The role of resilience and gender: Understanding the relationship between risk for traumatic stress, resilience, and academic outcomes among minoritized youth.

Abstract

Objective: Minoritized students experience high trauma rates which can impact academic outcomes, and experiences may differ between males and females. We investigated the relationship between traumatic stress and academic outcomes by gender among predominantly minoritized students, and whether resilience-building assets can mediate the relationship between traumatic stress and academic outcomes. Method: School administrative data were linked to survey data from 9th graders in 2016-2018 across 37 West Coast schools. We examined the association between traumatic stress risk and academic outcomes by gender. Where significant associations were found, mixed effects regression models accounting for school-level variation were fit to assess the role of resilience-building assets as potential mediators of the relationship between traumatic stress risk and academic outcomes. Results: Among 1,750 female and 2,036 male students, we found no significant association between traumatic stress risk and low attendance (,96% days attended). The odds of low grade point average (GPA ,2.0) were significantly higher among female students with traumatic stress risk (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.16, 1.84]), with no association among males. In models controlling for resilience-building assets, the magnitude of the association between traumatic stress risk and GPA ,2.0 among females was reduced. We identified significant mediation for 3 resilience measures: self-efficacy (21.20%; p , .05), school support (18.97%; p , .05), and total internal assets (27.84%; p , .01). Conclusions: Resilience-building assets may partially mediate the effect of traumatic stress on GPA among females. Resilience initiatives, especially among minoritized female students, may protect against the effect of trauma on academics. Clinical Impact StatementFrom a sample of minoritized 9th grade students from a large school district, we found that the odds of having a low GPA were significantly higher among female students with traumatic stress risk; however, we found no association among males. We found that the association between traumatic stress and GPA among female students may be partially explained by several resilience characteristics. It may be helpful for schools-and clinicians working within schools-to focus on bolstering This article was published Online First

Gender Differences in Academic Resilience and Well-Being among Senior High School Students in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

“…Eagly [29] suggests that societal perceptions of men's and women's career paths influence differences in academic motivation, resilience, and overall well-being. Ijadi-Maqsudi et al [24] highlight gender as a key factor influencing human resilience and vulnerability. According to Eagly's SRT [29], social expectations and norms about gender roles strongly influence a person's behavior and experiences, including his/her approach to challenges.…”

“…Erdogan et al [20] advocate for further investigation into the impact of gender on academic resilience. These studies have highlighted the importance of gender as a key factor influencing people's resilience and vulnerability [24]. These differences may be reflected in coping strategies, persistence, and the overall ability to recover from academic difficulties [8].…”

Introduction to the special issue: Resilience and perseverance for human flourishing.

“…Franz et al (2022) examine whether stronger neighborhood cohesion provided a protective influence on the effects of PTSD on parental functioning. With respect to school environments, Woods-Jaeger et al (2022) examine the negative effect of school-based microaggressions on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and resilience in African American adolescents, and Ijadi-Maghsoodi et al (2022) identify gender differences in the effects of traumatic stress on academic outcomes among minoritized youth. Collectively, these studies highlight the importance of broader context and environmental variables that influence resilience following trauma.…”