Building Individual & Family
Resilience: Strength Under
Pandemic Stress
RTS Webinar – 9/19/20
Emil Zakutny, D.S.W.

Participants will: Increase their awareness of mental healthchallenges confronting individuals & families
during the pandemic
 Become familiar with the concept of resilience Learn resilience-based strategies applicable toindividual & family related challenges
 Implement resilience-based coping strategies
to ease pandemic related stresses

The scope and impact of covid-19
pandemic on individuals & society: 189,000 Americans died from Covid-19
 Isolated tens of millions of people Left 50 million unemployed Altered every aspect of American life, fromhealth and work to education and exercise
 Uncertain about pandemic duration,treatment(s), outcome and the futureImpact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on theMental Health and Wellbeing of Americans:
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Overall, 40.9% of U.S. adults report at least one adverse mental or behavioral
health condition (CDC Survey – 6/24-6/30/20)
31% experienced anxiety or depression symptoms with 30% experiencing both
26% experienced trauma disorders like PTSD
13% started/increased their level of substance usage
11% report contemplating suicide in the past month
63% of young adults (18-24) report anxiety & depression with 25% reporting
increased substance use & contemplating suicide
Black & Latino respondents report higher rates of suicidal thoughts with 15.1%
and 18.6%, respectively
High rates , 40%, of anxiety/depression for Latino respondents

Primary pandemic Stressors
Impacting Parents and Families:

Education & basic needs – disruption of children’s lives,
managing distance/online learning, missing major milestonesaccess to healthcare, food, housing.. (APA Survey 4/24-5/4/20)
Government response to Covid-19 – 74% of parents withchildren under 18 vs. 63% non-parents
Economy and work – 70% of respondents say economy ismajor source of stress. Similarly, 70% of employed
respondents say work is a major source of stress in their lives
People of color report higher stress - Hispanics (37%),
compared with white (32%), Black (32%), Native Americans(31%), and Asians (28%) adults

Common Pandemic Reactions:Concept of Resilience:

It’s not what happens to you
but what you make out ofwhat happens to you thatmakes you resilient.

What Is Resilience?

Resilience: Core principles

Benefits of building your own
resilienceIndividual Vulnerability Factors

Resilience: Protective Factors &Risk Factors

Four Domains of Resilience:Mental/Mind Domain: Understaning one’s mindset, belief

system and cognitive flexibility
 Use of flexible problem-solving
 Seek challenges
 Keep mentally active
 Utilize help to increase options

Cognitive Model of Resilience:Emotional Domain: Awareness & understanding of what one is

feeling and why: strengths & vulnerabilities
 Employ emotional flexibility with positive
feelings towards self, others & adversity
 Self-regulate feelings to minimize reactive
stance when dealing with stress/adversity
 Acceptance instead of resistance when dealing
with change or stressPhysical/Body Domain: Well nourished to enhance physicalwellness, endurance & energy/stamina
 Plan for and make healthy food choices& aware of benefits of sleep, rest plus
recovery Mindful of exercise and engage inenjoyable physical activity

Social/Emotional Domain
 Regularly connect with others(rituals, routines, and traditions) Maintain supportive social networks
and close family relationships
 Have access to sufficient community
resources to weather difficult times

Spiritual Domain:
 Have a positive or optimistic outlook basedon belief of being a part of/connected tosomething greater/bigger than ourselves
 Engage in regular reflection, meditation, orprayer that provide comfort and promote
perspective
 Being cognizant of one’s own importantvalues & beliefs that provide connection,perspective & context during difficult times

Factors That PromoteResilience:

Traits Possessed by ResilientPeople:

Traits of Non-Resilient People:

Learnable Skills of Resilience:Nurturing Family Strength:

Cultivating Family Resilience
During the Pandemic:

3 “R” in Family Resilience:Promoting Resilience inChildren:

The Pandemic and Parenting:Nurturing Couples Communication
During Pandemic:

Coping with Pandemic Stress:

Your Resilience Meter PostWebinar: