Childhood Emotional Abuse Research Articles

Childhood emotional abuse and motor impulsiveness among male violent inmates with antisocial personality disorder.

This study aimed to explore the relationship among childhood maltreatment, impulsiveness and antisocial personality through a questionnaire survey of violent male inmates. We found that the scores of inmates with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) in Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28 item Short Form (CTQ-SF) and Barratt Impulsive Scale-11 (BIS-11) were higher than those in the Non-Antisocial personality group, and there was a significant correlation between the scores of CTQ-SF and BIS-11. We found that the interaction between impulsivity and childhood abuse predicts ASPD levels. Moreover, motor and non-planning impulsiveness played important roles in the observed differences in antisocial personality scores among the inmates who had experienced childhood maltreatment; motor impulsiveness was mainly related to emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, while non-planning impulsiveness was mainly related to emotional neglect and physical neglect. These findings suggest that identifying and providing timely intervention for inmates with high impulsiveness who experienced maltreatment in childhood may also contribute to the prevention of violent behavior and to better prison management.

Early Life Adversity and Neuropsychiatric Disease: Differential Outcomes and Translational Relevance of Rodent Models.

It is now well-established that early life adversity (ELA) predisposes individuals to develop several neuropsychiatric conditions, including anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder. However, ELA is a very broad term, encompassing multiple types of negative childhood experiences, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect, as well as trauma associated with chronic illness, family separation, natural disasters, accidents, and witnessing a violent crime. Emerging literature suggests that in humans, different types of adverse experiences are more or less likely to produce susceptibilities to certain conditions that involve affective dysfunction. To investigate the driving mechanisms underlying the connection between experience and subsequent disease, neuroscientists have developed several rodent models of ELA, including pain exposure, maternal deprivation, and limited resources. These studies have also shown that different types of ELA paradigms produce different but somewhat overlapping behavioral phenotypes. In this review, we first investigate the types of ELA that may be driving different neuropsychiatric outcomes and brain changes in humans. We next evaluate whether rodent models of ELA can provide translationally relevant information regarding links between specific types of experience and changes in neural circuits underlying dysfunction.

The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Relationship Between Emotional Abuse and Self-Harm Behaviors in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: It is important to pay attention to the self-injury behaviors in adolescence as one of the high-risk behaviors with adverse consequences for the individual and society. Objective: This study aims to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between emotional abuse in childhood and self-injury behaviors in female adolescents. Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study. Participants were 200 female high school students in Rasht, Iran in the academic year 2020-2021 who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Data collection tools included the self-harm inventory (SHI), childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), and emotion regulation questionnaire (ERQ). The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis in SPSS Software v. 23 and Amos v. 26. Results: There was a significant relationship between emotional abuse and self-injury behaviors (P<0.001). The reappraisal domain had a significant negative relationship with emotional abuse and self-injury behaviors, and the suppression domain had a significant positive relationship with emotional abuse and self-injury behaviors. Emotion regulation strategies had partial mediating role in the relationship between emotional abuse and self-injury behaviors (P<0.001). Conclusion: Considering the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies, more attention to the use of these strategies should be paid to reduce the occurrence of self-injury behaviors in female adolescents.

Childhood maltreatment, traumatic experiences, and posttraumatic stress disorder in pathological skin picking: An online case-control study

ObjectiveAlthough traumatic stress including childhood maltreatment (CM) has a profound impact on mental health, its relation to pathological skin picking (PSP) has been understudied and results remain inconclusive. Likewise, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the most typical sequelae of traumatic stress has hardly been investigated in those with PSP. The objective of our online case-control study was to shed further light on this issue. MethodsUsing an anonymous online survey, 325 adult participants with PSP defined by Skin Picking Scale-Revised (SPS-R) scores ≥ 7 as well as Skin Picking Impact Scale (SPIS) scores ≥ 7 were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Short Screening Scale for DSM-IV PTSD (PTSD-7) including a list of traumatic events, and a brief measure of psychopathological distress. They were compared to an age-, sex-, and education-matched control group recruited online by means of analyses of variance (ANOVA). ResultsThe PSP sample scored significantly higher on the CTQ dimensions of sexual and emotional abuse as well as emotional neglect with small to moderate effect sizes (d between 0.27 and 0.49). Accounting for psychological distress, the only significant difference related to emotional abuse with a small effect (d = 0.23). Participants with PSP reported significantly more traumatic experiences in adulthood than the control group (59.1% vs. 38.2%; χ2(1; N=638) = 28.02, p < .001). Among those with PSP, a probable diagnosis of PTSD was found in 44 (13.5%) compared to zero cases in the control group. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that emotional abuse in childhood may be of relevance in skin picking. Since exposure to traumatic events in adulthood as well as PTSD seem to be more frequent in those with PSP compared to a control group, it might be worthwhile to consider these factors in the assessment of patients with skin picking.

Use of Self-Figure Drawing as an Assessment Tool for Child Abuse: Differentiating between Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Abuse.

Child abuse is a worldwide phenomenon with adverse short- and long-term mental and physical negative consequences, with a huge gap between the prevalence of child abuse and disclosure rates. The study aimed to examine and validate the self-figure drawing as an assessment tool to differentiate between three forms of child abuse, i.e., child sexual abuse (CSA), child physical abuse (CPA), and child emotional abuse (CEA). Following the ethical approval, 1707 Thai children (13–18 years old) from the general population (schools) were asked to complete a self-report anonymous questionnaire consisting of four measures (Demographics, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), The Medical Somatic Dissociation Questionnaire (MSDQ), and The Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ)). After completion, they were asked to draw themselves. There was a significantly positive link between the reluctance to disclose and the experience of abuse, indicating that the more severe the abuse the higher the reluctance to disclose. The findings broaden the knowledge of movement and symbols as representations of inner personal conflictual material. Additionally, it substantiates self-figure drawing as an assessment tool and assists practitioners in early child abuse detection.

Attachment as a Mediator Linking Childhood Maltreatment to Attributions in Adult Intimate Relationships

Introduction: Childhood abuse has been linked to greater attachment insecurity in adulthood which has implications for adult romantic relationships. Abuse and attachment may particularly influence attributions of their partner's behavior. The current study examine adult attachment anxiety and avoidance as mediators linking childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse to attributions in adults currently in a romantic relationship. Method: A sample of 191 adults were recruited (mean age = 29.16, 71% White) and completed an online survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the indirect effects linking childhood abuse to attributions using bias corrected bootstrapping. Results: Findings from bootstrapped structural equation modeling indicated that attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, linked child emotional and physical abuse to attributions. Sexual abuse was directly, positively associated with attributions, independent of attachment and physical and emotional abuse. Conclusions: Clinicians may want to target anxious attachment in reducing negative attributions with a focus on how distal experiences of childhood emotional abuse may be impacting attachment security. Emotion focused couple therapy is a recommended intervention.

Serum extracellular vesicle microRNA dysregulation and childhood trauma in adolescents with major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) seriously endangers adolescent mental and physical health. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are mediators of cellular communication and are involved in many physiological brain processes. Although EV miRNAshave been implicated in adults with major psychiatric disorders, investigation into their effects in adolescent MDDremains scarce. In discovery set, we conducted a genome-wide miRNA sequencing of serum EVs from 9 untreated adolescents with MDD and 8 matched healthy controls (HCs), identifying 32 differentially expressed miRNAs (18 upregulated and 14 downregulated). In the validation set, 8 differentially expressed and highly enriched miRNAs were verified in independent samples using RT-PCR, with 4 (miR-450a-2-3p, miR-3691-5p, miR-556-3p, and miR-2115-3p) of the 8 miRNAs found to be significantly elevated in 34 untreated adolescents with MDD compared with 38 HCs and consistent with the sequencing results. After the Bonferroni correction, we found that three miRNAs (miR-450a-2-3p, miR-556-3p, and miR-2115-3p) were still significantly different. Among them, miR-450a-2-3p showed the most markeddifferential expression and was able to diagnose disease with 67.6% sensitivity and 84.2% specificity. Furthermore, miR-450a-2-3p partially mediated the associations between total childhood trauma, emotional abuse, and physical neglect and adolescent MDD. We also found that the combination of miR-450a-2-3p and emotional abuse could effectively diagnose MDD in adolescents with 82.4% sensitivity and 81.6% specificity. Our data demonstrate the association of serum EV miRNA dysregulation with MDD pathophysiology and, furthermore, show that miRNAs may mediate the relationship between early stress and MDD susceptibility. We also provide a valid integrated model for the diagnosis of adolescent MDD.

