Background

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been associated with lifelong physical and psychological challenges. However, those who experience ACEs do not all suffer the same degree of negative effects, with resilience often being described as a characteristic that aids in coping with ACEs. Yet, despite the regular mention of the value of resilience to coping with ACEs, little is known about the origins of resilience. The positive psychology construct of hope offers insight, as theorists have suggested a hopeful mindset is a contributor to resilience.  

Aims

To test the theory of hope as a source of resilience among ACEs survivors, the current study involved evaluating a two-wave cross-lagged structural equation model of hope at time 1 as a driver of resilience at time 2.

Method

To test the fit of the proposed model, participants were administered a survey at two time periods weeks apart. The survey contained the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale, the Dispositional Hope Scale, and the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale. Inclusion criteria for participants included reports of at least one ACE. Multiple models were tested to determine the model that best explained the data.  Analyses were done using AMOS. 

Results

The results (N = 158) indicated that compared to other models, the cross-lagged model of hope at time 1 as a predictor of resilience at time 2 best explained the data (χ2 [327] = 469.3, p < .001; RMSEA = .05 [.04, .06]; CFI = .94; SRMR = .06). A subsequent bootstrapping analysis (n = 10,000) validated the theorized model.  An additional Bollen-Stine analysis of model fit also indicated that the theorized model was not significantly different than a model of ideal fit (p = .113).

Conclusion

The results support the value of further research into hope as a source of resilience among ACEs survivors. It may be that hope theory-based interventions could be further developed for ACE survivors to promote resilience in coping with childhood trauma.