Theron, Linda C.Levine, DianeUngar, Michael2022-10-052022-10-052021-12-21Theron, L., Levine, D. & Ungar, M. (2021) Resilience to COVID-19-related stressors: Insights from emerging adults in a South African township. PLoS ONE 16(12): e0260613. https://DOI.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260613.1932-6203 (online)10.1371/journal.pone.0260613https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/87519There is widespread recognition that stressors related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) jeopardize the development of emerging adults, more particularly those living in disadvantaged communities. What is less well understood is what might support emerging adult resilience to COVID-19-related stressors. In response, this article reports a 5-week qualitative study with 24 emerging adults (average age: 20) living in a South African township. Using digital diaries and repeated individual interviews, young people shared their lived experiences of later (i.e., month 4 and 7) lockdown-related challenges (i.e., contagion fears; livelihood threats; lives-on-hold) and how they managed these challenges. An inductive thematic analysis showed that personal and collective compliance, generous ways-ofbeing, and tolerance-facilitators enabled emerging adult resilience to said challenges. Importantly, these resilience-enablers drew on resources associated with multiple systems and reflected the situational and cultural context of the township in question. In short, supporting emerging adult resilience to COVID-19-related stressors will require contextually aligned, multisystemic responses.en© 2021 Theron et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Widespread recognitionDisadvantaged communitiesLockdown-related challengesCOVID-19 pandemicCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)South Africa (SA)TownshipEmerging adultArticle