WED-088 - Adversity Types, Perceived Resilience Resources, and Spiritual Life on Outcome-oriented Resilience

Brief Abstract Summary: The study examined resilience during specific life-threatening adversity and identified factors predicting adaptive outcomes using self-developed rigorous scales. Among 1,034 participants, personal backgrounds, mental health status, adversity types, and resilience resources were assessed. Resilience increased in those who viewed “Moral Decay” as their main threat, highlighting the importance of personal competence, familial cohesion, interpersonal competence, and social support. A moderate positive correlation was found between outcome-oriented resilience and resilience resources. Key predictors—personal competence, social support, interpersonal competence, and having a spiritual life—explained 40% of the total variance. The findings highlighted how situational and personal factors interacted to impact resilience differences. Additionally, spiritual engagement enhanced resilience, emphasizing the balance between internal strengths and external support in navigating severe adversities.

Detailed abstract description:

Introduction: Improving resilience helped people adapt to rapidly changing environments, but the assessment tools had issues.

Objectives: The study aimed to: (1) investigate whether outcome-oriented resilience levels varied when people faced different types of their most threatening life adversities, and (2) examine factors that influence resilience as a response to adversity.

Methods: A pilot study with 370 participants tested the quality and efficiency of a self-developed questionnaire using a 7-point Likert scale. The main study, conducted online from September 2 to September 21, 2024, included 1,034 valid participants (72%) after applying a reverse wording attention check. The final instrument comprised five parts: Personal Backgrounds (12 items), Mental Health Indicators (4 items), Most Threatening Types of Adversities (8 options), Outcome-Oriented Resilience (OR, 7 items), and Resilience Resources (RR, 23 items) - Family Cohesion (7 items), Personal Competence (6 items), Social Support (5 items), and Interpersonal Competence (5 items). The OR scale explained 57.44% of the total variance, while the RR scale explained 67.74%. Reliability coefficients were .87 and .95, respectively, indicating good psychometric qualities and validity. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, EFA, reliability analysis, contingency table analysis, ANOVA, MANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple stepwise regression.

Results: Participants ranged in age from 18 to 84 years (40.70 ± 15.10), with 525 females (50.8%). The sample showed a slightly positive level of resilience (5.39 ± .90) in response to their most threatening adversities, and significantly correlated with perceived resilience resources (r = .55). The top three adversities were Financial Stress (20%), Health Decline (18.4%), and Moral Decay (13.5%). Most (63.2%) agreed that “MONEY” was the key solution. Family Conflict was reported as the most emotionally and physically exhausting adversity. Those viewing “Moral Decay” as their primary adversity exhibited significantly the highest resilience (5.61 ± .92) and the strongest resources across Personal Competence (PC), Interpersonal Competence (IC), Family Cohesion (FC), and Social Support (SS). This group had the highest average age (49.94 ± 14.19), were mostly married, financially well-off, had good mental health indicators, and maintained good daily functioning. The best predictors for outcome-oriented resilience were PC (β = .37), SS (β =.18), IC (β =.19), and Having a Spiritual Life (β =.08), accounting for 40% of the total variance.

Conclusion: To study resilience more accurately, specific situational factors needed to be considered. When people perceived their most threatening adversities as beyond personal factors, they exhibited higher levels of resilience. In addition to accumulating internal and external resilience resources, engaging in spiritual practices also enhanced resilience.