Open research questions in Resilience and Mental Health

What the literature leaves open

• Replication in future studies and further research on the mechanisms underlying this enhanced benefit may improve our understanding of how adults with a history of ELA recover and may ultimately thrive.

  Greater Mental Health Benefits Following Contemplative-Based Social Resilience Training Among Young Adults with Early-Life Adversity · 2026 · DOI

• Against this backdrop, the present study adopts a multidimensional to theoretical comprehensively examine the pathways, mediating mechanisms, moderating factors, and practical implications of the impact of teacher support on the psychological resilience of adolescents. The aim is to provide both a theoretical foundation and actionable insights for school-based mental health education and resilience development. 2. The Dimensional Structure of Teacher Support and the Developmental Needs of Adolescents Teacher support refers to the overall perception of care, understanding, respect, encouragement, feedback, and resource provision that assistance, students receive from teachers within the educational context. Its effectiveness depends fundamentally on subjective perception and acceptance. students’ teacher support Drawing on mainstream research, can three conceptualized interrelated yet distinct dimensions: comprising be as empathy, encouragement, Emotional support centers on respect, attentive and listening, unconditional acceptance. fulfills adolescents’ needs for security, belongingness, and self-worth, and represents the most psychologically protective form of support.

  An Analysis of the Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Teacher Support on the Development of Psychological Resilience in Adolescents · 2026 · DOI

• As such, future studies should explore the specific effects of different types of APE courses on students’ psychological resilience, and how various teacher support behaviors work on psychological resilience development in physically disadvantaged students in diverse cultural and educational contexts.

  Teacher Support in Adapted Physical Education and Learning Engagement among Physically Disadvantaged College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience · 2026 · DOI

• To build upon the current findings, future research should prioritize ecologically valid designs that capture the dynamic nature of emotion regulation flexibility. Subsequent studies would significantly benefit from utilizing ecological momentary assessment to investigate how young adults dynamically synchronize multiple strategies with specific contextual demands in their daily lives, such as adjusting their regulatory efforts based on the perceived long-term implications of an emotional event (Pruessner & Ortner, 2025). Furthermore, understanding this regulatory flexibility requires a deeper integration of individual differences and cultural contexts. Rather than relying on broad country-level generalizations or simple East-West dichotomies, future investigations should explicitly examine within-culture variability. Assessing individual-level cultural orientations— such as horizontal versus vertical collectivism (Klein et al., 2024)—alongside specific cultural dimensions may provide a more nuanced understanding of regulatory success. Integrating these individual cultural metrics with distinct personality profiles would further clarify for whom, and under what specific conditions, strategies like expressive suppression become adaptive rather than maladaptive. Finally, to clarify causal relationships, future longitudinal and experimental studies should move beyond isolating single strategies. Researchers are encouraged to examine combinations and sequences of emotion regulation strategies across different developmental stages to better understand their effects on adaptive cognitive functioning.

  Emotion Regulation Strategies and Cognitive Flexibility in Turkish Young Adults: A Dual-Method Investigation · 2026 · DOI

• The study was limited to the assessment of workplace resilience, adaptability, and job absorption among BSBA Human Resource Management student interns based on the perceptions of student interns, faculty members, and the OJT coordinator.