Nighttime Invasions, Colonial Dispossession, and Indigenous Resilience in Richard Wagamese’sIndian Horse

AbstractThis essay demonstrates how Richard Wagamese employs oral storytelling techniques to make the complex idea of Indigenous dispossession sensually and intellectually accessible to readers of his novel,Indian Horse. The Wabseemoong First Nation writer depicts the devastating effects of white entitlement when rendering character Saul Indian Horse’s experiences in Canada’s residential schools and the effect those schools had on his subsequent life. Using narrative analysis, it will be shown how Saul loses his ability to perceive places as being alive and resonant, and is thereby dispossessed on an individual, social, and spiritual level. Furthermore, Wagamese’s descriptions of the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of Indigenous children draw attention to the harrowing histories of Canada’s residential schools, thus laying bare the necropolitical potential of settler-colonial dispossession. This essay links Wagamese’s narrative to recent arguments brought forward in Indigenous studies. It aims to demonstrate that Indigenous dispossession in settler colonial states is part of modernity, and its overarching political economy, that is capitalism.i

Childhood emotional maltreatment and subsequent affective symptoms among chinese male drug users: The roles of impulsivity and psychological resilience.

Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) has been widely linked to later affective symptoms. What still remains inadequately understood are the potential nuanced differences in the consequences of childhood emotional abuse (CEM-A) versus childhood emotional neglect (CEM-N) and the implicated mechanisms. Research with non-Western, clinical samples also remains scarce. Thus, we examined the associations of CEM-A and CEM-N with later affective symptoms among Chinese male drug users and tested impulsivity and psychological resilience as potential mediators and moderators. Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted with survey data obtained from 239 Chinese male adult drug users who were in a rehabilitation center. The mediating rather than the moderating hypotheses were supported. CEM-A was found to be positively associated with subsequent depressive and anxious symptoms through a positive association with impulsivity. In contrast, CEM-N was positively associated only with subsequent depressive symptoms via a negative association with psychological resilience. In addition, CEM-A was also found to be directly associated with later depressive and anxious symptoms. CEM may pose a threat to later affective well-being partly through contributing to intrapersonal vulnerabilities as well as compromising intrapersonal strengths. Differentiating CEM-A and CEM-N appears to be critical for revealing the understudied specificity and nuance that may be inherently within such effects. Drug use treatment services should sensitively attend to the affective sequelae of CEM. Interventions targeted at the modification of impulsivity and the facilitation of psychological resilience may be effective in diminishing the affective consequences of CEM among drug users. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Why is my world so dark? Effects of child physical and emotional abuse on child depression: The mediating role of self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts

BackgroundThe adverse effects of childhood maltreatment on the mental health of individuals have received increasing attention. However, it is unclear whether the effects of invisible emotional abuse and visible physical abuse differ on child depression and the mediating processes under this relationship. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts mediated the effects of physical abuse and emotional abuse on child depression and the underlying mechanistic differences. Participants and settingUsing a two-wave longitudinal design, a total of 946 elementary school students completed the self-report questionnaires at two-time points, including child abuse, self-compassion, negative automatic thoughts, and depression. MethodsThis study constructed structural equation models (SEM) to examine the mediating role of self-compassion and negative automatic thoughts between emotional/physical abuse and child depression. ResultsAfter controlling for demographic covariates, structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that only physical abuse significantly and positively predicted child depression directly (β = 0.16, p < 0.01). Emotional abuse was positively associated with child depression through self-compassion (β = 0.02, p < 0.05) and negative automatic thoughts (β = 0.02, p < 0.05), while physical abuse influenced child depression only via negative automatic thoughts (β = 0.07, p < 0.001). ConclusionsThe findings showed a strong association between emotional/physical abuse and child depression, but there were mechanistic differences under these relationships. Therefore, we also need to pay equal attention to the adverse effects of emotional abuse on children.

Supplemental Material for Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Subsequent Affective Symptoms Among Chinese Male Drug Users: The Roles of Impulsivity and Psychological Resilience

Supplemental Material for Childhood Emotional Maltreatment and Subsequent Affective Symptoms Among Chinese Male Drug Users: The Roles of Impulsivity and Psychological Resilience

0207 Mothers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences and Protective Factors are Associated with Rest-activity Rhythms in their Children

Abstract Introduction Mothers’ history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; e.g. maltreatment, household dysfunction) are associated with poor health outcomes in their children, but mechanisms underlying this intergenerational transmission are poorly understood. Given links between circadian rhythm and the stress-response system, we test the hypothesis that maternal ACEs influence child health through disrupted rest-activity rhythm (RAR) in the mother and child. We also explore whether mothers’ benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) are protective against disrupted RAR. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional pilot study of maternal-child dyads with preschool-age children. Mothers reported history of childhood adversity (ACEs Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and protective factors (BCE Scale). Dyads wore wrist actigraphs for 8-10 days and mothers completed daily electronic diaries. Nonparametric measures of RAR (e.g. interdaily stability [IS], intradaily variability [IV]) were calculated. We used linear regression to examine associations between mothers’ childhood history and maternal and child RAR measures, controlling for household size and maternal employment. Results Maternal-child dyads (N=20) identified as white (75%), Black (15%), and Hispanic/Latina (10%). Mean child age was 4.2 years (40% female). Average household size was 4.5 ±.1.1 and 65% of mothers were employed. Forty-two percent of mothers reported 1-2 ACEs and 25% reported 3 or more ACEs. Maternal childhood history was not associated with mothers’ RAR. However, maternal ACEs and CTQ total score were associated with decreased child IS (ACEs: β= -0.47, SE=0.01, p=.02; CTQ total: β= -0.53, SE=.01, p=.001) and increased child IV (ACEs: β=0.29, SE=.01, p=.051; CTQ total: β=0.38, SE+.00, p=.03). CTQ subscales revealed maternal childhood physical abuse (β= -0.54, SE=.01, p&amp;lt;.0001), emotional abuse (β= -0.42, SE=.00, p=.002), and sexual abuse (β= -.73, SE=.00, p&amp;lt;.0001) were associated with decreased child IS, while maternal childhood emotional neglect was associated with increased child IV (β= 0.39, SE=.01, p=.04). Maternal BCEs were associated with decreased child IV (β= -0.44, SE=.01, p=.03). Conclusion Maternal ACE history may influence child health through effects on children’s circadian rhythm (i.e. decreased synchronization, increased fragmentation), while maternal BCEs may protect against rhythm fragmentation. Additional research is needed to support these novel preliminary findings. Support (If Any) National Institute of Nursing Research (K99NR018876) and American Nurses Foundation.

The Negative Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Behavioral Problems of Children in Kinship Care: The Protective Role of Kinship Caregivers’ Mental Health

This study aims to examine the (a) prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children in kinship care; (b) relationships between the number and type of ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems; and (c) moderating role of kinship caregivers’ mental health on the relationships between ACEs and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. A sample of children in kinship care ( N = 224) obtained from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II was used. Ordinary least squares regression models were conducted. Results indicated that neglect followed by parental substance abuse were found to be the most prevalent of the ACEs. Child neglect, sexual and emotional abuse, and parental substance abuse were significantly associated with child internalizing problems, whereas sexual and emotional abuse were significantly associated with child externalizing problems. The total number of ACEs and experiencing three or more ACEs were significantly associated with child externalizing problems. Kinship caregivers’ mental health significantly moderated the relationships between neglect, sexual abuse, and child internalizing problems. Caregiver’s mental health also moderated the relationships between emotional and sexual abuse, neglect, and children’s externalizing problems. Findings suggest the importance of addressing ACEs and the need for mental health services to both kinship caregivers and children in kinship care.

