Multidimensional Trajectories of Resilience in Young Adulthood

• In Event: 2-011 - Interactive Poster Session and Reception

Abstract

Recent research in middle and older adulthood has challenged the view that resilience to major life stressors (MLSs) is the norm (Infurna & Luthar, 2016). This research has raised the question of the multidimensionality of and methodological decisions about resilience research (i.e., trajectories can depend on statistical decisions; Infurna & Grimm, 2017). However, this research in young adulthood has rarely been pursued. Early research on MLSs in young adulthood (YA) relied on retrospective self-report of events that occurred earlier in life (i.e., adverse childhood experiences study). Meanwhile, other research in middle adulthood has used secondary data sources like MIDAS and HILDA to examine resilience to MLSs.

The proposed research seeks two address the following questions: (a) what are the MLSs salient in young adulthood, and (b) how do those MLSs affect stability in psychosocial indicators?

A limitation of current publicly available secondary data sources that sample individuals across the transition to adulthood, including NLSY and PSID, do not include regular assessment of YA-salient MLSs. Furthermore, the MLSs of interest in middle- and older adulthood are much less common in young adulthood (e.g., divorce, spousal loss). Provided access to longitudinal data on psychosocial well-being (preferably several outcomes; e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, subjective well-being, developmental competence) that also includes measurement of MLSs I would apply growth mixture modeling techniques to identify trajectories of resilience to MLSs across the transition adulthood.

Extensions of this research could ultimately lead to understanding how young adult experiences of MLSs can affect life course development.

Author

• Chanler Hilley, Arizona State University
  Presenting Author