One year after wildfires swept through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, many Los Angeles residents are still in the process of recovery. The aftermath includes rebuilding homes, reestablishing daily routines, and coping with the emotional effects of the disaster.
As the anniversary is observed, questions about resilience have become more prominent. Itai Danovitch, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai, discussed the complexity of resilience and how it applies to those affected by the fires.
“The notion that resilience is just pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is an oversimplification,” Danovitch said. “When we think about resilience, we must avoid applying our own framework to somebody else’s situation. Rather, we need to recognize that there may be different conditions shaping their response.”
Danovitch explained that resilience is often misunderstood. He described it as “the capacity to adapt—to focus on what can be brought under your control so you can better cope with what you cannot control.” He emphasized that flexibility in expectations, behaviors, and coping strategies is central to resilience.
He noted that resilient people do not share a single set of traits. “There isn’t a single profile for resilience because people differ widely in their skills, resources and circumstances,” he said. Strategies vary based on individual backgrounds and experiences.
Danovitch also referenced research related to meaning-making—a concept associated with psychiatrist Viktor Frankl—which suggests that finding purpose can help individuals endure difficult times. He stated: “If you can make or find meaning, you can adapt, and if you can adapt, you can survive.”
Resilience is influenced by biological factors, psychological characteristics, social environment, and early life experiences. However, Danovitch cautioned against predicting resilience solely based on childhood events due to complex interactions between development and biology.
According to Danovitch, resilience can be improved through several approaches: enhancing emotional awareness; setting boundaries and expectations; practicing self-care such as sleep and nutrition; and building social connections that provide meaning. He added: “It’s easy to talk about strengthening resilience. It’s much harder to practice it consistently.”
Reflecting on community recovery after the L.A. wildfires, Danovitch pointed out that emotional responses emerge in phases following disasters. He said recovery is ongoing: “The continued impact on families and communities remains profound. We’ll continue to see regrowth and rebuilding as people navigate new challenges and curveballs.” Flexibility remains key in understanding how communities recover from adversity.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has played a role in supporting community health during this period. The hospital has served Los Angeles since 1902 under current president Thomas M. Priselac. In 2022 alone, Cedars-Sinai admitted over 50,000 patients for treatment according to its annual report (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/about/annual-report.html).
For further information on managing stress during recovery periods, readers are directed to the Cedars-Sinai Blog: The Power of Healthy Stress.
