Resilience as a characteristic of a social group of foster parents’ applicants

Makhnach A.V.
Doctor of Psychology, Deputy Director for Science, Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2231-1788
e-mail: amak@inbox.ru

Tolstykh N.N.
Doctor of Psychology, Division Head of the Social Psychology of Development, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3999-4503
e-mail: nnvt@list.ru

PDF (RUS)
Online translation in english

Based on the research of the foster parents’ applicants sample from different regions of Russia (622 people, including 223 men, the average age is 39.6 years, and 399 women, the average age is 39.7 years), socio-demographic and psychological characteristics a large social group of potential Russian foster parents were studied. The phenomena of resilience of an adult and a family, the stages of their study and approaches to operationalization are analyzed. In the empirical study were used the following tests: “Resilience of an adult” (Makhnach, 2016), Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in the adaptation of N.V. Tarabrina and co-authors, “Family Resources” test (Makhnach, Postylyakova, 2013) as well as the “Scale of social desirability” of Marlowe-Crown. The received results testify high resilience of a social group of Russian foster parents’ applicants. Foster parents who already raised kin and / or adoptive children, have first marriage, are in the age range of 40—50 years have better results. Also women demonstrate more high resilience than men.

Keywords: resilience, family resources, foster family, diagnostics of foster parents’ applicants, orphans

Column: Empirical Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2018090209

Funding. Financial support has been provided by grant from FASO, No. 0159-2017-0001

Acknowledgements. The authors are sincerely grateful to the psychologists: L.M. Levina, O.N. Suslova, N.A. Ivanova (Irkutsk), S.A. Zabiran (Murmansk), Yu.B. Melesheva (Borovichi, Novgorod Region), N.Yu. Glushkova, Т.S. Bragina, S.A. Vjuzhanina, M.I. Pavlova, O.M. Kutlubaeva, L.G. Telnova (Izhevsk).

For Reference

Makhnach A.V., Tolstykh N.N. Resilience as a characteristic of a social group of foster parents’ applicants. Sotsial'naya psikhologiya i obshchestvo = Social Psychology and Society, 2018. Vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 127–149. doi:10.17759/sps.2018090209. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

