Examination of the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Psychological Resilience in Preschool Teachers

Abstract

Background / purpose – This paper investigated the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological resilience in preschool teachers. The study also determined whether psychological resilience depended on age. Materials / methods – The study adopted a correlational survey model. The sample consisted of 268 preschool teachers. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics questionnaire named the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33), and the Adult Resilience Measure (ARM-R). Results – The study’s results showed that higher CTQ-33 emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and total CTQ-33 subscale scores have correspondingly lower ARM-R total and subscale scores. The results also showed that higher physical abuse, physical neglect, and overprotection–overcontrol subscale scores have correspondingly lower ARM-R relational resources, personal resources, and familial resources subscale and total ARM-R scores. There was no correlation found between the CTQ-33 physical abuse, physical neglect, and overprotection–overcontrol subscale scores and the ARM-R cultural and contextual resources subscale scores. The results showed that age did not affect the participants’ ARM-R subscale or total scores. Conclusion – The study’s results revealed a negative correlation between childhood trauma and psychological resilience. Age did not affect psychological resilience levels. The CTQ-33 emotional neglect subscale score was found to be negatively and moderately correlated with the ARM-R relational resources ( r = -.482) and personal resources ( r = -.435) subscale scores and the total ARM-R score ( r = -.576). The CTQ-33 emotional neglect subscale score was found to be negatively and weakly correlated with the ARM-R cultural and contextual resources ( r = -.192) subscale score. The CTQ-33 emotional neglect subscale score was found to be negatively and highly correlated with the ARM-R familial resources ( r = -.705) subscale score. These results show that a higher CTQ-33 emotional neglect subscale score results in correspondingly lower ARM-R scores. The CTQ-33 sexual abuse subscale score was found to be negatively and moderately correlated with the ARM-R relational resources ( r = -.300) and familial resources ( r = -.200) subscale scores and also the total ARM-R score ( r = -.347). The CTQ-33 sexual abuse subscale score was found to be negatively and weakly correlated with the ARM-R personal resources ( r = -.150) and cultural and contextual resources ( r = -.200) subscale scores. These results show that a higher CTQ-33 sexual abuse subscale score has correspondingly lower ARM-R scores. The results show that age did not affect the participant teachers’ ARM-R subscale and total scores ( p > .05).