There is now a lot of evidence to show that trauma and stress impacts on children’s health and wellbeing, and can have enduring consequences throughout their lives. It is also clear that some children who have difficult or stressful times in childhood do very well despite having these challenges. The Childhood Resilience Study is a five year study that is aiming to develop a better understanding of how this happens, and in particular, how children grow up to be strong and resilient.
The study is being conducted by the Healthy Mothers Healthy Families Research Group at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in partnership with the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, Foundation House and the Wadja Aboriginal Family Place at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
In the first stage of the study, we are inviting families from diverse cultural backgrounds to share their knowledge about what helps children grow up strong and resilient. The information we gather from this stage of the study will be shared with communities and with services taking part in the research. We will also use the information in the next stage of the study, the development and testing of a questionnaire for measuring resilience in primary school aged children (five -12 years of age).
The Childhood Resilience Questionnaire will have many uses. It will help us understand more about how children grow up strong. It could also be used by services, schools and other community organisations running programs to support children and families, to show if these programs are working to help children grow up strong and resilient.
Childhood Resilience Study Partners
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
- Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia Inc.
- Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture
- Pangula Mannamurna Inc.
- Wadja Aboriginal Family Place, Royal Children’s Hospital
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
Funding
The Childhood Resilience Study is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council.