Exploring Resilience Beyond Borders: Lessons from Halifax on Mental Health and Social Justice

I recently returned from a focused five-week research visit in Halifax, Canada, collaborating with Prof Dr. Michael Ungar as part of the Resilience Research Centre. This opportunity, awarded through the Young Investigator Award by the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, supports my ongoing project to translate findings on resilience and stress appraisal into diverse cultural contexts.

The environment of Halifax—immersed in snow and ice—provided a unique setting for in-depth interdisciplinary engagement on resilience research.

What truly moved me was learning from dedicated people improving mental health for Mi’kmaq communities, African Nova Scotians, Ukrainian refugees, children of incarcerated parents, and others. Their stories, combined with Nova Scotia’s rich history and the warmth of its people, sparked powerful reflections.

At the core of my curiosity lies a tough question: How do we balance individual strengths with social and contextual realities in protecting mental health? Many disciplines lean toward one side—focusing either on personal traits like cognition or external factors like structural inequality. But the truth is, both contribute to mental health and resilience.

What struck me most? Our healthcare systems tend to overlook this balance, favoring individual solutions while ignoring the bigger picture. One thing is absolutely clear after these weeks of learning and dialogue: resilience is never a substitute for social justice—it must work hand in hand with it.