George Bonanno - Human Resilience in the Face of Loss and Trauma

George Bonanno, a clinical psychology professor at Columbia University, discusses his research on human resilience in the face of loss and trauma. Over 25 years, his studies have shown that most people exposed to traumatic events exhibit resilience, maintaining a healthy trajectory of functioning. While some individuals develop PTSD or struggle significantly, the majority demonstrate a natural capacity to recover. Bonanno's work aims to understand the complex factors contributing to this resilience, highlighting the human ability to bounce back from adversity.

What is the primary focus of George Bonanno's research?

• Studying the effects of medication on mental health

• Analyzing the impact of diet on psychological well-being

• Investigating the role of genetics in mental disorders

• Exploring human resilience in the face of adversity

According to the research, how do most people respond to traumatic events?

• They develop severe psychological disorders

• They show a healthy trajectory of functioning

• They require long-term therapy

• They become permanently traumatized

What percentage of people are typically traumatized after major events?

• A very small percentage

• None at all

• About the same as those who are resilient

• Almost everyone

What is one of the challenges in understanding human resilience?

• Lack of research data

• The complexity of different predictors

• Uniformity in human responses

• Inability to measure resilience

What has been observed about children's resilience?

• Children have a tremendous capacity to recover

• Children require more time to bounce back

• Children show no capacity for resilience

• Children are less resilient than adults