Open research questions in Resilience and Mental Health

What the literature leaves open

• Investigate the mechanisms of low-arousal emotions in different grades, - Examine the effects of psychological resilience on learning burnout in various academic settings

  Only low-arousal emotions matter: grade-dependent mediation of academic emotions between psychological resilience and learning burnout in middle school · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the mediating roles of academic emotions in the relationship between psychological resilience and learning burnout. The gap is particularly significant in understanding how these roles vary across grades.

  Only low-arousal emotions matter: grade-dependent mediation of academic emotions between psychological resilience and learning burnout in middle school · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the relationship between religious activity, social structure, and psychological mechanisms of resilience. It highlights the need for an interdisciplinary analysis of the role of religious rituals in strengthening social identity and psychological resilience. The article notes the lack of comparative studies on religious trends and secularisation among European and Ukrainian Jews.

  The Role of Rituals in Strengthening Social Identity and Psychological Resilience: A Comparison of Religious Trends and Secularisation Among European and Ukrainian Jews · 2026 · DOI

• There is a limited number of studies addressing parents', particularly mothers', resilience and spiritual well-being. The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the effects of audio-guided meditation on the resilience and spiritual well-being of mothers of children with cancer. The paper highlights the need for supportive interventions to enhance the resilience and spiritual well-being of mothers of children with oncology diagnoses.

  Empowering Mothers: The Effects of Audio-Guided Meditation on Resilience and Spiritual Well-Being of Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Cancer in Türkiye—A Randomized Controlled Trial · 2026 · DOI

• Prior research has not examined the relationship between religious causal attributions and psychological flexibility. There is a lack of understanding of how religious beliefs influence mental health outcomes. The gap is that prior studies have not considered the role of religious causal attributions in predicting psychological distress.

  Attributing Emotional Distress to Supernatural Causes: Associations with Psychological Flexibility and Mental Health Outcomes in the USA · 2026 · DOI

• Causal inferences cannot be made from this cross-sectional study. Reverse causality is a potential limitation, in which greater belonging may foster greater psychological flexibility. The study identifies the need for further research to better understand the association between psychological flexibility and sense of belonging.

  The Association Between Psychological Flexibility and Sense of Belonging Among U.S. Undergraduate Students · 2026 · DOI

• Further study is needed to better understand how psychological flexibility may contribute to students' sense of belonging, - Research on the effectiveness of ACT interventions in increasing psychological flexibility among students is needed, - Longitudinal studies could be used to examine the relationship between psychological flexibility and sense of belonging over time

  The Association Between Psychological Flexibility and Sense of Belonging Among U.S. Undergraduate Students · 2026 · DOI

• Further research could investigate the temporal understanding of resource gain spirals during organizational change, - Research could examine the effectiveness of phase-sensitive interventions

  Co-development of psychological resilience and commitment to change during organizational transformation: a three-wave parallel-process latent growth modeling study · 2026 · DOI

• College students face significant stressors that can impact their grades, relationships, and health. There is a need to address the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual aspects of a student's life to promote optimum academic performance, professional growth, and personal wellness. The use of a mixed methods approach can be challenging, as it requires the integration of both quantitative and qualitative data.

  Empowering the Next Generation: A Holistic Self-Care Course for Cultivating Resilience in Undergraduate Students · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of research on the impact of holistic self-care courses on undergraduate students' stress and resilience. Prior work has focused on the individual aspects of student life, rather than taking a holistic approach. There is a need to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and resilience in college students.

  Empowering the Next Generation: A Holistic Self-Care Course for Cultivating Resilience in Undergraduate Students · 2026 · DOI

• Restricted to individuals of European ancestry, - Exclusion criteria included current or lifetime psychiatric illness, - Limited to a nonclinical population

  Strengths-based resilience: the biopsychosocial factors that differentiate 12-year mental well-being trajectories following adverse childhood experiences · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the mechanisms underlying resilience, - Examine the impact of interventions on resilient trajectories, - Explore the generalizability of findings to diverse populations

  Strengths-based resilience: the biopsychosocial factors that differentiate 12-year mental well-being trajectories following adverse childhood experiences · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of a theoretical model that can explain the relationship between resilience and social isolation and loneliness. The need for a comprehensive review of the application of resilience theoretical models to social isolation and loneliness. The need for a model that can address the public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness among older adults.

  Resilience applications to social isolation and loneliness in older adults: a scoping review to develop a model and research agenda · 2025 · DOI

• Further investigation of the relationship between social support and life satisfaction, - Examination of the role of psychological resilience in the relationship between social support and life satisfaction

  Life satisfaction in emerging adulthood: a longitudinal study of social support, resilience, and gender differences · 2025 · DOI

• The longitudinal associations between social support and life satisfaction are underexplored. The potential moderating role of gender in these relationships is underrepresented in the existing literature. Prior studies have primarily used cross-sectional designs, limiting understanding of the directional associations between social support and life satisfaction.

  Life satisfaction in emerging adulthood: a longitudinal study of social support, resilience, and gender differences · 2025 · DOI

• Further examination of the relationship between physical activity and EBPs from a positive perspective is needed. Investigation of the impact of parenting styles on EBPs in different cultural contexts is necessary. Longitudinal studies to examine the long-term effects of parenting styles on EBPs are required.

