Factors contributing to resilience in a post Katrina New Orleans population

The purpose of this study was to explore the relation between the telling of a person's narrative and the development of resilience in a Post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans population. All participants were living in New Orleans on 8/29/2005 when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. All participants were deemed resilient by having Beck Anxiety Inventories and Beck Depression Inventories below a score of 19, as well as by being considered "competent" in their daily lives.;The method was a qualitative study intended to permit for an in-depth analysis of the narratives of the residents of New Orleans who were displaying resilience and competence. A qualitative design, rooted in narrative inquiry, was chosen to allow for this level of analysis. A semi-structured interview was chosen to elicit information on how people rebounded from the experience and devastation of Katrina. Additionally, the process would provide the opportunity to identify potential themes and challenges the storm produced.;The results had both anticipated and unanticipated themes related to resilience. The anticipated themes, as guided by the literature, were as follows: The ability to regulate one's emotions and impulses (self-regulation), high self-esteem, locus of control, and an easy-going temperament. A number of unanticipated themes also surfaced, including: caretaking and faith. Due to the absence of a comparative group, it cannot be said that caretaking or faith lead to the development of resilience, but it does suggest need for further research in this area. During the interviews two other themes also surfaced, discrimination and the earthquake in Haiti which occurred on January 12, 2010. The amount of information garnered from the semi-structured interviews related to the participant's experience with Hurricane Katrina suggests that this may be a relatively untapped resource in the field of resilience. Finally, clinical implications, major themes, and areas of future research were discussed.