  Students’ Internship Towards Workplace Resilience and Adaptability of BSBA Human Resource Management: Its Job Absorption · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the aforementioned findings and conclusions, it is suggested that several recommendations be put forth to improve educational practice, specifically in the utilization of Hybrid Flexible (HyFlex) Learning within Physical Education. Firstly, it is recommended that program coordinators explore the integration of HyFlex Learning into various workshops and training sessions. This will facilitate a deeper comprehension of its utilization, allowing educators to evaluate its efficacy and suitability across different modes of participation. Additionally, Physical Education instructors are urged to engage in ongoing professional development through educational training programs focused on the principles and practical application of HyFlex course design. It is imperative for instructors to embrace adaptive and flexible teaching methodologies in order to effectively respond to the everchanging dynamics of learning environments. In a HyFlex Learning environment, students are encouraged to choose between online and in-person participation according to their personal needs, preferences, and coping mechanisms. These decisions, whether based on convenience, academic progress, or social interaction, are essential for fostering resilience and minimizing academic pressure. Additionally, this study aims to make a valuable contribution to the understanding of HyFlex Learning in Physical Education. It is recommended that future researchers conduct similar studies to investigate other factors that could impact the successful implementation of this teaching approach. REFERENCES Agasisti, T., Avvisati, F., Borgonovi, F., & Longobardi, S. (2018). Academic resilience: What schools and countries do to help disadvantaged students succeed in PISA. Agasisti, T., Avvisati, F., Borgonovi, F., & Longobardi, S. (2018). Academic resilience: What schools and countries do to help disadvantaged students succeed in PISA. Aisyah Nazamud-din, Muhammad Harriz Zaini, and Nor Hilaliyah Mohd Kamil (2020). The Relationship of Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Engagements in ESL Higher Learning Classroom. Anatolian Journal of Education, April 2026 ● Vol.11, No.1 66 Hybrid Flexible (Hyflex) Learning toward Students’ … Alammary, A., Sheard, J., & Carbone, A. (2014). Blended learning in higher education: Three different design approaches. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 30(4). Alrashidi, O., Phan, H. P., & Ngu, B. H. (2016). Academic engagement: an overview of its definitions, dimensions, and major conceptualizations. International Education Studies, 9(12), 41-52. Ayasrah, J. I., & Albalawi, K. N. (2022).

  Hybrid Flexible (Hyflex) Learning toward Students’ Academic Resiliency and Engagement in Physical Education · 2026 · DOI

• While this study fo- cused on science-related factors, future research could examine a broader range of factors including peer and family influences to offer a holistic picture of diverse support systems and their interplay roles that we should reinforce to promote academic resilience. One limitation of this study is the scope of the PISA dataset, which did not include all relevant school- and teacher-level variables for both Sweden and Vietnam.

  Academic resilience in science · 2026 · DOI

• suggest that effective highlight the importance of leader leadership in prolonged crises requires resilience in managing workforce capabilities that extend beyond rapid uncertainty and sustaining organisational response toward sustained adaptation and functioning under prolonged disruption. organisational sensemaking. Complementing these findings, Rudolph et al.

  Adaptive vs Resilient Leadership in Prolonged Crisis: Evidence from JSE Top 40 Organisations · 2026 · DOI

• (2023) incorporates psychological resilience dimensions, it was developed for adult populations and does not account for the developmental characteristics of children and early adolescents.

  Measuring Cyber Resilience in Middle School Students: Development and Validation of a Scale · 2026 · DOI

• The structural equation model (SEM) should be replicated across other educational contexts, training levels, and socio-cultural realities to contrast the stability and validity of the relationships.

  Technological skills, self-efficacy, and resilience with SEM model as predictors of investigative skills in Ecuatorian higher-level students · 2026 · DOI

• for Practitioners The researchers recommend implementing a three-tier system: reducing struc- tural stressors, such as publication pressure, and improving supervisory training; providing culturally tailored resilience programs; and screening for and support- ing students who exhibit burnout symptoms.

  The Relationship Between Academic Stress, Resilience, Socialization, and Burnout Among Doctoral Students Across Ethnic Groups in Malaysia · 2026 · DOI

