Development of a Dynamic Resilience Synthesis Framework for Psychological Well-Being Across Life Stages

Thesis Abstract

In the face of increasing global diversity in developmental trajectories, individuals experience multifaceted challenges that threaten psychological well-being across life stages; despite advances in resilience research, there remains a fragmented understanding of how dynamic resilience processes synthesize with well-being over time, underscoring the need for an integrative framework that captures cross-domain and cross-stage interactions. This study aims to develop a Dynamic Resilience Synthesis Framework (DRSF) that explicates how reconfigurable resilience processes—from emotional regulation to social-environmental resources—interact with core well-being indicators to produce adaptive outcomes across childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. The specific objectives are (1) to identify core resilience mechanisms and their temporal modulations across life stages; (2) to develop a synthetic model that integrates individual, relational, and contextual factors predicting psychological well-being trajectories; (3) to validate the model across diverse populations using longitudinal data; (4) to delineate stage-specific and cross-stage pathways linking resilience processes to well-being outcomes; and (5) to propose practical, theory-driven interventions to bolster dynamic resilience in varied settings. A mixed-methods design will be employed. In the quantitative strand, a longitudinal panel of 1,200 participants stratified by age group (children 8–12, adolescents 13–17, adults 25–45, older adults 65+) will be followed over five years with annual assessments. Measures will include the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Brief Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, emotion regulation via the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and environmental stressors captured through a life-events inventory. Growth curve modeling and cross-lagged panel analyses will test dynamic associations among resilience processes and well-being indicators, while structural equation modeling will evaluate the latent framework pathways. In the qualitative strand, 60 in-depth interviews (15 per life-stage group) will be conducted to elicit nuanced narratives of resilience deployment, context-driven adaptations, and perceived predictors of well-being, followed by thematic analysis to triangulate with quantitative findings. The study will also apply Person-Centered Analyses, including latent class growth analysis, to identify distinct resilience-behavior trajectory subgroups. Key expected findings include identification of a core set of dynamic resilience mechanisms—emotion regulation flexibility, value-consistent goal pursuit, social-resource mobilization, and meaning-making—that interact with environmental supports to shape well-being trajectories. The framework is anticipated to reveal stage-specific pathways (e.g., peer and school-related resources in adolescence; intimate relationships and career efficacy in adulthood; purpose and social integration in old age) and cross-stage continuities (e.g., regulatory flexibility and social capital as enduring predictors). The integration of quantitative and qualitative results is expected to yield a robust, parsimonious model with both universal and context-dependent components, suitable for cross-cultural replication. This research contributes to knowledge by operationalizing resilience as a dynamically synthesizing process rather than a static attribute and by offering a validated framework that links resilience mechanisms to multidimensional well-being outcomes across life stages. It advances theoretical developments by unifying concepts from the Conservation of Resources theory, the Dynamic Systems Theory perspective on development, and the Positive Psychology framework of well-being, while incorporating social-ecological considerations. Practically, the DRSF will inform the design of stage-tailored interventions—such as resilience training programs, school-family partnerships, workplace wellness initiatives, and community-based aging supports—that adapt to shifting resilience configurations over time. Policy implications include guidance for resource allocation to strengthen protective factors across schools, workplaces, and elder care systems in order to sustain population-wide psychological well-being. The study concludes that a Dynamic Resilience Synthesis Framework can reliably predict and explain well-being outcomes across life stages by capturing the evolving interplay of individual skills, social resources, and contextual stressors. Recommendations emphasize the integration of resilience monitoring into routine developmental assessments, the development of adaptive, stage-responsive intervention modules, and the creation of longitudinal data infrastructures to progressively refine the model across diverse cultural contexts.