  Effects of physical activity and resilience on emotional and behavioral problems in Chinese adolescent: a chained mediation model · 2025 · DOI

• The mechanisms underlying the association between psychological resilience and music performance anxiety remain unclear. There is a lack of research on sex differences in the association between psychological resilience and music performance anxiety.

  Psychological resilience and music performance anxiety: exploring mediators and sex differences in Chinese choir members · 2025 · DOI

• The mediating mechanism of resilience between physical activity and mental health is not fully understood. Prior research has not systematically evaluated the relationship between physical activity and mental health using meta-analytic procedures.

  The mediating effect of resilience between physical activity and mental health: a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach · 2024 · DOI

• Investigate the relationship between family hardiness and other factors, - Explore the impact of family hardiness on the quality of life and mental health of patients and caregivers, - Examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving family hardiness

  Family hardiness among primary caregivers of breast cancer patients in Hunan Province: a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship with attachment and caregiver preparedness · 2024 · DOI

• Further studies could explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions. Research could investigate the effectiveness of interventions promoting physical activity in reducing negative emotions among college students. Studies could examine the role of other factors, such as social support and sleep quality, in mitigating negative emotions.

  Effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and stress in college students: the chain-based mediating role of psychological resilience and coping styles · 2024 · DOI

• Further investigation is warranted to validate the findings, - Longitudinal studies could be conducted to examine the causal relationships between physical activity, resilience, coping styles, and school adaptation, - Studies could be conducted in different regions or cultures to examine the generalizability of the findings

  Physical activity and school adaptation among Chinese junior high school students: chain mediation of resilience and coping styles · 2024 · DOI

• examining the moderators of the relationship between resilience and depression, - investigating the impact of resilience on depressive symptoms in different populations, - studying the effects of strategies to enhance self-efficacy on depression prevention

  Resilience as a protective factor against depression in informal caregivers · 2024 · DOI

• The sample size was limited to 302 older adults in Chinese nursing homes, - The study used convenience sampling, - The study did not account for other potential factors that may influence the relationship between frailty, psychological resilience, and meaning in life

  Association between frailty and meaning in life of older adults in nursing home: the mediating effect of psychological resilience · 2024 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the relationship between frailty, psychological resilience, and meaning in life among older adults in Chinese nursing homes. There is a need to explore the mediating role of psychological resilience between frailty and meaning in life.

  Association between frailty and meaning in life of older adults in nursing home: the mediating effect of psychological resilience · 2024 · DOI

• small sample size of 15 patients, - limited to patients from a U.S. outpatient IBD clinic, - no quantitative validation of the Resilience Scale for IBD (RISE-IBD)

  Investigating resilience in patients with IBD: preliminary insights for understanding disease-specific resilience skills · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Resilience and Mental Health

• The Construct of Resilience: A Critical Evaluation and Guidelines for Future Work · Child Development · 2000 · 6,230 citations
• The Influence of Culture, Community, and the Nested‐Self in the Stress Process: Advancing Conservation of Resources Theory · Applied Psychology · 2001 · 5,688 citations
• Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. · American Psychologist · 2001 · 5,437 citations
• Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience: Have We Underestimated the Human Capacity to Thrive After Extremely Aversive Events? · American Psychologist · 2004 · 4,847 citations
• Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · 1987 · 3,236 citations
• Psychometric analysis and refinement of the connor–davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC): Validation of a 10‐item measure of resilience · Journal of Traumatic Stress · 2007 · 2,993 citations
• Resilient Individuals Use Positive Emotions to Bounce Back From Negative Emotional Experiences. · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · 2004 · 2,715 citations
• Resilience in the Face of Catastrophe: Optimism, Personality, and Coping in the Kosovo Crisis · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · 2002 · 2,107 citations
• ADOLESCENT RESILIENCE: A Framework for Understanding Healthy Development in the Face of Risk · Annual Review of Public Health · 2004 · 2,102 citations
• What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · 2003 · 1,966 citations

Most recent work

• Academic stress, cognitive appraisal, academic self-efficacy, and academic anxiety among Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model · Acta Psychologica · 2026
• Well-being in the post-pandemic era: the role of meaning in life and resilience · Frontiers in Psychology · 2026
• Impact of school support on cognitive engagement strategies in crisis contexts: dual pathways of academic motivation and psychological resilience · Frontiers in Psychology · 2026
• Psychological Resilience and Emotional Distress as Chain Mediators Between Physical Activity and Short Video Dependency Among Adolescents · The Journal of Genetic Psychology · 2026
• Relationships among psychological well-being, character strengths, gratitude, and grit in military medical university students: a network analysis · BMC Medical Education · 2026
• Measurement Instruments Assessing Organizational Resilience in Health Facilities: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties · medRxiv · 2026
• Development and application of a clinical psychological nursing training program for nursing interns based on the ADDIE model · Frontiers in Medicine · 2026
• The relationship between psychological resilience and learning engagement of college students: A moderated mediation model · Acta Psychologica · 2026
• Emerging Workforce Nurse Resilience‐Enhancement Program: A Qualitative Descriptive Phenomenological Study · Journal of Advanced Nursing · 2026
• Investigating the impact of the RENEW program on enhancing nurses’ resilience: a randomized controlled trial · BMC Psychology · 2026

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