REACHING FOR RESILIENCE: NEW DATA ON OVERCOMING ADVERSITY IN YOUTH

Abstract

Objectives: As appreciation for the role of adversity and trauma in the development of psychopathology has risen, so has the need to better understand resilience and how to enhance it. The goal of this session is to update attendees on new research in the area of resilience with an emphasis on the methods to increase it through interventions and education. Methods: New data from multiple study designs, settings, and ages will be presented. Samples used for this Symposium include: 1) high-risk newborns and toddlers, including a twin sample, many of whom were born into poverty and had histories of maltreatment and were followed prospectively;2) 39 classrooms of young children who received 0, 10, or 20 weeks of early childhood mental health consultation;3) a sample of 484 older adolescent college students who completed daily ratings of mental health and wellness prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic using a smartphone app;and 4) another sample of 88 college students, some of whom were taught specific resilience skills in an undergraduate class. Results: Prospective data from the high-risk samples of newborns and toddlers reveal more favorable long-term outcomes for those at risk than are often assumed. Classroom mental health consultation was found to improve the classroom climate in young children, especially with longer intervention periods. For college students, those taught resilience skills showed improved coping skills, decreased stress, and a reduction in dysfunctional attitudes. In another college sample, specific personality traits, some of which had not been previously associated with resilience, were found to buffer against the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: These presentations reveal a more hopeful picture for those who have experienced trauma and adversity than is sometimes assumed in discussions of toxic stress. Further, specific resilience-focused interventions can be successful at both the individual and group levels and across different ages. Data also suggest that some resilience factors should not be considered universal and may instead vary based upon the particular characteristics of the stressor itself. PRE, WL, SC