Definition of Resilience

All young people have strengths and with a positive support can change the course of their lives. They have resilient brains that can be “rewired” by positive learning experiences. Resilience is the ability to thrive despite, risks or problems.

The Science of Resilience

Resilience in brains shows a higher activation of the prefrontal cortex. The prefront cortext sends signals to the amygdala and the amygdala sends signals to the prefrontal cortex. This exchange of signals determine how quickly the brain will recover from an upsetting experience. More activity in the left prefrontal cortex shortens the period of amygdala activation. When a brain's prefrontal cortext has lower activation, this leads to a person having longer-lasting activation in the amygdala and the person's brain would be less likely to be able to turn off the negative emotions associated with the experience.