Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25620566›Full record

SynthesisPsychosomatics

Physical disease and resilient outcomes: a systematic review of resilience definitions and study methods.

Marjorie C Johnston, Terry Porteous, Michael A Crilly, Christopher D Burton, Alison Elliott, Lisa Iversen, Karen McArdle, Alison Murray, Louise H Phillips, Corri Black

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychosomatics. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare students.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
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  8. Examining the relevance of gait speed resiliencies to different stressors: the ARIC Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
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  11. A scoping review of resilience in adults with cancer based on the NIH resilience concept model.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Marjorie C JohnstonChronic Disease Research Group, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (MCJ, MAC, CB). Electronic address: marjorie.johnston@nhs.net.
Terry PorteousAcademic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (TP, CDB, AE, LI).
Michael A CrillyChronic Disease Research Group, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (MCJ, MAC, CB).
Christopher D BurtonAcademic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (TP, CDB, AE, LI).
Alison ElliottAcademic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (TP, CDB, AE, LI).
Lisa IversenAcademic Primary Care, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (TP, CDB, AE, LI).
Karen McArdleSchool of Education, University of Aberdeen, King׳s College, Aberdeen, UK (KM).
Alison MurrayAberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (AM).
Louise H PhillipsSchool of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Kings College, Old Aberdeen, UK (LHP).
Corri BlackChronic Disease Research Group, Division of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK (MCJ, MAC, CB).

Funding

Chief Scientist Office CAF/13/03Medical Research Council MR/K007017/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFindings from physical disease resilience research may be used to develop approaches to reduce the burden of disease. However, there is no consensus on the definition and measurement of resilience in the context of physical disease.

objectiveThe aim was to summarize the range of definitions of physical disease resilience and the approaches taken to study it in studies examining physical disease and its relationship to resilient outcomes.

methodsElectronic databases were searched from inception to March 2013 for studies in which physical disease was assessed for its association with resilient outcomes. Article screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were carried out independently by 2 reviewers, with disagreements being resolved by a third reviewer. The results were combined using a narrative technique.

resultsOf 2280 articles, 12 met the inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 1 was of high quality, 9 were of moderate quality, and 2 were low quality. The common findings were that resilience involves maintaining healthy levels of functioning following adversity and that it is a dynamic process not a personality trait. Studies either assessed resilience based on observed outcomes or via resilience measurement scales. They either considered physical disease as an adversity leading to resilience or as a variable modifying the relationship between adversity and resilience.

conclusionThis work begins building consensus as to the approach to take when defining and measuring physical disease resilience. Resilience should be considered as a dynamic process that varies across the life-course and across different domains, therefore the choice of a resilience measure should reflect this.

Indexed as

Resilience, PsychologicalAcute DiseaseChronic DiseaseHumans

Identifiers

PMID25620566
PMCPMC7111641

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.