Resilience, resistance: A commentary on the historical origins of resilience and wellness initiatives

Abstract

There is an increasing focus on physician wellness as an indicator of health system quality, and terms related to wellness, such as “burnout” and “resilience,” have blossomed in the international discourse. An emphasis on the current concept of resilience shifts the responsibility for systemic problems to the individual. Examining the history of the term “resilience” reveals its origins in ecological studies and its subsequent mobilization by economic theorists and politics. Understanding this historical context when considering wellness initiatives may help providers recognize which interventions and changes to individual behaviors or systems might be useful; it also encourages providers to focus on political action (local and national) to facilitate change.