The three types of resources

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An integrative view of mental health

Recent research converges on a central idea: positive mental health is not an isolated psychological state, but an emergent property arising from the dynamic interaction between biological, cognitive, psychological and environmental resources. This is the idea organised by the three families of resources framework.

It is not simply defined as the absence of a mental disorder. The most strongly supported model today is the two-continua model, according to which psychological well-being and psychopathology are two partially independent dimensions: a person may have no psychiatric disorder yet function at a low level, or conversely live with a mental illness while developing resources that support their well-being.

Positive mental health therefore corresponds more to a capacity for adaptation, regulation and flourishing than to a merely pleasant emotional state.

1. Biological resources: the foundation of mental functioning

Biological resources encompass all the physiological mechanisms that allow the brain and the body to maintain adaptive functioning.

Scientific evidence highlights in particular the role of:

• neurochemical balance;
• brain plasticity;
• autonomic (neurovegetative) regulation;
• the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (stress) axis;
• sleep and circadian rhythms;
• the immune system;
• cardiovascular health;
• the brain-gut-microbiome axis.

The most recent research emphasises that people with strong resilience often have biological profiles characterised by:

• better emotion regulation;
• lower inflammation;
• more efficient activity of the prefrontal networks involved in cognitive control;
• favourable interactions between the brain and the gut microbiome (An et al., 2024; Jeste et al., 2026).

These resources do not determine mental health on their own, but they create a biological terrain that is more or less favourable to adaptation (Garcia-Garcia et al., 2026).

2. Cognitive resources: making sense of experience

Cognitive resources correspond to the processes that allow us to interpret the world.

They influence:

• how we appraise situations;
• our expectations about the future;
• the sense of control;
• problem-solving ability;
• mental flexibility;
• the search for meaning.

Among these, positive cognitive reappraisal is one of the best-documented mechanisms today.

A systematic review of 99 studies (Riepenhausen et al., 2022) shows that this ability:

• reduces the psychological impact of stressful events;
• fosters resilience;
• explains the effects of other protective factors.

A sense of control, the meaning given to events and optimism also act as protective beliefs that ease adaptation during difficult events or chronic illness (Taylor et al., 2000).

3. Psychological resources: mobilising one's coping capacities

Psychological resources are the skills that make it possible to cope with difficulties.

The most studied are:

• resilience;
• self-efficacy;
• emotion regulation;
• self-compassion;
• mindfulness;
• positive emotions;
• coping;
• savouring;
• hope;
• optimism.

These resources do not work in isolation: research shows that they interact constantly. For example:

• resilience improves well-being mainly because it fosters self-efficacy, self-esteem or emotion regulation (Heinz et al., 2025);
• self-compassion reduces the transformation of negative emotions into psychopathological symptoms (Trompetter et al., 2016; Kotera et al., 2021);
• overall psychological capital predicts well-being better than any of its components taken separately (Sood and Puri, 2022).

Resources interact constantly

One of the major conclusions of this literature is that resources are never isolated. A biological improvement, for example better sleep, supports cognitive abilities.

Better cognitive abilities then foster:

• better emotion regulation;
• more protective behaviours;
• greater engagement in social life.

In turn, these behaviours gradually strengthen the biological mechanisms. Positive mental health therefore rests on a dynamic of positive feedback loops between several levels of organisation.

Context remains decisive

Individual resources are never enough on their own. Their effectiveness depends heavily on:

• social support;
• economic conditions;
• cultural context;
• the family environment;
• access to care;
• safety.

In other words, a psychological resource only takes full effect when it can be mobilised in a sufficiently favourable environment (Ungar and Theron, 2019; Heinz et al., 2025).

What the literature actually says

Literature reviews converge on several points:

• positive mental health is a multisystemic phenomenon;
• the biological, cognitive and psychological dimensions are interdependent;
• resources are modulated by the social context;
• no single measure can currently capture the full complexity of positive mental health (Iasiello et al., 2024).

Researchers also stress the heterogeneity of findings depending on age, culture, the type of adversity and the populations studied. Any simplistic or universal view of protective mechanisms should therefore be avoided.

A dynamic reading of resources

The scientific literature mainly describes three broad families of resources (biological, cognitive and psychological), to which environmental resources are almost always added. It says much less, however, about how these resources are built, depleted, restored and interact over time.

This is precisely the contribution of the approach developed by Dr Elisabeth Bélot-Grimaud: moving beyond a simple inventory of resources to propose a dynamic view of how they work, organised around four complementary processes:

• identifying one's resources;
• mobilising the resources suited to the context;
• preserving those that durably support functioning;
• restoring those that are impaired or depleted.

This process-based approach, still little developed in the current literature, bridges scientific knowledge about protective factors and an operational reading of positive mental health.

Scientific references

• An, E., et al. (2024). Stress-resilience impacts psychological wellbeing: evidence from brain-gut microbiome interactions. Nature Mental Health, 2, 935-950. doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00266-6
• Garcia-Garcia, I., et al. (2026). The nine hallmarks of mental health and wellbeing as a watershed framework for resilient living and healthspan optimization. Frontiers in Psychology, 17. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1749193
• Heinz, S., et al. (2025). Mediating pathways between resilience, mental health and wellbeing: a scoping review of individual, social, and systemic factors. BMC Public Health, 25. doi:10.1186/s12889-025-24897-1
• Iasiello, M., et al. (2024). What's the difference between measures of wellbeing, quality of life, resilience, and coping? An umbrella review and concept map of 155 measures of positive mental health. International Journal of Wellbeing, 14(2). doi:10.5502/ijw.v14i2.3621
• Jeste, D. V., et al. (2026). Report from the WPA Section on Positive Psychiatry 2015-2025. World Psychiatry, 25. doi:10.1002/wps.70025
• Kotera, Y., Green, P., & Sheffield, D. (2021). Positive psychology for mental wellbeing of UK therapeutic students: relationships with engagement, motivation, resilience and self-compassion. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20, 1611-1626. doi:10.1007/s11469-020-00466-y
• Riepenhausen, A., et al. (2022). Positive cognitive reappraisal in stress resilience, mental health, and well-being: a comprehensive systematic review. Emotion Review, 14, 310-331. doi:10.1177/17540739221114642
• Sood, S., & Puri, D. (2022). Psychological capital and positive mental health of student-athletes. Current Psychology, 42, 21759-21774. doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03272-y
• Taylor, S. E., et al. (2000). Psychological resources, positive illusions, and health. American Psychologist, 55(1), 99-109. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.55.1.99
• Trompetter, H., De Kleine, E., & Bohlmeijer, E. (2016). Why does positive mental health buffer against psychopathology? An exploratory study on self-compassion as a resilience mechanism and adaptive emotion regulation strategy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 41, 459-468. doi:10.1007/s10608-016-9774-0
• Ungar, M., & Theron, L. (2019). Resilience and mental health: how multisystemic processes contribute to positive outcomes. The Lancet Psychiatry. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(19)30434-1
• Zábó, V., Oláh, A., & Vargha, A. (2022). A new complex mental health test in a positive psychological framework. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.775622

Further reading

• The Three Families of Resources for Positive Mental Health;
• What is positive mental health?

This page is for general information and overview. It does not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. If you are going through a difficult time, please speak to your doctor or, if you are in France, call the 3114 (suicide prevention, free, 24/7). Outside France, contact your local emergency services.