208013 Resilience Training: A public health intervention at the workplace

Sunday, November 8, 2009

George S. Everly, PhD , School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Alan Langlieb, MD, MPH, MBA , Psychiatry and behavioral sciences, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Michael Kaminsky, MD , Psychiatry and behavioral sciences, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
The increasing demands placed on employees from work, family and economic factors necessitates a new paradigm for health promotion and wellness interventions. Drawing on a body of research and experience across multiple disciplines, including disaster mental health, preventive medicine and population based initiatives; the authors have developed a tri-phasic model for the workplace focusing on resistance, resilience and recovery.

The majority of people in the United States will experience some type of traumatic stress in their lifetime, but most of them will have no disruption or only transient disruption in functioning. They are either resistant to the development of symptoms or resilient, able to bounce back quickly. By enhancing resistance and promoting resilience, even fewer individuals may develop mental disorders. This presentation will examine in detail the concepts of resistance, resilience, and recovery and the need for research on interventions that promote them.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the need for a more resilient workforce 2. Review the evidence for resilience training, using examples from the military and first responders 3. Present an evidence-based model for resilience 4. Explain how such a model has practical applications in the workplace, including employee assistant programs

Keywords: Behavior Modification, Stress

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Mr. Everly is an expert teacher and researcher in the resilience area.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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See more of: Occupational Health and Safety