Assessing internal resiliency factors among Puerto Rican psychiatric outpatients

Resiliency is the capacity that human beings have to confront, deal, manage, and overcome successfully any situation (García & Sayers, 2009). Resilient people are able to experience pleasure and other positive emotions (Skodol, 2010). The purpose of this research study was to assess internal resiliency factors among Puerto Ricans with clinical psychiatric symptoms in order to understand how they cope with the problems that surround them. One-hundred patients (50 outpatients and 50 from partial hospitalization), men and women, 21 years of age and older, who live in Puerto Rico completed demographic information and the Internal Resilience Factors Scale (IRFS) (García & Sayers, 2010). The IRFS evaluates seven areas: Spirituality, Satisfaction, Problem Management, Emotional Stability, Optimism, Autonomy, and Insight. Participants' mean scores on the IRFS indicate that patients show higher scores on Spirituality, Satisfaction and Problem Management and lower scores on Autonomy, Insight and Emotional Stability. Interesting enough, 43% of the patients reported that they do not participate in any type of extracurricular activities. The results of our study can provide information in helping us understand what internal resilience factors should be of focus in therapy when promoting well-being among Puerto Rican psychiatric outpatients. If strengths are used to strengthen weaknesses, it is possible to help Puerto Rican psychiatric outpatients to live a healthy life, resulting in personal growth and better coping skills. Results from the study can be used, not only to promote mental health in those with psychiatric diagnoses, but also to prevent others from developing psychopathology.