Childhood trauma: Do protective factors play a role?
Abstract
Over 35 million children have been affected by a childhood trauma in the United States (Norris, 1992), and childhood trauma has been supported to increase emotional response to daily stress and lead to lower overall cortisol levels (De Bellis and Zisk, 2014; Glaser, et al., 2006). The current study explored the role of protective factors on daily stress levels within a sample of college students with histories of childhood trauma (CT). Protective factors are defined as conditions or attributes an individual has or receives from the surrounding communities (Western Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities, 1991). The current study will observe protective factors such as optimism, family support, self-concept, finances, education, and social support, which have been supported to act as moderators and help lower stress levels (Youngstrom, et al., 2003; Brodhagen and Wise, 2008; Caley, 2012). Fifty-eight participants from a Midwestern university were used in the current study. Participants were prescreened from a larger pool of individuals through answering a questionnaire determining exposure to childhood trauma. These individuals that endorsed childhood trauma exposure were then asked to complete measures regarding protective factors and stress. Specific measures used were the Protective Factors Scale and (PFS; Witt & Crompton, 1997) the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Results indicated no significant interaction between protective factors and individual daily stress. Future studies should focus on understanding the mechanism of protective factors at different stages of development and how this might impact the importance of protective factors within a college age sample and retrospective reporting of childhood trauma.