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. 2022 May;29(3):1059-1067.
doi: 10.1002/cpp.2691. Epub 2021 Nov 25.

An exploratory comparison of resilience profiles of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare-related maltreatment and controls

Myriam V Thoma  1   2 , Florence Bernays  1 , Viviane Pfluger  1   2 , Carla M Eising  1   2 , Shauna L Rohner  1   2
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An exploratory comparison of resilience profiles of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare-related maltreatment and controls

Myriam V Thoma et al. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2022 May.

Abstract

Child welfare practices in the last century have been linked to a high risk for child maltreatment and the subsequent development of mental ill-health. However, not all affected individuals develop clinically relevant psychopathology, which can be considered as a form of resilience. Such resilience is insufficiently understood in survivors of an advanced age. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to depict a resilience profile of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare-related maltreatment (n = 132; Mage = 71 years) and to contrast it with age-matched controls (n = 125). Approximately 30% of survivors did not meet the diagnostic criteria for any of the assessed current or lifetime DSM-5 disorders. These survivors were older, experienced less physical abuse, and had higher trait resilience, self-esteem, income, and satisfaction with their socio-economic status. They had lower levels of neuroticism and some empathy characteristics. Group differences in the resilience profiles suggest that resilience-related aspects may vary as a function of past adversity.

Keywords: child maltreatment; child welfare practices; older adult survivors; resilience.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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