Individual Protective Factors Research Articles

Animal tuberculosis: Impact of disease heterogeneity in transmission, diagnosis and control.

Animal tuberculosis (TB) in terrestrial mammals is mainly caused by Mycobacterium bovis. This pathogen is adapted to a wide range of host species, representing a threat to livestock, wildlife and human health. Disease heterogeneity is a hallmark of multi-host TB and a challenge for control. Drivers of animal TB heterogeneity are very diverse and may act at the level of the causative agent, the host species, the interface between mycobacteria and the host, community of hosts, the environment and even policy behind control programmes. In this paper, we examine the drivers that seem to contribute to this phenomenon. We begin by reviewing evidence accumulated to date supporting the consensus that a complex range of genetic, biological and socio-environmental factors contribute to the establishment and maintenance of animal TB, setting the grounds for heterogeneity. We then highlight the complex interplay between individual, species-specific and community protective factors with risk/maintenance variables that include animal movements and densities, co-infection and super-shedders. We finally consider how current interventions should seek to consider and explore heterogeneity in order to tackle potential limitations for diagnosis and control programmes, simultaneously increasing their efficacy.

Infancy in 21st Century Hungary - A Project Introduction: Policy, Theoretical and Methodological Framework and Objectives of the First National Representative Parent Survey on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Objectives: Infancy in 21st Century Hungary is the first Hungarian national representative parent survey to examine early childhood mental health problems and important individual, family and broader environmental risk and protective factors associated with them. Methods: In the study, families raising children aged 3–36 months were included. The sample was nationally representative according to the children’s age and gender, and the type of residence. Data were collected in the winter of 2019–2020 from 980 mothers and 122 fathers. The parents were interviewed using a CAPI (computer-assisted personal interview) instrument at first, and then they filled out a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ). The measurement package was planned by an interdisciplinary research network coordinated by the Institute of Mental Health at Semmelweis University, while the sampling and the data collection were conducted by the TÁRKI Research Institute. Results: Based on the parental reports, we will examine the prevalence of infant and early childhood mental health problems perceived by the parents, and the relationships between the background variables measured in several ecological levels. Due to the representative sample’s socio-demographic diversity, we can map the generalizable variability of each examined construct and identify risk and protective factors behind the perceived developmental and mental health difficulties. Conclusions: In this article, the policy, theoretical and methodological framework, the justification and objectives of the research, and the measurement package are presented.

Secure attachment and individual protective factors against internalized homophobia

This article explores the relationship between internalized homophobia and three main variables: attachment to mother, father, and peers; ego resiliency; and self-esteem. We recruited 51 Italian gay men and 54 lesbian women aged between 18 and 30, and asked them to complete self-report measures. The results showed that internalized homophobia negatively correlated with the security of attachment to father and self-esteem. On the other hand, no significant association was found between ego resiliency and internalized homophobia. The implications of these findings are considered in the discussion, along with the potential role of preventive programs targeting attachment relationships and self-esteem levels in order to promote well-being.

Resilience and the brain: a key role for regulatory circuits linked to social stress and support.

Given the high prevalence and burden of mental disorders, fostering the understanding of protective factors is an urgent issue for translational medicine in psychiatry. The concept of resilience describes individual and environmental protective factors against the backdrop of established adversities linked to mental illness. There is convergent evidence for a crucial role of direct as well as indirect adversity impacting the developing brain, with persisting effects until adulthood. Direct adversity may include childhood maltreatment and family adversity, while indirect social adversity can include factors such as urban living or ethnic minority status. Recently, research has begun to examine protective factors which may be able to buffer against or even reverse these influences. First evidence indicates that supportive social environments as well as trait-like individual protective characteristics might impact on similar neural substrates, thus strengthening the capacity to actively cope with stress exposure in order to counteract the detrimental effects evoked by social adversity. Here, we provide an overview of the current literature investigating the neural mechanisms of resilience with a putative social background, including studies on individual traits and genetic variation linked to resilience. We argue that the regulatory perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and limbic regions, including the amygdala and the ventral striatum, play a key role as crucial convergence sites of protective factors. Further, we discuss possible prevention and early intervention approaches targeting both the individual and the social environment to reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders and foster resilience.

