By Dennis Archambault

Chronic stress is increasing throughout society, but is becoming an oppressive force among safety net populations. This has been a topic of discussion among mental health and public health professionals for some time. Authority Health’s population health program, this year, is focusing on chronic stress and the application of resilience as a public health strategy.

The Rockefeller Foundation is in the midst of a “resilient cities” initiative http://www.100resilientcities.org/, supporting the work of 100 cities worldwide to become more resilient to the physical, social, and economic challenges that are part of the new reality of the 21st century. The foundation defines building urban resilience as “the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds  of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. Acute shock is defined as sudden, sharp events such as earthquakes, floods, disease outbreaks, and massive violent experiences. Chronic stress is cumulative, like high unemployment, poverty, violence, and persistent physical and natural environmental disasters.

Resilience thinking demands that cities look holistically at their capacities and their risks. Society is learning that individuals can adopt resilient strategies for surviving repeated onslaughts of pressure points, but perhaps the most challenging lesson — and one that is directly related to healthy community design — is developing collective impact from the cohesion of a resilient culture. That will take some work.

Dennis Archambault is vice president, Public Affairs, for Authority Health.