P348. Childhood Emotional Abuse is Associated with Delayed Brain Age in Depressed Adolescents

Exposure to early adversity has been found to be associated with atypical brain maturation in adolescents; it is unclear, however, whether specific types of adversity are differentially associated with delayed or accelerated brain maturation. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) who experienced significant levels of early adversity.

Linkages Between Childhood Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Pregnant Hispanic Women: A Network Analysis.

Pregnant Hispanic women are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in part due to greater risk of childhood maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), and pregnancy-related vulnerabilities. However, PTSD, is a highly heterogenous diagnosis with numerous presentations. Individual PTSD symptoms may be differentially associated with specific types of maltreatment, IPV. Determining how IPV exposure across the lifespan is associated with specific symptoms of PTSD in pregnant Hispanic women is necessary to develop group-relevant models of this disorder and targeted interventions. The present study examined a network model of PTSD symptoms, childhood maltreatment, and adulthood IPV in a sample of pregnant Hispanic women (N = 198). Childhood emotional abuse and adulthood psychological distress had the highest bridge centrality. These types of exposures were most strongly associated with social isolation. Childhood emotional abuse was associated with more individual PTSD symptoms than any IPV type. These findings suggest that associations between PTSD symptoms and different types of IPV exposure vary. In addition, robust associations between childhood emotional abuse and PTSD symptoms suggest that this domain may be particularly important for the clinical assessment and intervention for pregnant women.

Is Household Unemployment Associated With Increased Verbal and Physical Child Abuse During the COVID Pandemic?

The economic downturn due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic initially led to a large increase in the US unemployment rate. Being laid-off or losing a job could cause financial stress and have an impact on the relationship between parents or other adults in the home and children. We aimed to assess the effect of household unemployment on child physical and emotional abuse during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an older population of children. Data were from a sample of 7,555 students from 51 schools that participated in a survey administered from October to December 2020. We conducted weighted multivariable logistic regression models and report adjusted odds ratio to estimate associations between recent household unemployment and emotional and physical abuse. Having a parent or other adult in the home with a job loss was associated with higher odds of emotional or physical abuse. The findings are consistent with child maltreatment prevention strategies focused on alleviating economic hardship.

Cumulative victimization and number of sexual partners among youth involved with child welfare: Externalizing and internalizing problems as mediators

ObjectivesThere is some evidence linking child maltreatment and higher number of sexual partners. However, limited knowledge exists regarding potential mediating mechanisms linking these two variables, particularly related to child protective services (CPS) involved youth. Compared to youth in the general population, CPS-involved youth are at greater risk of having higher numbers of sexual partners. We examined the unique and cumulative effects of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and domestic violence exposure on number of sexual partners. We also examined indirect relationships between cumulative victimization and number of sexual partners, testing externalizing and internalizing problems as potential mediators. MethodWe used three waves of longitudinal data from 11 to 17-year-old youth (n = 1042) who participated in the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being. Data were analyzed using path analysis with bias-corrected bootstrapped confidence intervals. Child maltreatment data were collected at Wave 1. Data on number of sexual partners were collected from youth during Waves 1 and 3. Study analyses included the highest number of sexual partners reported in either wave. ResultsWe found no statistically significant unique relationship between any single maltreatment type and number of sexual partners. However, cumulative victimization (experiencing two maltreatment types compared to zero maltreatment type) at Wave 1 was significantly associated with more internalizing, B = 0.30, 95% CI [0.01, 0.59], and externalizing problems at Wave 2, B = 0.66, 95% CI [0.37, 0.96]. Additionally, externalizing problems mediated the association between cumulative victimization and number of sexual partners, unstandardized indirect effect = 0.26, 95% CI [0.06, 0.43]. ConclusionsCPS interventions should target high numbers of sexual partners among youth with cumulative victimizations by targeting externalizing problems.

