The series of traumatic events that have occurred in Japan are devastating. Earthquakes and tsunamis are among natural disasters that increase the risk of mental health problems among survivors, in particular depression and anxiety. Survivors often go through very severe stress and disruptions to their daily activities, quality of life and overall functioning. They also can live with an immense sense of uncertainty.

The ongoing threats in Japan such as the aftershocks, nuclear plants and radiation likely contribute to experiencing or living through trauma almost daily -- in turn, exacerbating the psychological distress. The effects of natural disasters generally tend to be very significant due to loss of loved ones, injuries, destructions, loss of homes, loss of employment etc – meaning the devastating effects rarely disappear after a short period of time.

Just as adults, children exposed to natural disasters are also vulnerable to mental health problems. Studies have found that initial exposure to death, bereavement and extreme fear represent significant risk factors for the development of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disaster among children. Even indirect exposure to trauma could lead to emotional distress among children. Media exposure or conversations among adults, for instance, could induce traumatic images and thoughts in children.

Research has shown that most people are exposed to at least one traumatic situation such as a life threatening or violent situation in their lives. Everyone copes with the upsetting events in a different way ranging from experiencing significant psychological distress with difficulty recovering to coping with the trauma and regaining daily activities and functioning.

Resilience is the process of “bounding back” from adversity or any difficult experiences. Individuals undergoing traumatic events or adversity in their lives typically experience significant psychological distress and sadness. Thus, the pathway to resilience also includes living through emotional difficulties. 

Various factors contribute to resilience. Quality social support, supportive relationships filled with love, care and trust tend to enhance one’s resilience. Having a healthy positive view of self, recognizing one’s strengths, having good problem solving skills, being able to regulate emotions are all associated with resilience.

Studies have also shown that the personality trait of hardiness can help to reduce the distress caused by traumatic events. Hardiness includes finding meaningful purpose in life, believing that one can influence the outcome of events, and believing that one can grow from experiences whether negative or positive.

Hardiness is associated with coping with upsetting traumatic events by seeking more active coping strategies and social support, being more confident and perceiving the upsetting event as less threatening.

Positive emotions (e.g., hopeful, love, courageous, tolerant, trust) also help to reduce the distress associated with upsetting events and to better adjust by reducing some negative emotions and seeking helpful resources and social support.

The American Psychological Association provides 10 ways to build resilience:  

• Good relationships with close family, friends and others; making connections and helping others
• Not seeing crises as unbearable problems
• Accepting circumstances that cannot be changed and focusing on the situations one has more control over and can change
• Developing realistic goals and moving towards goals by doing something regularly
• Taking decisive actions and establishing new routines
• Looking for opportunities for self discovery and any learning about self
• Developing confidence in self and recognizing one’s own strength and resourcefulness
• Keeping a long-term perspective and looking at the stressful event in a broader context
• Maintaining a hopeful outlook and visualizing what one wants
• Taking care of self by paying attention to one’s needs and feelings, and exercising and relaxing.

We all have our own unique ways to build resilience. What matters is for you to identify strategies that work for you.