Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development

Abstract Background Not all victims of bullying go on to develop problems with their mental health. To understand factors that may confer resilience, many have explored the moderating role of protective factors in relation to mental illness. No study to date, however, has considered moderators of ad...

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Main Authors: Jessica M. Armitage, Rui Adele Wang, Oliver S. P. Davis, Philip Collard, Claire M. A. Haworth
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-07-01
Series:JCPP Advances
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12024
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author Jessica M. Armitage
Rui Adele Wang
Oliver S. P. Davis
Philip Collard
Claire M. A. Haworth
author_facet Jessica M. Armitage
Rui Adele Wang
Oliver S. P. Davis
Philip Collard
Claire M. A. Haworth
author_sort Jessica M. Armitage
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Not all victims of bullying go on to develop problems with their mental health. To understand factors that may confer resilience, many have explored the moderating role of protective factors in relation to mental illness. No study to date, however, has considered moderators of adult wellbeing following victimisation. We explore 14 protective factors and test whether these promote good adult wellbeing in addition to prevent mental illness following victimisation. In doing so, we aimed to understand how positive mental health and resilience can be promoted. Methods Data were derived from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were assessed for wellbeing and depressive symptoms at age 23, as well as victimisation in adolescence, and protective factors across development. Protective factors were categorised into individual‐, family‐ and peer‐level, and included factors like social skills, perceived school competence, and relationships with family and peers. The moderating role of the protective factors were examined using interactive regression models. Results Perceived scholastic competence was the only factor that mitigated some of the negative effects of victimisation. Individuals with higher perceptions of scholastic competence had higher wellbeing in adulthood than victims with lower perceptions of competence. No protective factors positively moderated life satisfaction or the risk of depressive symptoms; although findings suggest that friendships in late adolescence may be protective for individuals exposed to less frequent victimisation. Conclusions Our study is the first to explore a wide range of protective factors in predicting adult wellbeing following victimisation. We identify factors involved specifically in supporting wellbeing but not in reducing the risk of depression. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing perceptions of scholastic competence in childhood may help to support more positive wellbeing in adulthood.
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spelling doaj.art-bc4ce31ff16649288dbd5b207a3cc9162022-12-22T01:19:01ZengWileyJCPP Advances2692-93842021-07-0112n/an/a10.1002/jcv2.12024Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across developmentJessica M. Armitage0Rui Adele Wang1Oliver S. P. Davis2Philip Collard3Claire M. A. Haworth4School of Psychological Science University of Bristol Bristol UKSchool of Economics, Finance and Management University of Bristol Bristol UKPopulation Health Sciences Bristol Medical School Bristol UKSchool of Psychological Science University of Bristol Bristol UKSchool of Psychological Science University of Bristol Bristol UKAbstract Background Not all victims of bullying go on to develop problems with their mental health. To understand factors that may confer resilience, many have explored the moderating role of protective factors in relation to mental illness. No study to date, however, has considered moderators of adult wellbeing following victimisation. We explore 14 protective factors and test whether these promote good adult wellbeing in addition to prevent mental illness following victimisation. In doing so, we aimed to understand how positive mental health and resilience can be promoted. Methods Data were derived from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants were assessed for wellbeing and depressive symptoms at age 23, as well as victimisation in adolescence, and protective factors across development. Protective factors were categorised into individual‐, family‐ and peer‐level, and included factors like social skills, perceived school competence, and relationships with family and peers. The moderating role of the protective factors were examined using interactive regression models. Results Perceived scholastic competence was the only factor that mitigated some of the negative effects of victimisation. Individuals with higher perceptions of scholastic competence had higher wellbeing in adulthood than victims with lower perceptions of competence. No protective factors positively moderated life satisfaction or the risk of depressive symptoms; although findings suggest that friendships in late adolescence may be protective for individuals exposed to less frequent victimisation. Conclusions Our study is the first to explore a wide range of protective factors in predicting adult wellbeing following victimisation. We identify factors involved specifically in supporting wellbeing but not in reducing the risk of depression. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing perceptions of scholastic competence in childhood may help to support more positive wellbeing in adulthood.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12024ALSPACpeer victimisationprotective factorsresiliencewellbeing
spellingShingle Jessica M. Armitage
Rui Adele Wang
Oliver S. P. Davis
Philip Collard
Claire M. A. Haworth
Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
JCPP Advances
ALSPAC
peer victimisation
protective factors
resilience
wellbeing
title Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
title_full Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
title_fullStr Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
title_full_unstemmed Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
title_short Positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation: An exploration into protective factors across development
title_sort positive wellbeing and resilience following adolescent victimisation an exploration into protective factors across development
topic ALSPAC
peer victimisation
protective factors
resilience
wellbeing
url https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12024
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