Growing Up Resilient: Ways to Build Resilience in Youth for Tough Times

This book provides an approach to positive youth development and well-being, focusing on building resilience in the face of contemporary challenges. Unlike existing literature that focuses primarily on academic achievement, discipline, and traditional psychological interventions in schools, ＂Growing Up Resilient＂ pioneers a paradigm shift toward positive psychology-based practices. Our central goal is to empower counselors, teachers, and other professionals with evidence-based interventions that promote not only academic success but also prioritize students’ mental well-being.

Innovatively blending theory and practice, each chapter features contributions from leading researchers in the field, providing a comprehensive exploration of positive psychology concepts tailored to the educational setting. By bridging the gap between academic and mental health outcomes, this book introduces a holistic approach to student development. Through compelling case studies and practical strategies, we offer actionable insights for creating positive and supportive school environments, ensuring that youth resilience becomes a cornerstone of their educational journey.

＂Growing Up Resilient＂ is not just a book; it’s a call to transform education by fostering the growth of resilient youth who can thrive in the face of adversity.

Gökmen Arslan, PhD, is an professor at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University in Türkiye and an honorary senior fellow at the Center for Wellbeing, University of Melbourne, Australia. He is a researcher in the field of counselling psychology, with a core interest in children and adolescent mental health and wellbeing. His research explores how best to provide meaningful interventions and resources that promote positive youth resilience and wellbeing. He is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Happiness and Health and is a consultant to numerous scientific journals for interdisciplinary, multi-cultural research and development addressing youth resilience, mental health and wellbeing.

Charles Martin-Krumm is a Full Professor at the Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens de Paris, Director of the VCR research team and PPA (International Positive Psychology Association) Fellow. His research focus on the study of processes in which optimism can be implicated in the contexts of education and sport. His works concern the study of interactions between optimism and various affective, cognitive, or behavioral variables.

Silvia Majercakova Albertova, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology, Pan-European University in Bratislava, Slovakia. She is also the Director of the Centre of Positive Psychology at the Pan-European University. Her research interests lie in school psychology and positive psychology. She has collaborated on several international research projects investigating student and teacher mental health, social-emotional health, and school climate. Dr. Albertova has also been working as a school and child psychologist in private practice and her research reflects practical issues that children and youth in Slovakia have been facing over the past few years. She is a member of the Slovak Association of School Psychologists and the International Association of School Psychologists (ISPA), as well as a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Positive School and Educational Psychology (JOSEP) and the Journal of Happiness and Health (JOHAH).