Department of Defense and Federal Models for Measuring and Promoting Resilience

Across the Department of Defense and prominent federal health agencies there has been a move from a disease-based system of healthcare to one that proactively promotes resilience and well-being as a means of preventing psychological health difficulties and avoiding healthcare costs.  Despite this increase in attention, various definitions of resilience have been utilized across branches of Service and federal agencies. Driving the lack of consensus are different models for understanding the trajectories and processes that contribute to resilience. This scientific dialogue will convene a panel of federal health experts from across four prominent military and federal sectors to discuss definitions, related concepts, and models for measuring and promoting resilience, including community and family resilience. As part of this discussion, the panel will reflect on the importance of moving toward a uniform definition of resilience as well as on future efforts to identify common metrics and outcomes for promoting effective resilience practices across systems.