Resilience to Childhood Trauma and Adversity: Exploring Factors that Contribute to Well-being and Success in Adulthood

Past research has demonstrated a variety of negative lifelong outcomes associated with trauma and adversity. However, factors associated with resilience have been shown to act as a buffer and lead to more positive outcomes. The current study used a mixed-methods approach in order to investigate factors that foster resilience to childhood trauma and adversity. The qualitative study was a replication-extension study that evaluated the lived experiences of participants who have survived childhood trauma and adversity and consider themselves successful in adulthood. Factors found to be associated with resilience were a growth mindset, academic achievement, social support, and extracurricular activities. Types of childhood trauma and adversity and definitions of success are also discussed. The quantitative portion of the study evaluated the association of participation in childhood activities on the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and well-being. Inconsistent with the hypothesis, participation in childhood activities did not significantly moderate this relationship. Implications for child serving initiatives, parents, and individuals who have a background of childhood trauma and adversity are discussed