FACTORS AFFECTING RESILIENCE AMONG EARLY ADOLESCENTS LIVING IN HOMES FOR CHILDREN: A MODEL TESTING

Abstract

Resilience is described as a process of successful adaptation outcomes and recovery from threatening circumstances. Early adolescents who lived in the adverse social and economic conditions could affect their resilience. The purposes of this study were to determine resilience and test a causal model of factors affecting resilience among early adolescents living in homes for children. A proportional simple random sampling technique was used to recruit participants of 219 young adolescents aged 10-14 years living in homes for children in Bangkok metropolitan region. Data collection was carried out from September to October 2019. Research instruments consisted of six self-report questionnaires. There were a demographic data, the Resilience Factors scale, the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised, a subscale “problem-focused coping” of the Coping Behavior scale, the Self-concept scale, and the Classroom Engagement Inventory. Their Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.79-0.90. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the participants’ characteristics and the study variables. The relationships between all predictors and causal effects both direct and indirect were tested with SEM.

The results revealed that mean total score of resilience was 76.19 (SD = 7.37) indicating a high level. The final modified model fit with the empirical data. Problem-focused coping, self-concept, and school engagement had positive direct effects on resilience, while social connectedness had indirect effects. This model accounted for 40% (R2 = .40) of the overall variance in the prediction of resilience.

These findings indicate that factors influence resilience in early adolescents living in homes for children. Nurses or health care personnel who are responsible for early adolescent should plan or develop an intervention to enhance and promote resilience of these adolescent focusing on increasing problem-focused coping, social connectedness through self-concept and school engagement.

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