Resilience in Trauma-Exposed Youth: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis of Interviews with Multidisciplinary Childhood Trauma Experts

Abstract

Exposure to childhood trauma is pervasive worldwide, and the impacts are significant. A vast body of research has confirmed the link between childhood trauma and negative health outcomes into adulthood. However, not every child exposed to trauma goes on to experience adverse health impacts. Resilience following childhood trauma is increasingly studied, yet there remains a lack of congruence related to the definition and conceptualization of resilience. Further, few studies of resilience in children integrate developmental perspective, leaving a gap related to how a child’s specific developmental age may impact or be impacted by trauma. This qualitative study explored views and perspectives on childhood trauma and resilience captured in pre-recorded interviews with 15 internationally known, multidisciplinary child trauma experts. Roy’s Adaptation Model, rooted in the nursing discipline, provided the theoretical framework for the study, and through application of Braun & Clark’s reflexive thematic analysis, two primary themes and seven subthemes, addressing the research aims, were produced from the expert narratives. Theme One, developmental perspective, illuminates the experts’ perceptions of the intricate, vii interactive relationship between a childs developmental age and their experiences of and responses to trauma. Theme Two, toward resilience, explores key factors that contribute to resilience in trauma-exposed youth. Most research on this topic stems from disciplines other than nursing, therefore, it was prudent to employ a nursing framework in this research, as nurses are ubiquitous across healthcare settings, spend significant time with patients, and build strong and trusting relationships through the provision of care. The findings of this study provide nurses with an accessible framework and enhanced knowledge to care for youth impacted by trauma and empower nurses to lead research and practice initiatives in this area.