Cognitive contributors to resilience in youth from underserved populations: A brief report

Abstract

Purpose – The study is a preliminary attempt to identify cognitive factors (e.g., executive functions and intelligence) promoting resilience in youth in an underprivileged population. Sample consisted of 26 adolescents (seven female, 19 male) between the ages of 13 and 19 years ( M =16.62, SD=1.53) from an underserved population who live in circumstances of poverty and family dysfunction and who had experienced multiple traumas. Design/methodology/approach – Resilience was measured with the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM)-28. Intelligence, working memory, and information processing speed were the cognitive factors of interest. Socioeconomic status was the environmental factor in interest. Findings – The protective factors (i.e. individual skills, relationship with caregivers and contextual factors) promoting resilience were correlated with cognitive factors. Further analyses yielded gender differences in these relations. Originality/value – Long-held beliefs that intelligence is positively associated with resilience are brought into question by these findings. The relationship between these concepts seems to differ in accordance with socioeconomic status.