Childhood adversity and adult depression: The protective role of psychological resilience
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, have been identified as salient risk factors for adult depression. However, not all individuals who experience ACEs go on to develop depression. The extent to which resilience- or the ability to demonstrate stable levels of functioning despite adversity- may act as a buffer against depression among individuals with a history of ACEs has not been adequately examined. To address the associations between ACEs, depression, and resilience, 4006 adult participants were recruited from primary care clinics. Participants completed self-report questionnaires including: the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, a retrospective measure of childhood adversity; the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a measure of the presence and severity of the major symptoms of depression; and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, a measure of psychological resilience. Results from regression analyses indicated that, while controlling for a range of demographic variables, both ACEs and resilience independently predicted symptoms of depression, F(9, 3040)=184.81, R 2 =0.354. Further, resilience moderated the association between ACEs and depression, F(10, 3039)=174.36, p 2 =0.365. Specifically, the association between ACEs and depression was stronger among individuals with low resilience relative to those with high resilience. This research provides important information regarding the relationships among A…
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Negative strategies in psychological resilience, such as self-blame, rumination and blaming others, have a positive relationship with anxiety.
“Studies have shown that negative strategies in psychological resilience, such as self-blame, rumination and blaming others, have a positive relationship with anxiety (10, 13).”
From The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Psychological Resilience and Existential Anxiety in Adolescents with Leukemia (2021) · cites this paper as [10]
Resilience is negatively correlated with anxiety and depression, suggesting it may protect against these conditions by buffering risk factors.
“Research shows resilience is negatively correlated with anxiety and depression,, suggesting it may protect against these conditions by buffering risk factors [37–43].”
From The prospective association of adolescent loneliness and low resilience with anxiety and depression in young adulthood: The HUNT study (2025) · cites this paper as [39]
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- Authors
- Poole, J. C., Dobson, K. S., & Pusch, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Calgary (CA)
- Alberta Health Services (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Poole, Julia C.
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-02
- Volume
- 64
- Pages
- 89-100
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2568841469
- Cited by
- 407
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 41 · 2025: 55 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 65 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 40 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 26.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Palix Foundation (1031803)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- adverse childhood experiences, childhood abuse, child neglect, household dysfunction, psychological resilience, adult depression, depressive symptoms, moderating effect, protective factors, primary care patients
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Primary Health Care, Surveys and Questionnaires, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Family Conflict, Resilience, Psychological, Self Report
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