The Human Resilience Project
Our Mission: Exploring and Enhancing Human Wellbeing in a Dynamic World
We meet our mission by advancing understanding and fostering resilience among indigenous and marginalized groups facing the intersecting challenges of mental health, trauma, and climate change. Through rigorous interdisciplinary research and collaboration with communities worldwide, we aim to illuminate effective practices and interventions that promote wellbeing and adaptive change.
Our project is driven by a commitment to explore and document indigenous and marginalized communities’ resilience strategies in the context of climate change impacts and related community and individual trauma. By integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary, decolonized research methodologies, we seek to develop culturally grounded approaches that empower communities to navigate and mitigate the psychological effects of environmental disruption.
Through our research, we investigate the complex interactions between mental health, trauma, and environmental change, aiming to generate actionable insights and evidence-based solutions. Simultaneously, our healing focus and collaborations with local partners allow us to apply these insights to develop innovative approaches that honor cultural diversity and community-specific needs, supporting individuals and groups in their healing journeys.
We join with local stakeholders to co-create educational programs and capacity-building initiatives. These initiatives empower communities to cultivate resilience through education, training, and the dissemination of best practices, thereby fostering sustainable impacts beyond our research endeavors. These efforts are global and cross-cultural, so that communities across the world can share ideas and practices.
Ultimately, The Human Resilience Project is dedicated to advancing global mental health and wellbeing by amplifying the voices and strategies of indigenous and marginalized communities, contributing to a more resilient future in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Current Project:
Our current project examines human resilience in diverse circumstances, from post-apartheid South Africa to orangutan conservation in Indonesia. This investigation is particularly exciting because at each site, we partner with local researchers to lead the inquiry into the experiences of people in their region.
For Students:
Students interested in pursuing independent research in human resilience may contact Dr. Scharff with research proposals related to human resilience, particularly in the Global South or among marginalized or indigenous populations.
Project Founder and Director: Constance Scharff, PhD
Dr. Scharff is an explorer and adventurer who studies human resilience and mental health. An award-winning author and passionate advocate for global mental health. As principal investigator, Dr. Scharff leads expeditions worldwide to learn how some of the most remote and marginalized communities address adversity and shares that information with a consortium of interested parties.
She works globally to broaden our definitions of mental healthcare and incorporate complementary therapies and indigenous practices and ontologies into healthcare services. She is particularly interested in the intersection of trauma and climate change.
Dr. Scharff is a recent recipient of St. Lawrence University’s Sol Feinstone Humanitarian Award, honoring her service to and advocacy for those suffering from mental illness, trauma, and addiction. She’s also a member of The Explorers Club, an homage to her efforts to improve mental health and wellbeing in communities worldwide. Her most recent research, a year-long, seven-nation exploration of “everyday bravery” is titled, A Year of Living Bravely, and will be available as a book in 2026.
E-mail: Constance_Scharff@cihs.edu