2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Relationship Between Emotional and Social Resources and Trauma Resiliency

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Kristin Snopkowski

Abstract

Our research investigates how emotional and social resources, like religiosity, ethnic pride, community support, family cohesiveness, and optimism, buffer psychological distress among African refugee populations in Boise, Idaho. This inquiry is crucial because understanding these protective factors may lead to the development of culturally relevant mental health insights and can help determine if current resources effectively mitigate negative mental health symptoms as a result of displacement and discrimination. Using linear regression analyses, our study found that family cohesiveness was the only variable that had a significant correlation to mental health, with reports of higher family closeness associated with fewer trauma symptoms for parents and adolescents. No significant relationship was found between mental health and religiosity, ethnic pride, community support, or optimism. We conclude that while family is a strong resource for alleviating mental distress, the lack of significance of other factors could be due to a small sample size or the intensity of participants’ psychological trauma, which may override the protective benefits of other resources.

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