Hardiness and stress: a critical review.

TOPIC. A critical literature review of the relationship between hardiness and stress. PURPOSE. To examine literature on the definition and concept of hardiness in both individuals and families, issues of measurement, and the relationship between hardiness and stress; and to identify implications for nursing practice and research. SOURCES. Hardiness as a stress resistance resource, dimensions of hardiness, and the importance of hardiness in family stress theory have been proposed through theoretical report. Instruments to measure hardiness have been developed by Kobasa (1979), Pollock (1986), and McCubbin, McCubbin, and Thompson (1991). CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING. The precise nature of the relationship between hardiness and stress remains to be determined. The role of family hardiness in reducing stress, especially in families of children with special healthcare needs, merits further investigation. The potential merits of developing hardiness intervention programs have particular meaning for nursing practice and research.