“No one will come and help me make my life”: Ecological-transactional model approach to resilience among people with a history of childhood adversity

Abstract

Resilience refers to the ability to employ a collection of protective factors to return to or maintain positive mental health following an experience of disadvantage or adversity. Understanding why some children do well despite early adverse experiences is crucial because it can inform more effective policies and programs that help more children reach their full potential. This study aimed to explore and explain the development of resilience within an ecological-transactional framework. A qualitative case study approach was used recruiting participants with history of childhood adversity: six patients with a diagnosis of first-episode psychosis from the main referral psychiatric hospital in Kenya and eight healthy controls from a neighbouring community in Nairobi. The findings indicate that children and their contexts mutually influenced each other. Using the systemic perspective of the ecological-transactional model, our participants identified the home environment (microsystem) as an important enabler of trauma to children. Available social support at both the micro-and exosystem levels, including good caregiver-child relationships, acted as buffers to alleviate the negative influence of adversity, leading to successful adaptation. Our study highlights the significant impact of adversities during childhood and adolescence. In addition, it emphasizes the influence of multiple contexts, supporting the need for appropriate interventions at each level to mitigate the negative consequences.