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08.08.03

Study: why some thrive despite adversity
 

tudy suggests why some thrive despite adversity Many children who face severe hardship growing up have little chance of succeeding in life, but according to researchers from Children’s Department of Psychology, that may not need to be the case.

In a recent study published in Development and Psychopathology, John Buckner, PhD, and co-authors Enrico Mezzacappa, MD, and William Beardslee, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief, found that children who face adversity are more likely to persevere if they have a set of cognitive and emotional skills known as self-regulation.

“These skills include seeing the consequences of one’s actions, planning ahead, setting goals, being focused and attentive…and especially learning to be proactive,” says Buckner. On the non-cognitive side, self-regulation means learning to control emotions such as anger and frustration. “These are the building blocks of effective coping in life,” says Buckner.

The findings are particularly important because self-regulation skills can be taught and learned. “When a teacher helps a child pay attention in class or a coach counsels a kid who throws the bat after striking out, those adults are teaching self-regulatory skills,” says Buckner. “This is something that many parents and educators do already, but a heightened focus could help many children become more resilient.”

In the study, the differences between children who proved resilient (or competent despite adversity) and non-resilient were striking, says Buckner. The study involved 155 low-income, extremely disadvantaged children ages 8 to 17 living in Worcester, Mass., many of whom had experienced homelessness in the past.

The results showed that 29 percent of the children were classified as resilient, and 45 percent as non-resilient. The mental health, competence, and overall adjustment of the typical resilient youth was well within normal limits, while the non-resilient youths had many more psychiatric symptoms and behavioral problems, were less competent and functioned at a lower level. And the strongest independent predictor of resilience was a child’s self-regulation skills, although parental monitoring also played a role.

Although the study focused on mental health issues, the results have broader relevance, says Buckner, “While educators today must focus on getting kids ready for MCAS, the more basic lessons that can get missed become important down the road and can make a child more successful in life.”-CM