Assessing Resilience in War-Affected Children and Adolescents: A Critical Review

Resilience is a heterogeneous construct that has only recently begun to be explored in the context of complex emergencies. War-affected children and adolescents in developing countries represent a vulnerable group that has long been neglected in trauma research. The current review is a critical stage-by-stage assessment of the quantitative and qualitative methodologies in the field. Studies conducted in middle- or low-income countries and published between 2007 and 2013 were considered for inclusion. Conceptual and methodological discrepancies between the two research approaches were identified. Future studies should examine the complexity and dynamics of resilience and apply theoretically informed rigorous assessment techniques. Above all, research should aim to understand the unique needs and experiences of war-affected individuals.