"The Science of Bouncing Back"
Dennis Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Health System, describes his two-decade quest to understand the science of human resilience, how it can be engendered in people, and the potential benefits for mental and physical health of this groundbreaking field. The article describes the origins of the resiliency field, how Dr. Charney and colleagues have identified the brain regions and genetic patterns linked to it, and the implications of the work for the clinical treatment of anxiety and related conditions. The work is based in part on many interviews with combat veterans and other resilient people, and the article offers a “prescription,” a set of exercises, for building resilience in ourselves. Learn more.