Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Language
English
Publication Date
5-21-2026
Journal
Healthcare
DOI
10.3390/healthcare14101414
PMID
42194505
PMCID
PMC13205483
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-21-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Background: The negative impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on child development is documented. The parent-child relationship protects against ACEs and improves healthy child development, playing a crucial role in preventing and mitigating ACEs by strengthening parental resilience. However, there is a gap in the literature on our understanding of parental resilience's impact on the parent-child relationship within the social-ecological model (SEM) (i.e., intra- and interpersonal, community, and societal levels). Objective: This study explores parents' perspectives on parental resilience as a protective factor for preventing and mitigating ACEs at every level of the SEM. Method: This study uses a thematic analysis approach for qualitative research. In-depth individual interviews (n = 21) were conducted with members of a parent support group (PSG) (85% female) based in a community-based organization serving families. Demographic information and ACE scores were collected for each participant to describe the sample. Results: Key findings highlighted parents' perspectives on improved resilience through self-regulation and social support following participation in PSGs, conceptualized as an inter-level construct within the SEM mechanism due to its influence on parents' well-being, traversing SEM levels. Under Theme 1: The Many Faces of Parental Resilience, Theme 3: The Power of Close Relationships, Theme 4: Community Resources as a Buffer, and Theme 7: Change Through a Policy Lens: "Anything that protects them," parents expressed a strong desire for ACE prevention and mitigation strategies and called for systemic policy change to combat ACEs. Conclusions: Parental resilience perceptions are valuable and hold promise to inform the future institutionalization of a multi-level parent resilience-focused framework, which will aid in ACE prevention and mitigation.
Keywords
adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resilience, generational trauma, socio-ecological model (SEM)
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Dominguez, Maribel G; Markham, Christine; Springer, Andrew E; et al., "Using the Socio-Ecological Model to Explore Parents' Resilience and Perceptions of Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Qualitative Study in the Southeastern United States" (2026). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 1478.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthsph_docs/1478