Understanding Resilience in the Context of Health
In recent years, the term “resilience” has been prevalent in academic conferences, institutional speeches, and even self-help manuals. During the pandemic, it became a global mantra: individuals and societies had to be resilient, health systems needed to show strength. However, the more it’s uttered, the less clear its meaning becomes.
Origins and Evolution of Resilience
The term originates from the Latin “resilire,” meaning to bounce back or return. It was first used in English by Francis Bacon in the 17th century to describe the echo phenomenon in natural philosophy. Later, physics and engineering adopted it to describe the ability of certain materials to absorb energy during deformation and regain their original shape. This original sense was a measure of elasticity, a mechanical trait.
Resilience in Psychology and Ecology
Decades later, psychologists, inspired by researchers like Michael Rutter, began using the term to refer to human capacity to overcome adversity or trauma. Some observed that children growing up in adverse environments could still develop healthily, transforming the original notion into a life force. This introduced human elements like memory and experience, making resilience about rebuilding from injury rather than returning to the starting point.
Resilience in Politics, Economy, and Public Health
The term eventually entered political and economic discourse, often used as a forced optimism formula. During the COVID-19 pandemic, resilience was constantly mentioned. However, as David Alexander (2013) pointed out, overusing the term can be “dangerous or at least potentially disappointing” if expected to model everything. In theory, it was about acknowledging adaptability in the face of disaster; in practice, it became a demand for people to endure without complaint.
Resilience vs. Resistance: A Human Perspective
The distinction between resilience and resistance is crucial. Resilience has become popular as the ability to adapt and endure adversity, while resistance implies an active stance against oppression or harm. The Spanish term retains a foreign root, closer to Anglo-Saxon adaptation culture than Latin American resistance tradition. As Martín Caparrós noted, “I prefer to talk about resistance, not resilience: resist means to oppose, not just adapt.”
The Role of Care in Health Resilience
Joan Tronto (2024) defines care as all we do to maintain, continue, and repair the world for optimal living. Care is not merely an emotional act but a moral responsibility. Thus, resilience shifts from individual virtue to collective practice: caring for one another to sustain life.
Relevance in Public Health During Crises
During crises, the most effective response isn’t just infrastructure or technology but social trust and cohesion. Adaptability and transformation are built on care links: support networks, clear communication, and institutional empathy.
Conclusion: Resilience and Care in Health
Ultimately, discussing resilience in health is essentially talking about care. However, they are not synonymous. Resilience denotes a moral attitude and companionship, while care is an adaptation process. Together, they can form an ethical framework for uncertain times: resisting through care, adapting without dehumanization, transforming without forgetting.
References
- Alexander, D. E. (2013). Resilience and disaster risk reduction: an etymological journey. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 13(11), 2707-2716.
- Cyrulnik, Boris. (2022) Los patitos feos. La resiliencia: una infancia infeliz no determina la vida. Gedisa. Barcelona.
- Holling, C. S. (1973) Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4(1), 1–23.
- Tronto, Joan. (2024) Democracia y cuidado. Rayo Verde Editorial Barcelona-
The author is a Tenured Professor in the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Health Measurement Sciences, University of Washington.
The opinions expressed in this article do not represent the position of the institutions where the author works.
[email protected]; [email protected]; @DrRafaelLozano
