A syndemic occurs when two or more afflictions create a greater burden than either would produce alone. The interaction of COVID-19 with the highly publicized acts of racism this past year have produced a syndemic that will require a fresh, multi-faceted form of resiliency if society is to recover and become stronger. This editorial interviews two Olympians, Wendy Bruce-Martin and Justin Spring, who are exemplars of the kind of discipline and creativity needed to bounce back from both personal and professional set-backs. Coaction research findings are discussed and the components recommended by the American Psychological Association for building resilience are reviewed.
JohnsonSPaivaPMaurielloLProchaskaJOReddingCVelicerWF. Coaction in multiple behavior change interventions: consistency across multiple studies on weight management and obesity prevention. Health Psychol. 33(5):475–480. Accessed July 23, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4083557/
American Psychological Association. Building Your Resilience. American Psychological Association; Published 2012. Accessed July 22, 2021. https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
