A theoretical model of resilience capacity: Drawn from the words of adult children of alcoholics

Abstract

BackgroundResilience can be defined as exhibiting positive outcomes after serious threats to one's adaptation or development. AimsThis study aimed to suggest a theoretical model of resilience capacity by validating and extending one of the existing nursing theories of resiliencethe society-to-cell model developed by Szanton and Gill. To do so, we conducted a qualitative study exploring the factors and conditions influencing adaptation in children of alcoholics (i.e., people who grew up under alcoholic parents). MethodsData were collected from 22 adult children of alcoholics in South Korea via semistructured interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and the data were analyzed using directed content analysis. ResultsThe results revealed two categories each at the society and community levels, and three categories each at the family and individual levels. No categories emerged at the physiological and cellular levels. In summary, resilience capacity is determined by the multilevel (e.g., society, community, family, and individual levels) factors that all individuals possess. ConclusionThis study is meaningful in that it presents concrete goals for nurses to pursuenamely, enhancing individuals' resilience capacityand suggests strong evidence for developing nursing intervention programs that can foster resilience capacity.