Psychosocial protective factors and suicidal ideation: Results from a national longitudinal study of veterans

BackgroundThis study investigates the empirical association between psychosocial protective factors and subsequent suicidal ideation in veterans. MethodsWe conducted a national longitudinal survey in which participants were randomly drawn from over one million U.S. military service members who served after September 11, 2001. Data were provided by a total of 1090 veterans representative of all 50 states and all military branches in two waves of data collection one year apart (79% retention rate). ResultsIn chi-square analyses, psychosocial protective factors at wave 1 (employment, meeting basic needs, self-care, living stability, social support, spirituality, resilience, and self-determination) were significantly related to lower suicidal ideation at wave 2. In multivariable analyses controlling for covariates at wave 1 including suicidal ideation, the total number of protective factors endorsed at wave 1 significantly predicted reduced odds of suicidal ideation at wave 2. In multivariable analysis examining individual risk and protective factors, again controlling for covariates, results showed that money to cover basic needs and higher psychological resilience at wave 1 were associated with significantly lower odds of suicidal ideation at wave 2. LimitationsThe study measured the link between psychosocial protective factors and suicidal ideation but not suicide attempts, which would be an important next step for this research. ConclusionsThe results indicate that psychosocial rehabilitation and holistic approaches targeting financial well-being, homelessness, resilience, self-care, social support, spirituality, and work may offer a promising avenue in both veteran and non-veteran populations for treatment safety planning as well as suicide risk management and prevention.

Secondary traumatic stress in Australian psychologists: Individual risk and protective factors.

Secondary traumatic stress in Australian psychologists: Individual risk and protective factors.

A longitudinal investigation of protective factors for bereaved maltreated youth

BackgroundMaltreated youth are at an elevated risk for the development of problem behaviors. Coping with the death of a family member or close friend during adolescence, referred to as bereavement, is a stressful event that could potentiate risk linked to maltreatment. However, developmental research suggests that youth adjustment is a product of multiple risk and protective factors. Although maltreated youth who experience loss may be particularly vulnerable to behavior problems, personal and contextual factors may attenuate or exacerbate youths’ risk for internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. ObjectiveThe overarching goal of this study is to examine individual, family, and community-level protective factors for maltreated youth who experience bereavement. Specifically, we aim to examine the effect of age 12 bereavement on age 16 internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, and to investigate the moderating role of multi-level protective factors at ages 14 and 16. MethodsThe study consisted of a sample of 800 youth (52.4% female, 45.1% African-American) drawn from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), collected from 1998 to 2011. ResultsMaltreated youth who experienced significant loss were at increased risk for externalizing symptoms, compared to non-bereaved maltreated youth (β = 0.085, p < .05). Individual future orientation (β = 0.103, p < .05) family future orientation (β = −0.120, p < .05), parental monitoring (β = −0.123, p< .01), and neighborhood collective efficacy (β = −0.126, p < .01) each significantly moderated the association between bereavement and externalizing symptoms. ConclusionsThese results have implications for future interventions aimed towards reducing problem behaviors in adolescents with a history of child maltreatment and who experience bereavement.

Identifying and Addressing Confounding Bias in Violence Prevention Research.

Violence prevention research has enhanced our understanding of individual and community risk and protective factors for aggression and violence. However, our knowledge of risk and protective factors for violence is highly dependent on observational studies, since there are few randomized trials of risk and protective factors for violence. Observational studies are susceptible to systematic errors, specifically confounding, and may lack internal validity. Many violence prevention studies utilize methods that do not correctly identify the set of covariates needed for statistical adjustment. This results in unwarranted matching and restriction leading to further confounding or selection bias. Covariate adjustment based on purely statistical criteria generates inconsistent results and uncertain conclusions. Conventional methods used to identify confounding in violence prevention research are often inadequate. Causal diagrams have potential to improve the understanding and identification of potential confounding biases in observational violence prevention studies, and methods like sensitivity analysis using quantitative bias analysis can help to address unmeasured confounding. Violence research studies should make more use of these methods.

‘Steeling’ Young People: Resilience and Youth Policy in Scotland

This article examines the growth of resilience-focused youth policy in Scotland, and its association with the proliferation of the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) agenda. To do this, it critically compares policy discourse with qualitative data on young people’s experiences of growing up in two similar, low-income neighbourhoods. This combination leads us to problematise resilience-informed practice, relative to the voices of young people. Our review demonstrates that by emphasising individual protective factors, resilience discourse reframes inequalities embedded within certain neighbourhoods, and the specific impacts on young people who live there. The consequence is not an assets-based youth policy that supports all young people, but rather a form of resilience which promotes the ‘steeling’ of young people; making them stronger and more resistant to adversities. These adversities, we conclude, may be preventable within a more just social order.

The Missouri Prevention Center: A multidisciplinary approach to reducing the societal prevalence and burden of youth mental health problems.

The challenges presented by the growing prevalence, burden, and unmet service needs of youth mental health problems are formidable. During the past decade, scholars and other stakeholders of the Missouri Prevention Center (MPC) have been using a prevention and implementation science approach to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate recommended practices in promoting youth mental health in real world contexts. The purpose of this article is to describe the multidisciplinary contributions of MPC to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral health of youth, locally and nationally. We briefly summarize MPC scholarship that has addressed the individual and social-contextual risk and protective factors of youth mental health at home, school, and community. The article concludes with a description of two large-scale community projects, funded by an innovative local sales tax, that represent the systematic application of MPC scholarship and outreach. Together these projects provide mental health screening for every youth in our county three times per year and a single point of entry into the mental health service system where any family in our county can access an evaluation and referral for their child at no cost to them. The projects serve as model demonstrations for how communities can address the challenges of youth mental health concerns through multidisciplinary collaborations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimizing Assessment of Risk and Protection for Diverse Adolescent Outcomes: Do Risk and Protective Factors for Delinquency and Substance Use Also Predict Risky Sexual Behavior?

Assessments of youth risk and protective factors (RPFs) for substance use, delinquency, and violence have been used by communities to identify priorities and target them with prevention interventions. These same RPFs may also predict other youth problems. This study examined the strength and consistency of relationships of 41 ecological RPFs that predict antisocial behavior and substance use with sexual behavior outcomes in a sample of 2150 urban youth in 10th and 12th grade. After adjusting for controls, findings identify significant associations among the majority of community, school, family, peer, and individual risk factors, and family, peer, and individual protective factors, with sexual behavior outcomes, specifying unique associations among multiple factors with risky sex relative to both safe sex and not being sexually active. Prevention programming that targets common predictors for multiple problems may address a broad array of outcomes, including sexual health risk behaviors.

Protective Factors for Early Psychotic Phenomena Among Children of Mothers With Psychosis.

Background: Early identification of sub-clinical psychotic experiences in at-risk individuals is vital to prevent the development of psychosis, even before prodromal symptoms emerge. A widely-replicated risk factor is having a family member with psychosis. The Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study has shown that better cognitive functioning, a stimulating family environment, and a cohesive community, are protective against psychotic experiences among children; while engaging in physical activity, social support, and a cohesive community are protective for adolescents. In the current study we investigate whether these factors also protect against the development of sub-clinical psychotic phenomena among children and adolescents in this cohort who are at high-risk of psychosis by having a mother with psychosis.Methods: Data were utilized from the E-Risk Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative cohort of 2,232 twin children born in England and Wales in 1994–1995 followed to age 18. Psychotic phenomena were assessed in private interviews with children at ages 12 and 18, and mothers were interviewed about their own experiences of psychosis when children were aged 10 and 12. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses explored associations between individual, family, and community-level putative protective factors and absence of age-12 psychotic symptoms and age-18 psychotic experiences in children whose mothers had a diagnosis of a psychosis-spectrum disorder and/or reported psychotic symptoms.Results: Higher IQ (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.94–1.00, P = 0.036) and living in a more socially cohesive neighborhood (OR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.98, P = 0.023) were independently protective against age-12 psychotic symptoms among children of mothers with psychosis. Higher levels of perceived social support were independently protective against age-18 psychotic experiences among children of mothers with psychosis (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.98, P = 0.006). However, there were no significant interactions between these protective factors and maternal psychosis in relation to an absence of childhood or adolescent psychotic phenomena in the full sample, indicating that protective effects were not specific to this group of high-risk children.Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence that preventive interventions for early psychotic phenomena could focus on improving cognition, social support, and cohesiveness of the local community. Given scarce resources these might usefully be targeted at high-risk children.

A qualitative investigation of risk and protective factors for interpersonal violence in adults on the autism spectrum

Individuals on the autism spectrum are at an increased risk of experiencing violence. This study sought to understand the opinions of adults on the spectrum regarding potential risk and protective factors for interpersonal violence. Twenty-two adults (12 men; 18 to 53 years of age) participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed. The results of the qualitative analysis identified individual and contextual risk and protective factors. Protective themes focused on individual needs (awareness of the self and the environment, interpersonal knowledge/skills, skill building strategies) and supportive contexts (benefits of a trusted person, advocates, fostering acceptance and inclusion). There is a need for strategies to decrease the vulnerability to, and the impact of, interpersonal violence. Individuals on the spectrum have the capacity to provide important information regarding safety promotion and risk factors for interpersonal violence, and their expertise should play a role in guiding efforts that promote safety.

Risk and protective factors for alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use among child welfare-involved youth

Youth involved in child welfare services (CWS) are at elevated risk for substance use. CWS involvement may provide an opportunity for intervention to prevent subsequent use; however, little is known about mitigating substance use risk in this population. Using data from the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), the present study examined individual, psychological, and contextual risk factors (e.g., prior substance use, depression, posttraumatic stress, maltreatment experiences) and protective factors (e.g., caregiver monitoring, peer relationships) following CWS involvement (Wave 1) in relation to alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine use 36 months later (Wave 3). The nationally-representative sample of CWS-involved youth was restricted to individuals who were aged 11 years or older at Wave 1 and had at least a partial interview at Wave 3 (N = 763). Three logistic regression models showed that Wave 1 substance use increased the likelihood of marijuana and cocaine use at Wave 3 [marijuana OR = 1.41 (1.19–1.68); cocaine OR = 1.26 (1.07–1.50)] but not binge alcohol use [OR = 1.44 (0.95–2.19)]. Other risk and protective factors had limited predictive value for Wave 3 substance use. The present findings suggest that initiating substance use prior to or at the time of CWS involvement is a critical risk factor for later substance use. Substance use screening and referral to treatment is imperative for CWS-involved youth.

Media violence exposure and aggression in adolescents: A risk and resilience perspective.

Media violence exposure (MVE) is associated with aggressive outcomes in adolescents. However, based on the differential susceptibility hypothesis, this risk is expected to vary based on the individual's unique risk and protective factors. Using survey data from 1,990 adolescents (Mean age = 15.6 ± 1.10 years; 48% female) and content analysis of U.S. top-grossing films and popular TV shows, we evaluated the effect of MVE in relation to both risk (i.e., family conflict, impulsivity, sensation seeking) and protective factors (i.e., parental monitoring, parental involvement, parental mediation). Relative weights analyses revealed that MVE was one of the strongest predictors of aggression, after impulsivity and family conflict. The cumulative risk score showed a linear and quadratic relation with the likelihood of aggression, with MVE and family conflict having an interactive relation in predicting aggression. Parental monitoring remained a significant protective factor even when all risk factors were accounted for. Targeted preventive interventions that reduce family conflict, promote parental monitoring, and reduce exposure to violent media may be effective in reducing aggressive tendencies and related negative outcomes.

Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors.

The late neurocognitive and psychosocial effects of treatment for pediatric brain tumor (PBT) represent important areas of clinical focus and ongoing research. Neurocognitive sequelae and associated problems with learning and socioemotional development negatively impact PBT survivors’ overall health-related quality of life, educational attainment and employment rates. Multiple factors including tumor features and associated complications, treatment methods, individual protective and vulnerability factors and accessibility of environmental supports contribute to the neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes in PBT survivors. Declines in overall measured intelligence are common and may persist years after treatment. Core deficits in attention, processing speed and working memory are postulated to underlie problems with overall intellectual development, academic achievement and career attainment. Additionally, psychological problems after PBT can include depression, anxiety and psychosocial adjustment issues. Several intervention paradigms are briefly described, though to date research on innovative, specific and effective interventions for neurocognitive late effects is still in its early stages. This article reviews the existing research for understanding PBT late effects and highlights the need for innovative research to enhance neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes in PBT survivors.

Trends in Abstaining From Substance Use in Adolescents: 1975-2014.

Data from the nationally representative Monitoring the Future survey, administered 1975-2014, were analyzed to determine the annual proportion of abstinent students. The 2014 Monitoring the Future cohort was analyzed to determine associations between nonuse and risk and protective factors. The prevalence of abstaining seniors between 1976 and 2014 increased fivefold for lifetime abstinence and more than doubled for past 30 days; similar increases were reported by younger students between 1991 and 2014. Trend lines were distinct for alcohol, which increased steadily over the past 38 years; tobacco, which increased dramatically over the past 20 years; and marijuana and illicit drugs, which increased slightly, although not consistently, between 1976 and 2014. In 2014, students that identified as male, African American, or other race and those who reported greater religious commitment were significantly more likely to report lifetime abstinence. Students that lived in single-parent households, spent more evenings out, worked more hours during the school year, and reported lower grades and more truancy had lower abstinence rates. Abstinence is a realistic choice for a growing proportion of high school students. With the differences in abstinence trends for individual substances, we suggest strategies for advancing prevention efforts.

Differential intervention effectiveness of a universal school-based resilience intervention in reducing adolescent substance use within student subgroups: exploratory assessment within a cluster-randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesInterventions addressing the individual and environmental protective factors of adolescents are suggested to have potential for reducing adolescent substance use. While universally delivered school-based substance use prevention interventions are common,...

Cultural, individual, and familial risk and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in Pacific youth living in New Zealand

ABSTRACTThis article examines cultural, individual, and familial risk and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in Pacific youth living in New Zealand. At ages 11 (n = 950) and 14 (n = 931), Pacific youth participated in multidisciplinary interviews that included the Children’s Depression Inventory. Across time points, factors significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms were involvement in bullying and gang activities. Positive parenting was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms, and Tongan youth were significantly less likely to report depressive symptoms than Samoan youth. Time-varying factors were gender, problem behaviour syndromes, and maternal education. Gaining more knowledge about modifiable risk and protective factors that contribute to depression in Pacific youth is an important tool to support new approaches that promote adaptive psychological adjustment during adolescence.

Protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying: A systematic review of meta-analyses

Abstract Bullying and cyberbullying are damaging aggressive behaviors in which some children and adolescents intentionally inflict frequent and long term harm on peers who become victimized. The number of studies on bullying is high and a lot of knowledge has already been gathered. Nevertheless, there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. Research on protective factors and effective interventions is still in its relatively early stages. This systematic review of meta-analyses on protective factors against bullying and cyberbullying was conducted to synthesize knowledge and discover the most important community, school, family, peer and individual protective factors. After systematic searches and the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 meta-analyses with 128 effect sizes were included and analyzed. Forest plots were constructed and median effect sizes were calculated for each group of protective factors. Self-oriented personal competencies were the strongest protector against victimization. Low frequency of technology use protected from involvement in cyberbullying. Good academic performance and other-oriented social competencies were the strongest protective factors against perpetration. Positive peer interaction was the strongest protective factor against being a bully/victim. These findings can be useful to improve anti-bullying programs, policy and practice.