Abstract: Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) Patterns and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms: A Latent Class Analysis Approach (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Columbia, Level 4 (Sheraton Grand Seattle)

* noted as presenting author

Yujeong Chang, MSW, Doctoral student, Ohio State University, OH

Susan Yoon, PhD, Associate Professor, The Ohio State University, OH

Junyeong Yang, Doctoral student, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Kierra Sattler, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Juan Benavides, Doctoral student, Ohio State University, OH

Background and Purpose:

Early childhood experiences play a critical role in youth development. Although it is widely recognized that Adverse Childhood Experiences have detrimental effects on youth development, less is known about the protective role of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Uncovering distinct patterns of PCEs and examining how they relate to youth internalizing symptoms can inform strengths-based interventions to promote youth mental well-being. Building on the BCE framework, we aimed to examine the heterogeneity in PCEs patterns and determine whether identified classes differ in the level of youth internalizing symptoms.

Methods:

We used the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study data, a longitudinal birth cohort study of 4,898 families residing in large urban cities in the United States. Our analytic sample was restricted to those with complete data (n=3,933). PCEs were assessed using 10 indicators across four waves (ages 3, 5, 9, 15): 1) Having a safe caregiver (2 items; e.g. parent-child closeness); 2) Having a good friend (2 items; e.g., “friends help with problem”); 3) Beliefs giving comfort (1 item); 4) Liking school (PSID-CDS-III school connectedness scale); 5) Having a caring teacher (1 item); 6) Having good neighbors (PHDCN social cohesion scale); 7) Having a non-familial adult mentor (1 item); 8) Having opportunities to have a good time (6 items; e.g., “spend time in volunteer activities”); 10) Liking oneself (EPOCH happiness subscale). Youth internalizing symptoms were assessed at age 15; self-reported depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and anxiety was measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory 18. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to identify distinct PCEs classes and one-way ANOVA was used to examine mean differences in youth internalizing symptoms across identified classes.

Results:

LCA identified 4 distinct classes: 1) High external resources; 2) High internal resources; 3) Overall high PCEs; 4) Overall low PCEs. ANOVA results revealed significant differences in depression (F = 219.99, p<.001) and anxiety (F = 64.77, p<.001) across the four classes. Youths in the overall high PCEs class had significantly lower levels of depression (M = 1.27) and anxiety (M = 2.30), compared to high external resources (depression: M = 3.25, anxiety: M = 3.43), high internal resources (depression: M = 2.31, anxiety: M = 2.77), and overall low PCEs (depression: M = 4.85, anxiety: M = 4.11) classes. Youths in high internal resources class also showed significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety than those in high external resources class.

Conclusions and Implications:

Our research identified four distinct classes of PCEs. Findings generally indicate that greater PCEs may play an important protective role in youth mental well-being. Further, our findings highlight internal resources, such as positive beliefs about the future and happiness in life and oneself, as an important factor linked to fewer internalizing symptoms. Our study emphasizes the necessity for coordinated efforts among educators, social workers, and mental health professionals to create early intervention programs to support PCEs that offer external resources as well as help children gain internal strengths to foster youth mental well-being.