"Research Reveals 'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger' Isn't Always Accurate"

Research Challenges Previously Held Belief That Adversity Strengthens Resilience

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2025 September 13 . 1:32 PM

2 min read

Research Undermines Claim That Adversity Strengthens Individuals

"Research Reveals 'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger' Isn't Always Accurate"

In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, a study conducted by researchers including Yehuda et al. shed light on the relationship between previous traumatic experiences and sensitization to future trauma. The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, examined 1,160 Chileans in 2003 and 2011, before and after the disaster.

Before the earthquake, none of the participants had a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD), according to the researchers. However, after the disaster, 9.1% of the survivors were diagnosed with PTSD and 14.4% with MDD. The study found that individuals with four or more pre-disaster stressors were at an increased risk for post-disaster PTSD, and every additional pre-disaster stressor further increased the risk of developing post-disaster MDD.

The saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," is found to be false according to this study. Past stressful experiences do not create resilience to future trauma, but instead sensitize people to future traumas. This finding highlights the importance of accessible mental health care in mitigating the negative effects of disasters.

Chile, with its national health care service that includes integrated primary and mental health care centres, can serve as a model for other countries. Most of these centres have trained personnel to provide disaster coping strategies when needed.

The study's implications extend beyond the 2010 disaster in Chile. Cristina Fernandez, a psychiatric epidemiologist at Brown University, spoke about the study's implications for natural disasters caused by climate change. Fernandez emphasized that disadvantaged groups, who frequently have higher levels of prior life stresses, may suffer the most from serious mental health conditions following such disasters.

The study also raises concerns about the high disease burden of mental illness, which has not achieved commensurate visibility, policy attention, or funding. The research underscores the need for comprehensive mental health preparedness kits, like those utilised in Chile, to be made available to all countries, ensuring that everyone has access to the necessary resources to cope with and recover from disasters.