ABSTRACT
Resilience is conceptualized in different ways, some researchers define resilience as the ability to withstand and rebound from serious life challenges, while others propose resilience is a process which involves positive adaptation after significant adversities. Traditional resilience research has been conducted for a long period of time with children, so earlier studies have focused more on developmental psycho-pathology. However, recently the focus of resilience research has shifted to the well-being of adults with chronic illnesses. This chapter will examine and synthesize how adults experiencing chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and HIV, survive, manage, and thrive. Literature on chronic illnesses shows that effective coping styles are related to resilience. Resilient individuals tend to show lower levels of denial, and overall lower avoidant coping strategies, and higher active coping strategies. The resources that help these individuals adjust to the disease, cope and be resilient can be understood in the paradigm of health psychology, and is presented in this chapter. This information will help in working with all those who are diagnosed and are coping with chronic health conditions, and how it impacts their workplace attendance and efficiency.