• Keywords For future research, the researchers recommend conducting intervention experiments comparing culturally tailored versus standard resilience programs, incorporating physiological stress markers to complement self-report data, and adopting multilevel models examining system-level factors, such as departmental climate and supervisory practices. doctoral students, academic burnout, psychological resilience, doctoral socialization, cross-cultural comparison, academic stress, Job Demands-Resources theory INTRODUCTION Doctoral education represents a critical phase in cultivating future academic talent, yet the mental health challenges facing this population have increasingly drawn global attention. Research has consistently revealed that doctoral students experience psychological distress at rates substantially exceeding those of the general population, with depression and anxiety showing marked upward trends (Evans et al., 2018). Satinsky et al. (2021) demonstrated through large-scale surveys that approximately one-third of Ph.D. students reported depression or anxiety symptoms, a proportion that escalated further during the COVID-19 pandemic (Andrade et al., 2023). These mental health crises constitute more than isolated incidents; they stem from multiple systemic stressors embedded within academic environments, including publication pressures, funding uncertainties, supervisor-student tensions, and work-life imbalances (Levecque et al., 2017). However, the literature remains limited in systematically examining how academic stress translates into impaired academic development through specific psychological mechanisms. Moreover, few studies have considered how cultural context shapes these processes, despite growing evidence that coping resources and stress appraisals vary across collectivistic and individualistic orientations. This study addressed these gaps by integrating Job Demands-Resources theory with cross-cultural psychology to examine the stress-burnoutsocialization pathway among Chinese, Malay, and Indian doctoral students in Malaysia. The following sections reviewed the relevant literature, presented the methodology and findings, and discussed implications for culturally responsive doctoral education reform. 2 Zhang, Ahmad, & Yunos LITERATURE REVIEW ACADEMIC STRESS AND BURNOUT IN DOCTORAL EDUCATION Academic burnout, characterized by an exhaustion state induced by prolonged chronic stress, has demonstrated substantial value in explaining psychological difficulties among doctoral students. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory proposed by Demerouti et al. (2001) provided a robust theoretical foundation for understanding this phenomenon. This framework posits that burnout emerges when job demands consistently exceed individual resources.

  The Relationship Between Academic Stress, Resilience, Socialization, and Burnout Among Doctoral Students Across Ethnic Groups in Malaysia · 2026 · DOI

• To what extent has participation in MHPSS group sessions helped participants strengthen their resilience? There is no universal standard or normative benchmark for the RS™, and reported scores vary widely across populations and study contexts.

  Strengthening resilience for people affected by violence in international armed conflict: A community-based MHPSS intervention in Armenia · 2026 · DOI

• First, in terms of research design, this study employed a cross-sectional survey method, which, while revealing correlations between variables, does not establish causal pathways. Future research could consider using longitudinal tracking designs or experimental intervention methods and collecting data at multiple time points to further examine the temporal ordering and potential mechanisms among variables. Second, in terms of measurement, this study primarily relied on self-reported questionnaires, which may be associated with social desirability bias and common method bias. Although Harman’s one-factor test and procedural considerations suggested that common method bias was not a dominant concern in this dataset, this issue cannot be fully excluded because the main constructs were collected from the same respondents using the same survey format. Future studies could incorporate in-depth interviews, case studies, peer reports, behavioral indicators, or multi-wave data collection to obtain richer and more diversified evidence. Currently, this study focuses on the associative pathways linking POI with EE among university students, without considering the interactions between multiple stressors. Future research could broaden the perspective on stress and explore the differential associations of various stress factors with EE, which may help refine the theoretical model and improve the specificity of intervention strategies.

  The associational pathway of emotional exhaustion among college students under perception of involution: the mediation model of self-compassion and psychological resilience · 2026 · DOI

