In times of geopolitical tensions, global turmoil, pandemics, and climate-related shocks, Nordic societies are faced with a question: how can communities remain resilient in the face of sudden shocks and ongoing uncertainty?
Psychological resilience, the capacity of individuals and communities to withstand stress and recover from crises, could be a critical concept for policymakers and practitioners to consider across the Nordic countries. The concept has already been established in the Finnish context and exists – sometimes in less explicit forms – also in other Nordic countries.
Strengthening this resilience requires capacity to respond to acute crises but also to build stable, trust-based communities in everyday life. Measures such as supporting cultural and youth activities, promoting volunteer work, and ensuring inclusive communication all contribute to a society’s foundational resilience.
Nordregio’s new project, ‘Recognizing and Supporting Psychological Resilience: Regional Approaches Across the Nordic Countries’, aims to build knowledge on how Nordic regions can foster resilience.
“We want to understand what practical measures really make a difference at local and regional levels,” says Hilma Salonen, Senior Research Fellow and project manager, and continues:
“By exploring how resilience is defined and supported across Nordic countries, we can provide guidance for communities to be stronger, more inclusive, and better prepared for future challenges.”
Despite its growing use in strategic discourse, psychological resilience remains a new and underexplored concept in practice. Lisa Rohrer, Research Fellow and deputy project manager explains:
“Resilience is high on the Nordic political agenda, but there is still limited understanding of how it plays out at regional and local levels, and among different organisations and institutions in the community. This project aims to bridge that gap.”
Lisa continues: “Finland has been working with the idea of psychological resilience since at least 2017, but the concept remains less clear in other contexts”. Comparing approaches across the Nordics can also offer new insights: “Through a cross-Nordic perspective, we can better understand how the various approaches to societal security and civil preparedness are operationalised – including the role of, for example, cultural and religious institutions or youth organisations. These activities and communities play a major part in everyday life, and they are key domains where trust and democratic values are embodied – what role, then, might they play then when crises emerge?”
The project will examine policies, review existing indicators, and develop recommendations and communication strategies for regional actors to foster psychological resilience as a vital function of society. Key findings will be collected into a report.
If you are interested in the practical dimensions of psychological resilience and ways to design resilient communities or learning more about this project, join us at the Nordregio Forum in Lahti (Finland) on 3-4 December 2025. One of the Forum workshops offers an opportunity to explore the topic through hands-on exercises and simulations.
