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Summary This article reports research that aimed to identify and evaluate potential resilience benefits of visual arts interventions for young people with complex needs. The study involved a review of the 'arts for resilience' literature and a case study of 10 weekly resilience-building arts workshops for 10 young people experiencing mental health complexities and/or learning difficulties. Findings We found a significant existing evidence-base linking visual arts practice to individual and community resilience, across disciplinary fields including art therapy, social work, community health, visual arts practice and geographies of health. Visual art activities were utilised to both educate young people about resilience and enhance young people's overall resilience. Qualitative research material developed from the case study shows that even short-term visual arts interventions can impact on young people's resilience – crucially, participation was extremely beneficial to young people's sense of belonging and ability to cope with difficult feelings (topics which arose repeatedly during interview, focus group discussion and observation). Applications Our review and findings from this small case study provide some initial insights into the resilience benefits of participation in visual arts activities. This, combined with the resilience-based practice framework presented here, could aid the effective targeting of interventions for social workers and others working with young people with complex needs. Alongside this research paper, an arts for resilience practice guide has been produced by the project team (including young people). It contains instructions on how to conduct a range of practical visual arts activities that we identified as being resilience-promoting.

The aim of this paper was to review published accounts of resilience-based approaches with and for disabled children and young people aged up to 25 years. The review is part of a broader study looking more generally at resilience-based interventions with and for young people. The authors attempt to summarise the approaches and techniques that might best support those children and young people who need them the most. However, when compared to the number of evaluated resilience-based approaches to working with typically-developing children and young people, those including children and young people with complex needs are disappointingly lacking. Of 830 retrieved references, 46 were relevant and 23 met the inclusion criteria and form the body of this review. They covered a variety of intervention content, setting, and delivery, and diverse children and young people, making comparative evaluation prohibitive. The difficulties in identifying suitable resilience-based interventions are discussed, together with the authors' iterative approach, which was informed by realist review methodology for complex social interventions. The review is set into a context of exclusion, an ableist mindset and the political economy of research. It also provides recommendations for future research and practice development in this field.

The aim of this paper was to review published accounts of resilience-based approaches with and for disabled children and young people aged up to 25 years. The review is part of a broader study looking more generally at resilience-based interventions with and for young people. The authors attempt to summarise the approaches and techniques that might best support those children and young people who need them the most. However, when compared to the number of evaluated resilience-based approaches to working with typically-developing children and young people, those including children and young people with complex needs are disappointingly lacking. Of 830 retrieved references, 46 were relevant and 23 met the inclusion criteria and form the body of this review. They covered a variety of intervention content, setting, and delivery, and diverse children and young people, making comparative evaluation prohibitive. The difficulties in identifying suitable resilience-based interventions are discussed, together with the authors' iterative approach, which was informed by realist review methodology for complex social interventions. The review is set into a context of exclusion, an ableist mind-set and the political economy of research. It also provides recommendations for future research and practice development in this field.

The concept of resilience has evolved, from an individual-level characteristic to a wider ecological notion that takes into account broader person–environment interactions, generating an increased interest in health and well-being research, practice and policy. At the same time, the research and policy-based attempts to build resilience are increasingly under attack for responsibilizing individuals and maintaining, rather than challenging, the inequitable structure of society. When adversities faced by children and young people result from embedded inequality and social disadvantage, resilience-based knowledge has the potential to influence the wider adversity context. Therefore, it is vital that conceptualizations of resilience encompass this potential for marginalized people to challenge and transform aspects of their adversity, without holding them responsible for the barriers they face. This article outlines and provides examples from an approach that we are taking in our research and practice, which we have called Boingboing resilience. We argue that it is possible to bring resilience research and practice together with a social justice approach, giving equal and simultaneous attention to individuals and to the wider system. To achieve this goal, we suggest future research should have a co-produced and inclusive research design that overcomes the dilemma of agency and responsibility, contains a socially transformative element, and has the potential to empower children, young people, and families.