• The findings of this study suggest that individuals' leisure satisfaction and psychological resilience levels are significantly affected by various demographic variables. In this context, there are several practical implications, especially for professionals working in the fields of education, health and human resources. Firstly, regular participation in physical activity has been found to positively affect both leisure satisfaction and psychological resilience. Therefore, organisations should develop practices to encourage their employees to participate in regular physical activities. Providing gym facilities at workplaces, supporting exercise hours or establishing sports clubs for employees can be among the effective strategies in this direction. Secondly, a significant difference was found in the level of leisure satisfaction and psychological resilience according to years of employment. This finding indicates that employees with more work experience have better ability to cope with stress and use their leisure effectively. Therefore, it is recommended that orientation and training programmes for new employees should be designed to improve orientation, time management and stress management skills. Since people's leisure satisfaction can be affected by individual characteristics such as age, marital status, etc., leisure should be varied with various activities according to people's life stages and social roles. Local administrations, universities and NGOs can encourage this process by planning social, cultural and sportive activities for individuals of different ages and personal situations. In conclusion, multidimensional and individual-oriented approaches should be adopted in order for individuals to utilise their leisure in a more satisfying way and to increase their psychological resilience levels. It is thought that these findings will be guiding for both public and private sector practitioners. 210 Spormetre The Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, 24(1), 2026, 198-213 REFERENCES Ağarı, M. (2023). Zaman kavramı: Nedir-ne değildir. Karabük Türkoloji Dergisi, 6(1). Akay, B., & Yaşartürk, F. (2023). Beden eğitimi öğretmenlerinin serbest zaman doyumu ile öz-yeterlik inançları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Trakya Eğitim Dergisi, 13(1), 318–330. https://doi.org/10.24315/tred.1032955 Amestoy, V. C., Rosal, R. S., & Toscano, E. V. (2008). The leisure experience. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 37(1), 64–78. Ardahan, F., & Lapa, T. Y. (2010). Üniversite öğrencilerinin serbest zaman tatmin düzeylerinin cinsiyete ve gelire göre incelenmesi. Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(4), 129–136. Ayyıldız, T. (2015). Rekreatif dans faaliyetlerine katılan bireylerin serbest zaman tatmin düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Yayımlanmış Yüksek Lisans tezi, Gazi Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara. Balcı, V. (2017). Ankara Üniversitesi öğrencilerinin serbest zamanlarında egzersize katılma sıklıkları ve nedenleri. Spormetre, 15(3), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1501/Sporm_0000000316 Beard, J. G., & Ragheb, M. G. (1980). Measuring leisure satisfaction. Journal of Leisure Research, 12(1), 20–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1980.11969416 Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2017). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Pegem Akademi. Choi, S. H., & Yoo, Y. J. (2017). Leisure attitude and satisfaction with leisure and life: Proposing leisure 140–155. prioritization https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2016.1216886 justification.

  SATISFACTION FROM LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE: A STUDY ON TEACHERS · 2026 · DOI

• to an In conclusion, flourishing individual’s ability to bounce back from adversity, a characteristic that aligns with resilience. Individuals who can overcome challenges and continue with their lives are often described as resilient. This study highlights a strong positive relationship between resilience and flourishing within the context of health. However, several challenges were encountered during the research process, including a limited time frame and issues with data readability when utilizing artificial intelligence tools during the article selection phase. These challenges resulted in a less targeted search, which did not exclusively identify studies focused on patients with health-related issues.

  The Influence of Resilience on Flourishing in the Health Context: A Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• The study’s limitations were mainly due to the sample of 19 social workers, who were purposively selected and had at least 5 years of experience. This limits statistical generaliza- tion and may not include the experience of those new to the profession but working in similar environments. Although widely accepted as a language in many professions, English is a limitation because it is not the first language of the par- ticipants. Organizational contextual stressors and settings may differ across contexts, globally, regionally, and locally. This may make transferability difficult.

  Strengthening Professional Resilience in Social Work Practice: An Empowerment Approach · 2026 · DOI

• This study has some limitations. Sleep quality, insomnia, and social support were measured by self-report scales. Adoles- cents may have biased their responses when completing the scales. Another limitation is that this study was conducted in nine schools in the region. The results cannot be generalized to the city of Adıyaman or all adolescents. Due to the limited availability of data on adolescents in the region before the earthquake, we cannot relate our study results specifically to the earthquake. These are the limitations of our study.

