142 chapter 5 campaigns can highlight the various ways in which greening can be implemented and the benefits and growth opportunities associated with these actions, such as increased knowledge and new skills or a more pleasant living environment. Based on our research, it may be that messages focused on transilience may be more powerful in encouraging people to take action to adapt, and in enhancing their mental health, compared to messages that refer exclusively to the local threats (cf. McLoughlin, 2021; see Chapter 4). Additionally, it is plausible that focusing on transilience at the community level may be particularly powerful to promote widespread adaptation action across different levels. This is based on our finding that collective transilience appeared to be the only relevant predictor of both individual and community-based adaptation, when considering also individual transilience. By integrating transilience in adaptation policy packages, policymakers and practitioners can empower individuals and communities, helping them not only recover from immediate impacts, but also thrive and evolve in the face of an adversity. 5.5. CONCLUSION In this PhD dissertation we have introduced the novel concept of transilience as the perceived capacity to persist, adapt flexibly, and positively transform when confronted with an adversity. A series of studies conducted across a range of sociopolitical contexts, which vary in the severity and types of threats encountered, as well as in the policies implemented to mitigate their negative impacts, revealed a consistent observation: individuals perceive transilience amidst various large-scale adversities, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, and they do so both at the individual and at the community level. Importantly, we generally found that individuals with higher levels of transilience are more likely to engage in adaptation actions and to exhibit better mental health, provided they have some freedom of choice over their behaviours. Our research indicates that, also when adapting to contemporary adversities, people perceive they can change for the better, rather than merely “bouncing back” to pre-adversity conditions (cf., Davoudi et al., 2013). As such, transilience opens up pathways for individuals to adapt to adversities also by trying and developing alternatives, by proactively seeking beneficial opportunities and undergoing positive transformations. The term “crisis” has a fascinating etymology, originating from the ancient Greek words krísis and krínō, which signify ‘turning point’ and ‘decision’ (www.etymonline.com). We may never be able to evade crises entirely, and it is important to develop ways and to find tools to limit the negative consequences that crises can have on our lives. At the same time, it is imperative to remember that crises inherently represent decisive moments, which may invite us to reassess our present conditions, challenge them,
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