Date of Award
Spring 5-5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Tracey Revenson
Second Advisor
Jennifer Ford
Academic Program Adviser
Martin Chodorow
Abstract
Children and adolescents who experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) often must deal with mental and physical effects lasting well into adulthood. However, much research shows ACEs are related to poorer mental and physical health in adulthood. Much less work has focused on the psychological and social resources that can create resilience. This study examined how compensatory social support and coping strategies potentially moderate the relationship between ACEs and mental health outcomes, and if the age/developmental stage at which the ACEs occurred, and the frequency and intensity of the ACEs affected mental health. Self-report data were obtained from 241 emerging adults, ages 18-29, through an online Qualtrics survey. Measures included a 15-item measure of ACES, two coping strategies (subscales of the Brief Cope), and several indicators of mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and resilience). Results showed that the number of ACEs participants experienced was significantly and positively correlated with depressive symptoms and anxiety but was not related to resilience. Two “Shift-and-persist coping strategies” (Chen & Miller, 2012), positive reframing and problem-solving, were significantly related to anxiety but not depression or resilience. There was no support for the stress-buffering potential of coping strategies or compensatory support. The direct relationships between ACES and COPING with anxiety and/or depression suggest that new research in this area needs to address these issues more deeply.
Recommended Citation
Abbondola, Melanie, "The Role of Developmental Stage, Compensatory Support, and Coping in the Relationship Among Adverse Childhood Experiences, Mental Health, and Resilience in Emerging Adults" (2023). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1002