Childhood and adolescence is a time of rapid biological, psychological, and social growth. Prevalence rates around the world currently estimate approximately one in five adolescents experience mental health difficulties. As factors are increasingly implicated in the etiology of behavioral and emotional difficulties, clinicians and researchers have identified the need for resilience-enhancing prevention programs. The current authors redefine resilience as not only being able to navigate towards and negotiate for resources in the face of adversity, but also to embrace positive life challenges. This chapter discusses protective and risk factors of emotional well-being in youths to provide a framework for the development of resilience-building programs. A brief review of resilience enhancement in youths is provided as well as introduction to the FRIENDS protocol, four socio-emotional skills programs. The FRIENDS programs are robustly supported and the only program endorsed by the World Health Organization for the prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression in children and youth (Prevention of mental disorders: Effective interventions and policy options, Geneva, Switzerland, 2004). Description of the FRIENDS programs, research evaluating intervention outcomes, and strategies to adapt techniques for use in diverse youth populations are also included. Lastly, recent innovations in conceptualization, research, assessment, and treatment of resilience as well as future directions for research are discussed
