Abstract
The psychological resilience literature has identified the need for clarity about
whether individual resilience should be considered a stable character trait or a dynamic
process, and if there are biological markers of resilience. This thesis addressed the gaps in the
literature by assessing changes in resilience over time and psychological, physiological and
work-related factors associated with resilience.
A systematic review and four quantitative research studies were conducted. The
findings from most papers in the systematic review suggested resilience remains relatively
stable over time with some minor fluctuations. This finding was partially supported in Study
1, using a three-wave longitudinal study utilising the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRISC) and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) (N = 134). The model identified items of
the CD-RISC were more trait based and the RSA contained a comparable percentage of
residual trait and state factors. In Study 2, results from a two-wave study conducted during
the Covid-19 pandemic and two years prior identified no group changes in employee’s
resilience over time (N = 137) but identified individual fluctuations in resilience. In Study 3,
results from a cross-sectional study suggested employee’s resilience mediates the association
between psychological job demands and work-related rumination (affective rumination and
detachment, N = 377) when working from home. Finally, Study 4 identified those with high
resilience demonstrate enhanced cardiovascular recovery (heart rate variability, blood
pressure) following acute stress (N = 72).
In summary, the results of this thesis suggest that the complexity of resilience may not
be able to be captured using psychometric resilience scales and the content of these scales
should be explored further. The importance of resilience in recovery from work and acute
stress has been highlighted amongst the need for additional support in the workplace to
ensure employees are happy and healthy at work.