Kalawatia M, Mehrunkar A, Lucke-Wold B. Harnessing resilience in patient treatment and long-term recovery: Psychosocial and neurobiological pathways to enhanced outcomes. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(10): 109462 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i10.109462]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Brandon Lucke-Wold, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 1505 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States. brandon.lucke-wold@neurosurgery.ufl.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mihit Kalawatia, Department of Neurosurgery, Rajarshi Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College, Kolhapur 416003, Maharashtra, India
Aabhali Mehrunkar, Department of Psychiatry, Rajarshi Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College, Kolhapur 416003, Maharashtra, India
Brandon Lucke-Wold, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States
Co-corresponding authors: Mihit Kalawatia and Brandon Lucke-Wold.
Author contributions: Kalawatia M contributed to the manuscript with conceptualization, literature review, data collection, manuscript drafting, and critical revision; Mehrunkar A contributed to the manuscript with data analysis, visualization, manuscript editing, and proofreading; Lucke-Wold B contributed to the manuscript with methodology, supervision, final review, manuscript touch-ups, and project supervision; Kalawatia M and Lucke-Wold B contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Brandon Lucke-Wold, Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 1505 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, United States. brandon.lucke-wold@neurosurgery.ufl.edu
Received: May 12, 2025 Revised: June 25, 2025 Accepted: August 6, 2025 Published online: October 19, 2025 Processing time: 137 Days and 14.1 Hours
Abstract
Resilience - the dynamic capacity to maintain or restore mental and physical health in the face of adversity - has been linked to improved treatment adherence, reduced psychological distress, and enhanced long-term recovery in patients confronting serious illnesses such as cancer. Psychosocial resources (e.g., social support, peer-led groups) and neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis modulation, neural plasticity) interact to buffer the physiological and emotional impact of diagnosis and therapy. Interventions including cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and digitally delivered programs demonstrate moderate-to-large effect sizes (Hedges' g 0.33-1.45) in strengthening resilience and improving quality of life. However, inconsistent terminology, the absence of standardized, multidimensional assessment tools, and logistical challenges in implementation limit widespread adoption. We advocate for a unified resilience framework that integrates psychometric scales, biomarker assays, and real-time digital monitoring; the embedding of resilience-promoting strategies within multidisciplinary care pathways; and the alignment of policy support and reimbursement models to sustain these efforts. Longitudinal, multicenter trials and culturally sensitive adaptation will be essential to validate scalable models, ensuring that resilience becomes a fundamental pillar of compassionate, patient-centered care.
Core Tip: Targeted interventions combining psychosocial support with neurobiological strategies can enhance resilience, improving coping, adherence, and recovery in patients facing serious health challenges. Initiating these strategies early and sustaining them throughout treatment maximizes their benefits. Using psychometric scales, biomarkers, and digital monitoring offers a comprehensive view of adaptive capacity. Multidisciplinary teams - including oncology, palliative care, and allied health - deliver culturally tailored interventions. Establishing unified definitions, standardized measurements, and scalable models through longitudinal research and supportive policies will embed resilience as a fundamental component of compassionate healthcare.
