Internalizing Symptoms in Children Exposed to Adversity: Examining Associations with Resilience, Social Support, and Community Cohesion

Abstract

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contributes to increased rates of psychopathology in youth. Specific environmental factors have been linked to improved functioning following adversity, but few studies have taken a social-ecological approach to examine how resilience, social support, and community cohesion may be associated with internalizing problems (i.e., anxiety, depression) in young children. The current study included 49 children between the ages of 8 and 13 (Mage = 10.43, SD = 1.57; 55.1% male; 95.8% Black or African American) who were recruited from four community programs in the Midsouth, United States that serve families experiencing adversity. Regarding income, 77.3% of youth’s caregivers reported an annual household income under $15,000. Almost all children reported experiencing at least one ACE (92.6%). Two linear regression models were run to assess how resilience, social support, and community cohesion were related to youth’s depression and anxiety symptoms while controlling for ACEs and family income. The model examining depression was significant, (F (5, 48) = 4.16, p < .01, R2 = .33) with fewer reported ACEs (β = 1.55, p < .02) and higher resilience (β = -.73, p = .01) associated with lower depressive symptoms. The model assessing anxiety was not significant. Results indicate that personal resilience may be a key target for intervention in children exposed to ACEs as efforts to strengthen individual resources (e.g., self-efficacy, emotion regulation skills) could be linked to reduced psychopathology. KEYWORDS: Adverse Childhood Experiences; Social Ecology; Resilience; Social Support; Community Cohesion; Internalizing Symptoms; Anxiety; Depression