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Resilience in Humanitarian Aid Workers: Understanding Processes of Development

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Resilience is a psychological term used to describe the interrelationship between specific factors known to promote wellbeing and strength in individuals who are undergoing unusually stressful life conditions (Luthar, 2003). Variation in the way different people respond to all kinds of sources of stress can be ascribed to a) genetically inherited factors; b) previous childhood experiences shaping future behaviours; and c) other protective features. The present research study explored the interrelationship of specific protective factors related to the development of resilience, namely the social context surrounding the individual at the time of the traumatic event, his/her cognitive skills, and other biological and socio-demographic features.