Adversity and resilience science最新文献

This study critically examines how conflict-induced violence affects school-aged children and their psychological coping mechanisms in three conflict-prone districts in the northern part of Ghana: Bawku Municipality, Chereponi District, and Saboba District. Among the targeted sample of 212 primary and junior high school students who were randomly selected from 12 schools, 51 participants voluntarily participated in the administered survey questionnaires. Both fixed-response and one open-ended question were utilized in the study. Findings revealed that children exposed to explosive violence experienced severe psychological distress, including trauma from the loss of loved ones, disrupted schooling, and limited access to coping resources. The researchers recommend that further research should be conducted on how to develop and evaluate intervention programs that are tailored to support children exposed to violence that can mitigate the adverse effects on mental health and educational outcomes.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine links between family trauma and daily stress and mental and physical health among emerging adults (EA), and whether these links were moderated by friend-EA relationship quality and best friend risky behavior. The sample consisted of 1,163 college women who completed online anonymous surveys. Findings indicated that high levels of family trauma and daily stress were significantly related to high levels of EA physical health problems, risky behavior, and internalizing symptoms. Results also indicated that the link between family trauma and risky behavior was attenuated under low levels of best friend risky behavior. The moderation analyses also demonstrated that the links between adversity and EA health problems, risky behavior, and internalizing symptoms were positive, significant, and magnified under high levels best friend-EA relationship quality among youth reporting high levels of best friend risky behavior. The role of friends in fostering resilience among at-risk college women and how this may vary by characteristics of the friends and friendships were discussed.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a risk factor for negative parenting and children’s behavior problems. The present study examined the effects of the ACT-Raising Safe Kids Program on mothers’ parental practices and sense of competence, as well as children’s behaviors, comparing mothers with and without ACEs at different levels. The sample comprised 88 mothers with their 1–6-year-old children, divided into 3 groups: mothers with 4 or more ACEs (ACE^≥4 Group, n = 31), mothers with fewer than four ACEs (ACE^<4 Group, n = 37), and mothers without ACEs (No-ACE Group, n = 20). The mothers participated in the intervention, which utilized the ACT Program (delivered in either in-person or online versions). Mothers completed the ACT, Parenting and Family Adjustment Scale, Parental Sense of Competence, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at both the pre- and post-intervention stages. The three-way ANOVA for repeated measures was performed, controlled by socioeconomic status and maternal current depression symptoms. Regardless of the ACEs, the ACT Program showed positive effects on improving emotional and behavioral regulation, parent–child relationships, and parental sense of competence, as well as reducing coercive practices, in the post-intervention period compared to the pre-intervention period. Also, all mothers reported a reduction in children’s behavior problems, and, exclusively, mothers with ACEs mentioned an increase in prosocial behavior. Then, there were positive effects of the ACT Program on positive parenting and preventing violence against children, even among mothers with ACEs. The practical implication of the findings for prevention strategies is discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on university students, disrupting their educational experiences and causing widespread mental health challenges. This study sought to identify how the pandemic both positively and negatively impacted students’ academic experiences at the point in which the U.S. government officially ended the pandemic. A sample of 171 university students, primarily from a large institution in the Mountain West region, participated in the study. Qualitative analysis of their responses revealed several key themes. On the positive side, students reported improvements in technological proficiency, adaptation to virtual learning, enhanced self-efficacy and autonomy, and development of professional communication skills. These findings suggest that the pandemic provided opportunities for students to develop valuable skills and insights that could benefit them academically and professionally. Prior studies focused primarily on the negative impacts of the pandemic. This study too uncovered substantial negative impacts, including educational disruption and challenges with online learning, physical and emotional health decline, social isolation, and difficulties adapting to new norms and recovering from setbacks. These findings highlight the significant toll the pandemic has taken on students’ well-being and academic progress. The contradictory impacts observed in this study underscore the nuanced experiences of students during the pandemic. While some thrived in the flexible, self-directed learning environment, exhibiting resiliency, others faced considerable challenges that impeded their development.

