Is resilience the „bright side†of psychological distress?

Abstract

Background: Resilience, the dynamic competence to control positive affects as a function of environmental requests and operationalized in the German Resilience Scale (RS-13) of Wagnild and Young was investigated. Methods: 192 rehabilitation patients of two German clinics (107 OP-orthopedic, 61 NP-neurological, 24 PP-psychotherapy-patients) answered the RS-13 and several others (quality of life, work-life-balance, disease-specific complaints). Hypothesis supposed low levels of resilience in PP, and moderate ones in OP or NP, and a negative connection with psychological distress. Findings: PP reported lower levels of resilience (M=53, SD=18) compared to OP (M=67, SD=13), and NP (M=70, SD=15) and to the normative German sample (M=70, SD=12). High levels of resilience were predicted by different aspects of low psychological distress in each group. Discussion: Beside the differences regarding the mean level of resilience between psychotherapy and physically ill patients, the main question could be carefully answered as “yes†– resilience could play an important role as the "bright side" of psychological distress. Longitudinal studies are necessary.