Thursday 23 July 11:25
- 12:55
Hall: 18 - Room 15 SA
Chair and Presenter:
Fogarty Kate
Division: Division 6: Clinical and Community Psychology
This symposium explores the multidimensional nature of protective factors and resilience across adolescence and emerging adulthood, integrating psychological, familial, and community-based perspectives. It offers a novel and timely contribution to the understanding of resilience by addressing contemporary challenges − such as digitalization, mental health vulnerability, political disaffection, and youth service gaps − through empirical data and applied research across diverse contexts and countries.
The first presentation (Novara et al.) investigates adolescents' use of AI technologies, showing how digital literacy, emotional intelligence, parenting styles, and social support influence the construction of digital identity. It uniquely highlights how multiple variables shape adolescents' digital resilience.
The second contribution (Fogarty et al.) focuses on the moderating role of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) in the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and suicidality in U.S. adolescents. This large-scale study demonstrates how family, school, and community-based PCEs act as protective buffers, offering a population-level insight into the developmental pathways of resilience and suicide prevention.
García-Leiva et al. shift the focus to civic engagement, analyzing how structured, inclusive citizen participation fosters psychological empowerment and reduces political disaffection in youth. This study provides a unique sociopolitical lens, illustrating how democratic engagement can strengthen the sense of belonging, the climate of cooperation, and social cohesion during early adolescence. Silke explores the impact of community-based mentoring in partnership with mental health services in Ireland. Through qualitative data, she reveals how mentoring supports youth mental health and promotes positive developmental outcomes, while also identifying implementation challenges. Her work offers an applied, service-oriented perspective on resilience promotion through integrated care models.
Finally, Lynne explores links between adolescent smartphone use and mental health, recognizing online engagement as a normative part of human development. Their survey assessed mood and smartphone engagement every day for 21 days, finding correlations with subsequent anxiety and depression.
Contributionsofferanuancedandcomplementaryperspectiveonthethemeofresilience,whileaddressingseeminglydiverseareas.Thestrengthofthesymposiumlies preciselyinitsabilitytointegrateclinicalandcommunity-basedperspectives,highlightinghowprotectivefactorsemergewithin meaningfulrelationships that develop acrossfamily,educational,social,andcommunitycontexts.