Resilience research primarily focuses on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how individuals respond to them. Less attention is directed towards understanding positive experiences during childhood and their significance, including among marginalized and understudied populations. The current phenomenological qualitative study examined self-reported high point experiences (HPEs) and perceived meaning of the events among young people living in rural Appalachia. Narrative stories were collected from 71 individuals, aged 12–24, who participated in a study on resilience and psychosocial strengths. Participants described a HPE in their life, reasons why the story was positive, and what it revealed about them as a person. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using ATLAS.ti software. Coded data were analyzed to identify patterns and themes across participants. Self-reported HPEs included spending time with family, spending time in meaningful locations, participating in extracurricular activities, earning personal achievements, achieving life milestones or transitions, and receiving gifts. Participants viewed HPEs positively because they involved family being together, were linked to adversity, promoted the development of strengths, or resulted in personal achievements. Most participants reflected that their HPEs revealed their personal values. Findings highlighted a need to expand the conceptualization and measurement of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) to include more experiential and achievement-oriented experiences that are viewed positively among young people. An increased emphasis on HPEs and PCEs, rather than on ACEs, may help reduce stigma and empower families and communities to actively promote the health and well-being of young people in rural areas.

This study examines the moderating role of friendship quality (FQ) in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and self-compassion among Chinese undergraduates. ACEs are known to contribute to long-term emotional and psychological challenges, including diminished self-compassion. Self-compassion, which involves treating oneself with kindness and understanding during times of difficulty, is often undermined in individuals exposed to significant childhood adversity. This study posits that high-quality friendships may buffer the negative impact of ACEs on self-compassion. Data were collected from a sample of 24,445 undergraduate students in Yunnan Province, China. Participants completed validated assessments measuring their experiences of ACEs, levels of self-compassion, and the quality of their friendships. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between ACEs and self-compassion, aligning with the hypothesis that higher exposure to childhood adversity is associated with lower levels of self-compassion. Notably, the study found that FQ significantly moderated this relationship. Higher FQ mitigates the negative impact of ACEs on self-compassion. These findings highlight the potential for interventions focused on enhancing FQ to support undergraduates who have experienced childhood adversity, ultimately fostering self-compassion and better mental health outcomes.

This study investigates the role of protective experiences in fostering children’s subjective well-being across 27 countries, using a large dataset of 10-year-olds (N = 49,428). While protective factors are well-established in buffering against negative outcomes and poor mental health, their potential to actively promote children’s subjective well-being has received comparatively little attention. Addressing this gap, the study explores the promotive function of such factors. Drawing upon the protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) model, we identified nine key factors validated using confirmatory factor analysis across three domains: relational, physical, and enriching resources. Results indicated that these factors significantly predicted children’s well-being. Four factors—family relations, friendships, teacher support, and home safety—emerged as the strongest predictors of children's subjective well-being. The model’s predictive power varied across countries, explaining 30–40% of well-being variance in most cases, with some critical differences between nations. Moreover, further country-focused analysis showed certain experiences, particularly religion, were only relevant in specific countries. This study underscores the importance of protective experiences for children’s well-being, highlighting the PACEs model’s utility. Cross-national differences in the model’s effectiveness indicate the need for culturally sensitive applications and the need for culturally informed policies. These findings point to the importance of culturally informed policies and targeted efforts to strengthen protective factors. Future research should further investigate how different protective experiences function across cultural settings to support children’s flourishing.

Although the idea of giving attention both to benevolent and adverse childhood experiences during perinatal psychotherapy was launched about 20 years ago, the therapeutic work of integrating good and painful childhood memories remains understudied. This study explored experiences of retrieving “angel memories” through the Angels Interview conducted with 20 pregnant patients with adverse childhood experiences. A qualitative approach was chosen with the Angels Interview during pregnancy and a follow-up qualitative interview, retrospectively addressing the experience 4 months after birth. Data were analyzed using ideal-type analysis. Four ideal types were constructed: “Happy you reminded me of the good things (15%),” “It was a mixed experience, but it was worth it (45%),” “It didn’t add much nor cause stress, but it was interesting” (30%), and “It was meant to be positive, but it wasn’t!” (10%). Our findings indicate that the Angels Interview can be a useful door opener into therapeutic work of integrating good and painful childhood memories during pregnancy. However, there is a need for tailoring the Angels Interview to attend to alliance insecurities, such as trust issues in the therapeutic relationship, address “ghost memories” during and after the interview, carefully handle lack of “angel memories,” and retrieve more complex and mixed emotional memories involving primary caregivers. Tailoring suggestions include introducing the Angels Interview as a potentially mixed experience, interviewing in a step-by-step manner, offering helpful probing and validation, and systematic follow-up of “ghost” and “angel” memories surfacing after the Angels Interview. Clinical trial registration: NCT 04528589.