Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression: Exploring Risk and Resilience

Scientific progress in risk research does not always translate to progress in resilience research. One explanation for the disconnect between risk and resilience research is inadequate theory construction in psychopathology. In this article, the authors argue that improved theory construction can help bridge the gap between risk and resilience. An example from the field of depression is used to illustrate how well constructed theories of risk can be used to develop and test preventions and interventions that bolster resilience. This article concludes with a discussion about the need for cross-cultural research on risk and resilience, which exemplifies a variety of environmental and genetic risk and resilience factors encountered by different populations and cultures.