Resource factors for mental health resilience in early childhood: An analysis with multiple methodologies

Abstract

BackgroundGiven that relatively little is known about the development of resilience in early childhood, this longitudinal study aimed to identify preschool resource factors associated with young children’s mental health resilience to family adversity.MethodsA community sample of 474 young Australian children was assessed in preschool (mean age 4.59 years, 49% male), and again two years later after their transition into formal schooling. At each assessment, standard questionnaires were used to obtain ratings from both parents and teachers about the quality of children’s relationships with parents and teachers, children’s self-concept and self-control, mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and family adversities (including stressful life events and socioeconomic disadvantage).ResultsGreater exposure to cumulative family adversities was associated with both greater teacher- and parent-reported child mental health difficulties two years later. Multiple methodologies for operationalizing resilience were used to identify resources associated with resilient mental health outcomes. Higher quality child–parent and child-teacher relationships, and greater child self-concept and self-control were associated with resilient mental health outcomes. With the exception of child-teacher relationships, these resources were also prospective antecedents of subsequent resilient mental health outcomes in children with no pre-existing mental health difficulties. Child–parent relationships and child self-concept generally had promotive effects, being equally beneficial for children facing both low- and high-adversity. Child self-control demonstrated a small protective effect on teacher-reported outcomes, with greater self-control conferring greater protection to children under conditions of high-adversity.ConclusionsFindings suggest that early intervention and prevention strategies that focus on fostering child-adult relationship quality, self-concept, and self-control in young children may help build children’s mental health and their resilience to family adversities.

Adolescent friendships predict later resilient functioning across psychosocial domains in a healthy community cohort

“…In line with this idea, adolescent family support was not associated resilient functioning when peer relationships were taken into account . Similarly, family support was not associated with teacher-reported mental health resilient functioning in young children with parental report of high cumulative family adversity (Miller-Lewis et al 2013). Although, family support was positively related with mental health resilient functioning if functioning was reported by parents in these children (Miller-Lewis et al 2013).…”

“…Similarly, family support was not associated with teacher-reported mental health resilient functioning in young children with parental report of high cumulative family adversity (Miller-Lewis et al 2013). Although, family support was positively related with mental health resilient functioning if functioning was reported by parents in these children (Miller-Lewis et al 2013). Finally, our findings are in line with those that friendships, but not family support, are related with self-reported resilient functioning rates on a resilient functioning questionnaire in young adults with histories of child abuse (Howell & Miller-Graff, 2014).…”

“…Second, we regressed PSF on childhood family experiences. Third, we extract residual scores from this relationship as these reflect individual level of psychosocial resilient functioning: the degree to which a participant is functioning better or worse than expected based on his/her childhood family experiences: see for a similar approach (Bowes et al 2010;Miller-Lewis et al 2013;Sapouna & Wolke, 2013;Collishaw et al 2016). We found that childhood family experiences have a significant association with PSF in our community sample of healthy adolescents (N = 1890).…”

“…Next, we regressed the PSF component score against the childhood family experiences score, testing for possible linear, quadratic or cubic relationships. From the best-fitting regression we extracted the residual scores as these reflect a spectrum ranging from risk to resilient functioning: the extent to which an individual has better, or worse, PSF outcomes than the average score expected given their childhood family experiences (see for a similar approach Bowes et al 2010;Miller-Lewis et al 2013;Sapouna & Wolke, 2013;Collishaw et al 2016). For parsimony, we will refer to these scores as 'resilient functioning' with higher scores reflecting better (conditional) PSF outcomes.…”

Child and Family Predictors of Child-Teacher Relationship Trajectories during the Transition from Preschool to School

“…These strategies, embedded within professional development interventions which have been shown to improve child-teacher interactions (such as "banking time" with children) [22], may help place children on more positive developmental trajectories. experience a positive relationship with a supportive adult, which is fundamentally important for children developmentally [3], [4], [9], [21], [25]. It is possible that having a positive relationship with an adult such as a teacher might help to reorganize relational models and promote better outcomes for children at-risk due to their experience of more hostile-ineffectiveparenting and less parental warmth [22].…”