Profiles of Resilience among Children Exposed to Non-Maltreatment Adverse Childhood Experiences

Abstract

Considering the high prevalence and negative consequences of non-maltreatment adverse childhood experiences (NM-ACEs), it is critical to understand their impacts on the resilient functioning of young children. This study sought to examine heterogeneity in resilience among first-grade children who were exposed to NM-ACEs during kindergarten and explore demographic and adversity characteristics that distinguish between resilience profiles. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted on 4929 children drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten (ECLS-K). The results of the LPA revealed four distinct resilience profiles: (1) low cognitive and executive functioning (4%); (2) low social and behavioral functioning (14%); (3) low average functioning (31%); and (4) multi-domain resilience (51%). Female children and those in families characterized by older maternal age, higher parental education level, household income above 200% federal poverty level, not receiving welfare benefits, and races other than Black were more likely to be in the multi-domain resilience profile. The findings highlight heterogeneity in resilience among children exposed to NM-ACEs and point to the need for a comprehensive, multi-domain assessment of child functioning to support optimal resilience development in this population.

Mental health associated with the cluster of childhood trauma and resilience among nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

“…The self-healing group, as the second-largest cluster, was characterized by severe PN and moderate-to-severe EN in combination with a moderate level of resilience. This finding is in line with previous studies that a relatively higher level of traumatic exposure was related to a relatively higher level of resilience (Osório et al, 2017), and the adaptive and resilient profile is the most prevalent profile among children and youth exposed to adverse childhood experiences (McDonald et al, 2016; Yoon et al, 2021). This finding supported the resilience framework that individuals can develop strength and resilience from adversities if they can deal satisfactorily with challenges.…”

Unsociability and social adjustment of Chinese preschool migrant children: The moderating role of resilience

“…For example, Martinez-Torteya et al ( 41 ) have found that in early childhood, resilience played a protective role in maintaining positive adaptive and easy temperamental characteristics in children exposed to domestic violence, compared to their non-resilient counterparts ( 41 ). Furthermore, previous research suggested that resilient children enable positive adaptation despite maltreatment ( 44 ). Sattler and Gershoff also found that children in poverty who reached higher levels of resilience at entry to kindergarten exhibit similar academic achievement throughout elementary school as children not in poverty ( 45 ).…”

The Long-Term Effects of Early Childhood Resilience Profiles on School Outcomes among Children in the Child Welfare System

“…Fortunately, there is a plethora of research on resiliency and protective factors that help support healthy development [9,10]. These studies provide empirical evidence that these children can achieve positive adaptation despite their maltreatment [11][12][13][14][15]. Moreover, a robust body of research has found that certain protective factors help mitigate the harmful effects of childhood maltreatment [16,17].…”

“…The study identified five profiles of adaptation/competence, including consistent resilience (12.7%), consistent maladaptation (11.6%), posttraumatic stress problems (8.9%), school maladaptation/family protection (36.2%), and low socialization skills (30.6%) [25]. Other studies, not specifically focused on child maltreatment, explored resilience patterns among children who have experienced early adversities and trauma (such as exposure to intimate partner violence, poverty, or parental psychopathology), and these studies likewise identified four or five patterns of resilience [15,26].…”

“…To date, most studies have examined resilience profiles as an outcome and have focused on identifying predictors or characteristics associated with resilience profiles [15,25,26]. Consequently, there is a dearth of research on the relationship between early childhood resilience profiles and distal outcomes such as later school outcomes (e.g., academic achievement or school engagement) among children involved with the child welfare system.…”