  The Relationship of Perceived Social Support with Smoking and Sleep in Adolescent Survivors of the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes · 2026 · DOI

• This study had several limitations, which inevitably impacted the results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses. The sample was small, with only 12 adolescent participants, but adding 16 parents who were involved in the study contributed to the small client sample size. Such a small sample undoubtedly impacted the significance and generalizability of these findings for self-report measures. However, despite the small sample size, findings were trending in the appropriate direction. Another study limitation was that the same two research administrators facilitated all three rounds of the PATH model. As such, the researcher was unable to determine whether the study results were solely derived from the PATH model and not the unique relationships that the facilitators established with the participants. However, the positive outcomes solely being related to the relationship and/ or skills of the two group leaders is unlikely given that this is the third study that has been conducted with different clinicians (Hoskins et al., 2017, 2023). As such, the present study’s results contributed to accumulating evidence supporting the PATH model. Findings could have also been impacted by the results being based solely on participant self-report. Although self-report measures are known to be somewhat biased and unreliable, this study integrated data from multiple sources, including youth self-report and caregiver report measures. In addition, this study supplemented quantitative findings with information from postintervention interviews. As such, the integration of different data sources increased the likelihood of accurate results.

  Trauma and Resilience among Latiné Girls: A Mixed Methods Exploration of Positive Adaptations for Trauma and Healing (PATH) · 2026 · DOI

• Several limitations should be considered when interpret- ing the findings of this scoping review. First, the screening and study selection process was conducted primarily by a single reviewer, which may increase the risk of selection bias despite the use of predefined inclusion and exclu- sion criteria. Second, many of the included studies relied on self-report measures, which may be subject to recall bias and social desirability effects, potentially influenc- ing the accuracy of reported outcomes. Third, most of the reviewed studies relied on non-random convenience sam- pling (18 studies), limiting the generalizability of their find- ings. Additionally, the predominant use of retrospective and cross-sectional designs (16 studies) poses methodological concerns. Another notable limitation is the geographic con- centration of studies in Western and Arab countries, with minimal representation from conflict-affected regions in Africa and Asia. Finally, as with most reviews, the findings may be influenced by publication bias, as studies with non- significant or negative results are less likely to be published and therefore captured in the review. Future research must address this gap to ensure a more global and inclusive understanding of children’s resilience in war-affected contexts. Furthermore, the frequent use of self-report measures raises concerns, as they may not always reflect genuine resilience and may instead represent self- protective or illusory responses (Gudjonsson et al., 2021). To gain deeper insight into how resilience manifests in chil- dren, especially within diverse cultural and social contexts, qualitative methodologies are essential. Longitudinal, pro- spective research designs are also needed to clarify the rela- tionship between resilience and long-term psychological well-being, and to inform the development of more effec- tive, culturally sensitive interventions. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Anamika Saharan for proofreading this manuscript. Funding No funding was received. Data Availability On request.

  Resilience in Children Survivors of Armed Conflict: a Systematic Scoping Review of Risk and Protective Factors · 2026 · DOI

• The present study adds to this growing knowledge by establishing these relationships specifically in the context of tertiary institutions of Rivers State, Nigeria to fill the identified gap in the literature related to the moderating role of internal environment on workplace resilience in tertiary institutions in the Nigerian higher education sector.

  Internal Environment and Workplace Resilience of Tertiary Institutions in Rivers State, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

• Schafer (2020) also notes that a gap in research exists exploring the experiences of young African American females who have absent fathers throughout their formative years of life.

  Resilience Among African American Adolescent Girls Navigating Fatherlessness: A Qualitative Inquiry · 2026 · DOI

• Outdoor pursuits and adventure education (OAE) orientation programs can help students develop resilience skills as they transition to college but the role of risk remains unclear.

  Perceptions of resilience: exploring the impact of perceived and actual risk · 2026 · DOI

• The ascendancy of this study is that it discusses the relationship between ACEs and anxi- ety and depression in adolescents, young adults, and adults through PCEs and resilience, further enriching the understanding of the adverse effects of ACEs. At the same time, this study also has some limitations. First, this study relies on cross-sectional data for discussion and has certain limitations in explaining the causal relationships among variables. Future longitudinal follow-up or experimental research may further enrich the explanation of these variables. This study relied on self-report surveys, which may involve social desirability bias and inaccurate self-perceptions. Future research should combine subjective and objec- tive methods to strengthen validity and reduce bias. Finally, this study is based on scales conducted in the context of Turkish culture, and its interpretation in cross-cultural studies may need to be further strengthened. To overcome this limitation, researchers advise con- ducting comparative studies on individuals from different cultures and in the context of dissimilar regions.

  Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults: Mediating Roles of Positive Childhood Experiences and Resilience · 2026 · DOI

• Despite the strengths of the present study, several limita- tions should be acknowledged. This study was conducted with 6th- and 7th-grade middle school students using a mixed-methods design and a relatively limited sample, and program effectiveness was evaluated using the Self-Com- passion Scale for Children (SCSC), Child and Youth Resil- ience Measure (CYRM), and Adolescent Happiness Scale (AHS). Despite positive findings, the small sample size, restricted range of measurement tools, exclusive focus on group implementation, and short one-month follow-up limit generalizability. In addition, the absence of any intervention or alternative activity in the control group may be consid- ered a methodological limitation, as it restricts comparisons with an active control condition. Furthermore, although a follow-up assessment was conducted, extending the follow- up period to three months or longer could have provided 1 3Enhancing Self-Compassion, Resilience, and Happiness in Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Positive Psychology… stronger evidence regarding the long-term sustainability of the program’s effects; however, school calendar constraints, including the summer break, limited the feasibility of a lon- ger follow-up.

  Enhancing Self-Compassion, Resilience, and Happiness in Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Positive Psychology Program · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Resilience and Mental Health

• Psychological Resilience: An Affect-Regulation Framework · Annual Review of Psychology · 2022 · 429 citations
• Towards an understanding of resilience and its relevance to medical training · Medical Education · 2012 · 320 citations
• Defining and measuring “psychological flexibility”: A narrative scoping review of diverse flexibility and rigidity constructs and perspectives · Clinical Psychology Review · 2021 · 238 citations
• Positive Cognitive Reappraisal in Stress Resilience, Mental Health, and Well-Being: A Comprehensive Systematic Review · Emotion Review · 2022 · 233 citations
• Exploring Stress Resilience in Trainee Social Workers: The Role of Emotional and Social Competencies · The British Journal of Social Work · 2010 · 224 citations
• The components of resilience—Perceptions of an Australian rural community · Journal of Community Psychology · 2010 · 219 citations
• A meta-analytical review of antecedents and outcomes of firm resilience · Journal of Business Research · 2021 · 215 citations
• Resilience Comes of Age: Defining Features in Later Adulthood · Journal of Personality · 2009 · 214 citations
• Introduction to the special section: Growth following highly stressful life events--Current status and future directions. · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · 2006 · 213 citations
• Nurses´ stressors and psychological distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic: The mediating role of coping and resilience · Journal of Advanced Nursing · 2020 · 196 citations

Most recent work

• Psychological Resilience and Emotional Distress as Chain Mediators Between Physical Activity and Short Video Dependency Among Adolescents · The Journal of Genetic Psychology · 2026
• Profiles of Psychological Capital and Work‐Related Well‐Being Among School Counselors During a Prolonged Emergency · Journal of Counseling & Development · 2026
• Performative Artificial Intelligence and temporal resilience responses: The moderating role of extreme event contexts · International Journal of Information Management · 2026
• Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health Among Adolescents, Young Adults, and Adults: Mediating Roles of Positive Childhood Experiences and Resilience · Psychiatric Quarterly · 2026
• Digital interventions to foster resilience in working populations – a systematic review and meta-analysis · Work & Stress · 2026
• The interplay between psychological capital, social support, and occupational self-efficacy in shaping school counsellors’ well-being in the context of wartime · British Journal of Guidance and Counselling · 2026
• Debate: Young people are living in unprecedented times – too much chaos or too little resilience?: an argument to talk less about resilience · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · 2026
• The relationship between post-earthquake trauma and psychological resilience: A cross-sectional study among teachers · Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health · 2026
• Buffering roles of financial resilience in navigating family stress and adolescent distress: A conditional process analysis · Family Relations · 2026
• Strengthening Professional Resilience in Social Work Practice: An Empowerment Approach · Journal of Human Rights and Social Work · 2026

Related topics in Psychology