Examining Resilience in Youth Exposed to Adversity

University Of Memphis, Memphis TN

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Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY Maternal adverse experiences not only impact the mother's health, but also negatively affect her child's immediate and long-term functioning. According to the syndemic model, three specific adversities - substance abuse, violence, and AIDS/HIV (i.e., SAVA) - tend to co-occur. These SAVA variables are highly prevalent among racial/ethnic minorities and those living in poverty. Most studies only examine associations between maternal adversity and problematic youth functioning. By solely highlighting poor functioning in the family system, this risk orientation perpetuates health disparities. An alternative approach, informed by Ungar's social-ecological theory, explores how some youth exhibit resilience in the wake of maternal adversity. Guided by this approach, our study aims are to: 1) examine direct associations between maternal SAVA and youth resilience across individual, relational, community, and cultural levels; 2) assess indirect effects of maternal mental and physical health on this relationship, and 3) gather in-depth information about social-ecological youth resilience via qualitative interviews. This mixed methods study will involve partnerships with three community organizations in the Midsouth. Using an explanatory sequential design, we will conduct 252 quantitative interviews assessing maternal SAVA, youth resilience, and maternal mental and physical health. We will interview 63 mothers who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), 63 mothers who endorsed symptoms of substance use disorders, 63 mothers who are living with HIV, and 63 mothers who have not been exposed to any SAVA variables within the past 6 months, along with their respective child aged 8-17. The central hypothesis is that youth whose mothers have fewer, and less severe, SAVA experiences will show greater resilience at individual (resources, social competence), relational (parent-child relationship, parenting effectiveness), community (belonging, cohesion), and cultural (ethnic identity, traditions) levels. Further, we hypothesize that maternal mental and physical health will mediate the association between maternal SAVA and youth resilience across all four levels. Based on quantitative analysis, any resilience level shown to be significantly associated with maternal SAVA will be selected for further exploration in the qualitative aim. Youth with the highest scores from each significant resilience level will be interviewed (along with their mother) about how facets of resilience manifest in the youth's day-to-day life. Knowledge gained will serve as pilot data for a future R01 grant to develop a strength-based intervention aimed at increasing youth resilience. This project shows innovation in its examination of the collective components of resilience in the context of cumulative adversity. By identifying mutable resilience-oriented factors that are relevant to a community highly impacted by adversity, this multi-informant study is poised to address a critical gap in research by assessing the unique experiences of youth who have been exposed to substantial adversity, yet evidence significant resilience.