As summarized in this research brief, results of this body of research suggest that beating the odds and achieving upward social mobility may be associated with a tradeoff in which economic success and good mental health come at the expense of physical health. Specifically, a growing consensus is emerging regarding a hidden cost to resilience, particularly as it relates to physical health. However, data emerging from the Center for Family Research (CFR) and other research centers around the country have begun to challenge this assumption. Is there a physical health cost to overcoming adversity?

That is, if a child growing up under adversity manages to thrive in terms of academics, mental health, or substance misuse, then this individual has avoided the consequences of adversity in other areas of life as well. Moreover, most resilience research to date has tacitly assumed that resilience is rather uniform across developmental domains. This framing is understandable, as most resilience research provides the type of findings and stories the public loves to hear, about individuals who “beat the odds,” climbed the ladder of social mobility, or achieved success despite significant adversity or hardship. The general tone of most of this research has been optimistic. Resilience among children and adults remains a key area of study for scholars in human development (Masten, 2018 JFTR Luther, 2006 CD Rutter, 2012 D&P). Download PDF version Skin-deep Resilience Research Digest

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