In their Own Words: Resilience among Haitian Survivors of the 2010 Earthquake

The authors, from the University of South Florida, Florida International University and Columbia University, note that various sources broadly describe Haitian survivors of the 2010 earthquake as resilient. They reviewed definitions of resilience published between 1990 and 2013 and compared them with the perspectives of survivors from economically diverse communities in Haiti, who took part in semi-structured interviews (n=38) and in six focus groups (n=63) between 2010 and 2011.

They find that Haitian resilience accords with some definitions in the literature, with evidence of open-mindedness, discipline, hope, creativity, courage, problem solving and a spiritual stance of faith and prayer. A recurrent theme was reziye, or resignation, which the authors describe as a contextual resignation and an intentional choice to survive and function when there is no alternative course of action; they did not find evidence of resilience as a belief in control over what happens. They conclude that understanding Haitian resilience can inform health, mental health and policy interventions, and that efforts should include survivors as key informants on what resilience and reconstruction goals mean for them.