Resilience

Steven Southwick, MD, was Glenn H. Greenberg Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, PTSD, and Resilience at Yale University Medical School and Medical Director Emeritus of the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the National Center for PTSD of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Southwick was one of the world's leading experts in psychological trauma and human resilience. His collaborations with Dr. Dennis Charney led to foundational discoveries about the biology and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and factors that support resilience. His own resilience while fighting advanced prostate cancer for five years was an inspiration to his friends, colleagues, and family. He passed away on April 20, 2022, and this book, which he worked on through his final weeks, is dedicated to his life and legacy. Dennis S. Charney, MD, is Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Charney is a world expert in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders. He has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the causes of anxiety, fear, and depression, and among his discoveries is use of ketamine for the treatment of depression – a major advance in the past fifty years of clinical care. He also focuses on understanding the psychology and biology of human resilience, which has included work with natural disaster survivors, combat veterans, and COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers. He has over 600 publications to his name, including books, chapters, and academic articles. In 2016 he was the victim of a violent crime that tested his personal resilience. Jonathan M. DePierro, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Associate Director of Mount Sinai's Center for Stress, Resilience, and Personal Growth. Dr. DePierro, a clinical psychologist, is an expert in psychological resilience and the treatment of trauma-related mental health conditions. After many years working with individuals impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he now focuses on supporting the mental health needs of healthcare workers. Having experienced extensive bullying throughout his childhood, he learned important lessons about resilience that continue to inform his clinical and research work.

• 1. What is resilience?; 2. Optimism: belief in a brighter future; 3. Face your fears; 4. Moral compass; 5. Religion and spirituality; 6. Social support; 7. Role models; 8. Mind your body; 9. Challenge your mind; 10. Cognitive and emotional flexibility; 11. Meaning, purpose, and growth; 12. The practice of resilience; Resilience facing death: a tribute to Dr. Steven Southwick.

'There is no resilience without adversity. Unfortunately, we live in a dangerous world. This book, written by world leaders on the science of resilience, is a must read for everyone. Certainly professionals who help others through stressful or traumatic experiences would profit from the knowledge shared, but every single person will learn how to manage challenges better. The authors include very easy-to-read clear suggestions backed by decades of neuroscience research and from the stories of multitudes of resilient survivors. Every clinician from novices to experienced clinicians has something to learn from this gem. The lessons in this book are what we should teach our children.' Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, Director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and the Trauma and Anxiety Recovery Program and Paul A. Janssen Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology. Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine