Resilience and Mental Health among Underprivileged Youth: A Mini Review

This mini review aims to synthesize current research on the relationship between resilience and mental health among underprivileged youth, emphasizing how adaptive capacity serves as a protective yet complex psychological construct. Notably, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Scopus database (search date: 27 October 2025) using the keywords “mental health,” “resilience,” “underprivileged,” “disadvantaged,” “marginalized,” and “youth.” Studies included were peer-reviewed articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and case studies focusing on resilience frameworks and interventions relevant to youth mental health, while non-English and gray literature were excluded. Accordingly, findings reveal that underprivileged youth exposed to chronic trauma such as poverty, violence, and discrimination experience significant mental health challenges. However, resilience can mitigate these effects through mechanisms such as emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and social support. Despite this, resilience may also coexist with maladaptive coping behaviors, questioning its uniformly positive role. The literature further highlights the critical influence of familial, community, and cultural factors on resilience development, alongside the growing use of digital and school-based interventions. In conclusion, resilience should be viewed as a dynamic process that shapes mental well-being collectively and contextually, rather than simply an individual trait. Thus, future research should adopt inclusive, community-based models to promote sustainable mental health outcomes among underprivileged youth.

Resilience; Mental Health

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