 2015, p. 5). When the research is grounded in a philosophy that resilience is either present or absent and can be introduced, it undermines personal experience and alienates people.
 
Accountability predicates researchers “disclose motives and possible misreadings of the situations” (Almedom, O’Byrne & Jerneck, 2015, p. 6).
 
Common language and knowledge renders authentic results.
 
REFERENCE
Almedom, A. M., O’Byrne, D., and Jerneck A. (2015). Principles of epistemological accountability with methodological implications for measuring, assessing, and profiling human resilience. Ecology and Society. 20(3). 9.
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INSIGHTS
Although emotional awareness can be reliably assessed across individuals and cultures, resilience is as varied as the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of life. Accordingly, the process of assessing resilience remains as unique as the study population. This means that the relationship between emotional awareness and resilience will also change according to the variables effecting resilience.