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Family Resilience & Family Research

Families have found to be the bedrock of support and offer resilience for individuals experiencing hard times related to health and mental health problems, trauma, or injustices. Families also have aspects that help them operate with optimal functioning to be strong and resilient (protective and promotive factors) and aspects that make them  function less optimally (risk factors). Here are some publications that provide more information on the importance of families for resilience, transcendence, wellness, and overcoming adversity. 

Family Communication &
Family Resilience

McKinley, C. E. & *Lilly, J. M. (In Press). Family Communication (Re)Awakening Indigenous Resilience, Wellness, and Transcendence. In R. C. Diggs & T. J. Socha (Ed.s) Family Communication and Cultural Transformation: (Re)Awakening Legacies of Equality, Social Justice, Freedom, and Hope. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Family-Communication-and-Cultural-Transformation-ReAwakening-Legacies/Diggs-Socha/p/book/9781032111629

Family Closeness 

McKinley, C. E., & Lilly, J. (2022). Family connectedness: An intricate web of support and aspect of Indigenous family resilience. In The Routledge International Handbook of Indigenous Resilience (pp. 165-179). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003048428-15  

Family Communication &
Family Resilience

McKinley, C. E. & Lilly, J. M. (2022). “It’s in the family circle”: Communication promoting Indigenous family resilience. Family Relations, 71, 108-129. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12600. PMC8769362

Family Resilience, Anxiety & Depression

McKinley, C. E., Boel-Studt, S., Renner, L. M., & Figley, C. R. (2021). Risk and protective factors for anxiety and depression among American Indians: Understanding the roles of resilience and trauma. Psychological Trauma, 13(1), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000950. PMC7814695

Family Resilience & Alcohol Use

McKinley, C. E., & Scarnato, J. M. (2021). What's love got to do with it? "Love" and Alcohol Use among U.S. Indigenous Peoples: Aligning Research with Real-world Experiences. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 30(1-2), 26–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2020.1770650. PMC8218881

Family as Bedrock of Support

McKinley, C. E., Roh, S., Lee, Y. S., & Liddell, J. (2020). Family: The bedrock of support for American Indian women cancer survivors. Family & Community Health, 43(3), 246-254. https://doi.org/10.1097/FCH.0000000000000263. PMC8813328

Family Resilience & Violence

Burnette, C. E. (2018). Family and cultural protective factors as the bedrock of resilience for Indigenous women who have experienced violence. Journal of Family Social Work, 21(1), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2017.1402532

Systemic Trauma & Family Resilience

Figley, C. R. & Burnette, C. E. (2017). Building bridges: Connecting systemic trauma and family resilience in the study and treatment of diverse traumatized families. Traumatology, 23(1), 95-101. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000089

Risk Factors for Family Violence

Burnette, C. E. (2016). Historical oppression and Indigenous families: Uncovering potential risk factors for Indigenous families touched by violence. Family Relations, 65(2), 354-368. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12191

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