personality resilience, primary family, risk factors, protective factors, flow

The objective of the longitudinal study performed over a period of 17 years, focusing on participants from high-risk environments, was to determine major protective factors that allowed for development towards a resilient personality. The study was implemented at Czech (97 individuals) and Slovak (27 individuals) universities between 2002 and 2018. The participants came from dysfunctional primary families where the following occurred demonstrably: low solidarity between family members, weak attachment between the parents and participants, constantly punished children using verbal reproof and corporal punishment. Four interviews per year were performed with each participants in the duration of the study. In total, there were 8,432 interviews with all participants over 17 years. The data obtained were analysed using the ATLAS.ti 7 program with the aim to record the most significant protective factors. The ability to immerse oneself and be in harmony with an activity, or the state of flow, proved to be crucial. Also, the presence of a natural authority was confirmed to be important, particularly in the form of dignified communication towards the participant, modelling proper behaviour, enthusiasm about the participant’s objectives and using the enthusiasm to help the participant discover his or her specific personal qualities and abilities. The studies implemented in the Czech Republic so far have not examined the population in such detail: the participants are now almost 40 years old. The results of the ongoing study are processed continuously and compared with a sample of participants from other states (Argentina, Chile, and Spain); however, it seems that the two aforementioned key protective factors are strong elements in the development of a personality with resilience traits, regardless of the cultural context.