Cognitive contributors to resilience in youth from underserved populations: A brief report
Abstract
Purpose
The study is a preliminary attempt to identify cognitive factors (e.g., executive functions and intelligence) promoting resilience in youth in an underprivileged population. Sample consisted of 26 adolescents (seven female, 19 male) between the ages of 13 and 19 years (M=16.62, SD=1.53) from an underserved population who live in circumstances of poverty and family dysfunction and who had experienced multiple traumas.
Design/methodology/approach
Resilience was measured with the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM)-28. Intelligence, working memory, and information processing speed were the cognitive factors of interest. Socioeconomic status was the environmental factor in interest.
Findings
The protective factors (i.e. individual skills, relationship with caregivers and contextual factors) promoting resilience were correlated with cognitive factors. Further analyses yielded gender differences in these relations.
Originality/value
Long-held beliefs that intelligence is positively associated with resilience are brought into question by these findings. The relationship between these concepts seems to differ in accordance with socioeconomic status.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the assistance and cooperation of Charles Rotramel, Executive Director of Youth Advocates Inc, Houston, TX. The authors would like to note their appreciation to Dr Michael Ungar at the Resilience Research center for extending the use of the CYRM-28. They would also like to thank the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department for their generous assistance. This work was supported by a grant from the Hogg Foundation of Mental Health to Dr Mary Newsome.
Citation
Avci, G., Hanten, G., Schmidt, A., Li, X., Orsten, K., Faber, J., Post, M. and R. Newsome, M. (2013), "Cognitive contributors to resilience in youth from underserved populations: A brief report", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 165-170. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-02-2013-0005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited