Mental Health and Human Resilience

Interdisciplinary interventions for promoting personal and social resilience and hope are important for assisting individual and community post-traumatic growth (IC-PTG), namely positive change or benefit finding resulting from trauma. The current study examined the subjective experience of Prefiguring the Future project (PFP) for the Italian communities affected by the earthquakes of 2016-2017 on IC-PTG. The theoretical framework for PFP is based on educational neuro-psycho-pedagogy and Inner Design Technology models, aimed at breaking the dynamics of the reactive mind and triggering the conscious mind and its assets for implementing resilience. 240 volunteers participated in the study (women=73.8%, men=26.2%; age: mean=49.34, SD=10.656). On the basis of quali-quantitative research methodology, data was collected by means of open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires measuring satisfaction, believes and behaviours. The results showed: (1) high levels of satisfaction with participation, (2) recognition of the importance of attending the meetings as shared community moments for creating networks and stimulating actions with social value; (3) understanding of the possibility of a continuous personal growth. These results show how the participants use awareness and personal responsibility for re-designing oneself and their surrounding. Furthermore, the current results suggest PFP as useful path for IC-PTG, by improving of personal skills to become a driving force for a “resilient community”. We will further discuss the key elements constituting the structural matrix of a community able to overcome stressful events by refering to the skills of resilience and relational plasticity.