PET and MRI-DTI and MRI quantitative volumetric detection of abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, early severe childhood emotional abuse, and neglect in a homicide trial mitigation phase

Emotional abuse can result in neurological changes that can affect behavioral regulations of aggression. Multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can result in a high probability of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and in significant impairment in the ability to regulate aggressive behavior. Neuroimaging can detect abnormalities consistent with changes reported in emotional abuse and in multiple TBIs with greater risk of developing CTE. Such evidence can be presented for use during the mitigation phase in death penalty cases. We report a case of a 60-year-old convicted felon, Raul Roque, who committed two homicides ten years apart. In the second homicide trial, scientific evidence of the defendant’s brain abnormalities (consistent with severe emotional abuse, neglect induced neurological changes, post-traumatic stress disorder, and TBIs with a likely prognosis of high risk of CTE) was displayed using positron emission tomography, diffusion tensor imaging, and quantitative volumetrics. In the defendant’s psychological assessments, a history of childhood trauma, multiple frequent head injuries, and psychological disturbances were documented. Utilization of clinically practiced neuroimaging analyses is a useful component during the mitigation phase of capital punishment court cases and can lead to understanding neuroanatomical correlation with brain function and behavior of incarcerated individuals who commit capital murder.

Childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing: A moderated mediation model of self-compassion and curiosity

BackgroundResilience and positive mental health may be negatively influenced by childhood maltreatment. While many scholars have noted that adolescents exposed to childhood emotional abuse could meet the criteria for flourishing, little research has investigated the mediating effect of self-compassion and the moderating effect of curiosity on the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and adolescent flourishing. ObjectiveThis study proposed and tested a moderated mediation model that attempted to explain the pathway from childhood emotional abuse to adolescent flourishing. Participants and settingThe sample consisted of 315 female students (mean age 12.81 years, range 12–14 years) in a girls' secondary school in Hong Kong, China. MethodsWe conducted a three-wave study with six-month intervals. The participants completed self-administered questionnaires at school under the guidance of trained research assistants. ResultsSelf-compassion at Time 2 mediated the relationship between childhood emotional abuse at Time 1 and adolescent flourishing at Time 3. Furthermore, the mediating effect was moderated by adolescent curiosity at Time 1 and Time 2. ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggested that although childhood emotional abuse may hinder the development of self-compassion, reduced levels of self-compassion and curiosity (especially the stretch dimension of curiosity) could work together to promote flourishing in adolescents with a history of childhood emotional abuse. The results lent further support to the developmental psychopathology and resilience perspectives in explaining the relationship between childhood trauma and positive developmental outcomes.

Predictors of Secondary Completion Among Homeless Youth in Three U.S. Cities and the Potential Application of National Policies.

PurposeSecondary education completion rates (i.e., high school diploma or General Education Development [GED]) among homeless youth (HY) are low in comparison with their housed peers.MethodSecondary data with a sample of 429 HY was used from a 3-city study using quantitative retrospective interviews with a purposive sample of601 HY collected from 2010 to 2011 in social service organizations across three U.S. cities (Denver, CO, n = 201; Los Angeles, CA, n = 200; and Austin, TX,, n = 200). This study examines risk and resilience factors (i.e., demographics, childhood trauma, transience, mental health diagnosis, incarceration history, employment, and resilience) associated with the completion of secondary education among HY using logistic regression.ResultsSecondary completion was positively associated with identifying as female, formal employment, a sense of equanimity, and experiences of childhood emotional abuse. In contrast, secondary completion was negatively associated with a history of incarceration as well as experiences of childhood physical neglect and emotional neglect.DiscussionRecommendations are made for strengthening educational institutions’ capacity to provide the comprehensive support services for HY to minimize risk factors and enhance protective factors. Similarly, the authors highlight how cross-sector collaboration, such as those approaches supported through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act, can be leveraged to minimize significant risk factors and promote resilience factors associated with secondary completion.