Resilience in Afghan children and their families: a review.

Abstract

Resilience enables individuals to survive the horrors of war and other such tragedies. This article draws on personal reflections of living in the post-Taliban period in Afghanistan and a review of the literature to explore resilience processes that may be present in the Afghan population. Adverse factors that Afghan children and families face include: destruction of infrastructure, danger, traumatic experiences, post traumatic stress disorder, political and ideological commitment. The protective factors that may have enabled them to survive, and subsequently rebuild in the face of multiple challenges are absolute faith in Allah (God), family support and community support. Understanding more about the kinds of adversities they face and the nature of their protective processes gives healthcare professionals a basis for working with them to improve their health and wellbeing.