Predictors of student resilience in higher education

Abstract

Resilience, when coping with stress, can protect against serious negative life outcomes and lead to greater lifetime satisfaction. The current literature suggests that there are internal factors that may moderate the development of resilience. These factors could be used to inform targeted interventions for young people experiencing stress within the educational sphere. The current study extends previous literature by confirming known predictors and testing novel predictors of resilience in female students within a Higher Education context. Psychological measures of resilience, attachment quality, self-esteem, and exposure to stressful and adverse childhood experiences were utilised. Statistical analysis revealed that self-esteem, exposure to stressful events, levels of avoidance in maternal relationships, and levels of anxiety in paternal relationships were significant predictors of levels of resilience. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed alongside potential interventions.