The Role of Resilience in the Relationship Between Trauma Exposure and the Perceived Efficacy of Psychotherapy

Psychological resilience consists of one’s ability to endure and recover from a perceived hardship or adverse experience within a short period of time (Smith et al., 2008). This doctoral research study aims to examine the influence of an individual’s self-reported level of psychological resilience on the relationship between their exposure to traumatic events and their belief in the efficacy of psychotherapeutic treatment. The relationship between a history of trauma exposure, psychological resilience, and beliefs about the efficacy of outpatient psychotherapy have not been previously explored. It is hypothesized that psychological resilience will mediate the impact of trauma exposure on beliefs about the efficacy of psychotherapy and that there will be a positive relationship between trauma exposure and beliefs about the efficacy of psychotherapy. This study specifically seeks to demonstrate that a history of trauma exposure will be associated with positive beliefs about the efficacy of psychotherapy. Attitudes about the effectiveness of psychotherapy were assessed via the Belief in the Efficacy of Psychotherapy Scale (BEP), self-reported psychological resilience was measured via the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and exposure to traumatic events was examined via the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ) among anonymous, online survey participants. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and self-reported psychological resilience as well as self-reported psychological resilience and beliefs in the efficacy of psychotherapy. A linear regression analysis was used to investigate the hypothesis that psychological resilience mediates the effect of trauma exposure on the perceived efficacy of psychotherapy. The results of the study did not yield any significant relationships between these variables. Potential moderating and mediating variables that may have impacted the findings of the current study were identified and explored throughout the discussion. Future directions and limitations of the study are addressed, including characteristics of the sample and measurements that may have influenced the current results. Understanding the relationship between trauma exposure, self-reported psychological resilience, and the perceived efficacy of psychotherapy can help inform school and clinical psychologists’ treatment planning efforts. Given the pervasiveness of a history of trauma, further understanding of the development of resilience after trauma exposure is likewise of considerable importance for psychologists working in schools and other pediatric care settings. Informed treatment planning in these settings can provide school age children with a supportive environment in which health care professionals can help mitigate the long-term effects of trauma exposure on resilience functioning