Golovej L.A. Professional’noe razvitie cheloveka kak sub”ekta deyatel’nosti [Professional development of man as a subject of activity]. Akmeologiya [Akmeology], 2004, no. 3, pp. 61—65.
Dikaya L.G. Social’naya psihologiya truda na novom ehtape razvitiya: metodologo- teoreticheskie osnovaniya i ehmpiricheskie issledovaniya [Social psychology of labor at a new stage of development: methodological and theoretical grounds and empirical research]. Psihologicheskij zhurnal [Psychological Journal], 2012. Vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 5—23.
Zhiznesposobnost’ cheloveka: individual’nye, professional’nye i social’nye aspekty [Human Resilience: Individual, Professional and Social Aspects]. In Makhnach A.V., Dikaya L.G. (Eds.). Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2016. 755 p.
Koroleva Yu.A. Social’no-psihologicheskaya kompetentnost’ v strukture zhiznesposobnosti lichnosti [Socio-psychological competence in the structure of a person’s resilience]. Izvestiya Ural’skogo federal’nogo universiteta. Seriya 1: Problemy obrazovaniya, nauki i kul’tury [Izvestiya Ural Federal University. Series 1: The Problems of Education, Science and Culture], 2015. Vol. 141, no. 3, pp. 79—85.
Laktionova A.I. Formirovanie zhiznesposobnosti podrostkov [Formation of the adolescents’ resilience]. In Zhuravlev A.L., Sergienko E.A., Tarabrina N.V. (Eds.). Psihologiya cheloveka i obshchestva: nauchno-prakticheskie issledovaniya [Psychology of Man and Society: Scientific and Practical Research]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2014, pp. 224—247.
Laktionova A.I., Makhnach A.V. Vliyanie faktorov zhiznesposobnosti na social’nuyu adaptaciyu podrostkov [Influence of the Resilience Factors on the Social Adaptation of Adolescents]. In Obukhova L.F., Yudina E.G. (Eds.). Rebenok v sovremennom obshchestve [A Child in modern society]. Moscow: Publ. MGPPU, 2007, pp. 184—191.
Laktionova A.I., Makhnach A.V. Zhiznesposobnost’ i social’naya adaptaciya podrostkov-sirot [Resilience and Social Adaptation of Orphans]. In Makhnach A.V., Prikhozhan A.M., Tolstykh N.N. (Eds.). Problema sirotstva v sovremennoj Rossii: psihologicheskij aspekt [The Problem of Orphanhood in Modern Russia: the Psychological Aspect]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2015, pp. 193—223.
Makhnach A.V. Zhiznesposobnost’ cheloveka i sem’i: social’no-psihologicheskaya paradigma [Resilience of Man and Family: Socio-psychological Paradigm]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2016. 459 p.
Makhnach A.V., Postylyakova Yu.V. Resursnyj podhod v izuchenii semejnogo stressa [Resource Approach in Studying Family Stress]. In Karpov A.V. (Ed.). Nauchnyjpoisk. Vyp. 4. [Scientific Search. Issue. 4]. Yaroslavl’: Publ. Yaroslavskogo universiteta, 2003, pp. 97—102.
Makhnach A.V., Postylyakova Yu.V. Model’ zhiznesposobnosti sem’i [Model of the Family Resilience]. In Zhuravlev A.L., Sergienko E.A. (Eds.). Psihologicheskie issledovaniya problem sovremennogo rossijskogo obshchestva [Psychological Studies of the Problems of Contemporary Russian Society]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2013, pp. 438—460.
Makhnach A.V., Prikhozhan A.M., Tolstykh N.N. Psihologicheskaya diagnostika kandidatov v zameshchayushchie roditeli: Prakticheskoe rukovodstvo [Psychological diagnostics of Foster Parents’ Applicants: A Practical Guide]. Moscow: Publ «Institut psihologii RAN», 2013. 219 p.
Minuchin S., Fishman C.H. Tekhniki semejnoj terapii [Family Therapy Techniques]. Moscow: Klass, 1998. 304 p.
Nesterova A.A. Zhiznesposobnost’ lichnosti kak uslovie snizheniya faktorov riska v razvitii detej i podrostkov [Personality Resilience as a Condition for Reducing Risk Factors in the Development of Children and Adolescents]. Psihicheskaya deprivaciya detej v trudnoj zhiznennoj situacii: obrazovatel’nye tekhnologii profilaktiki, reabilitacii, soprovozhdeniya [Mental Deprivation of the Children in Difficult Life Situations: Educational Technology Prevention, Rehabilitation, Support]. Moscow: Publ. MGPPU, 2013, pp. 143—149.
Paatova M.E. Social’no-lichnostnaya zhiznesposobnost’ deviantnyh podrostkov kak rezul’tat pedagogicheskogo vozdejstviya [Socio-personal Resilience of Deviant Adolescents as a Result of Pedagogical Influence]. In Makhnach A.V., Dikaya L.G. (Eds.). Zhiznesposobnost’ cheloveka: individual’nye, professional’nye i social’nye aspekty [Resilience of a Person: Individual, Professional and Social Aspects]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2016, pp. 496—507.
Prikhozhan A.M., Tolstykh N.N. Psihologicheskaya diagnostika gotovnosti k sozdaniyu zameshchayushchej sem’i [Psychological Diagnostics of Readiness for the Creation of a Foster Family]. Psihologicheskaya diagnostika [Psychological Diagnostics], 2009, no. 3. pp. 79—103.
Problemy sirotstva v sovremennoj Rossii: Psihologicheskij aspekt. In Makhnach A.V., Prikhozhan A.M., Tolstykh N.N. (Eds.). Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2015. 670 p.
Saraeva N.M., Suhanov A.A. Psihologicheskaya adaptaciya molodezhi k ehkologicheski neblagopoluchnoj srede [Psychological adaptation of youth to an ecologically unfavorable environment]. In Makhnach A.V., Dikaya L.G. (Eds.). Zhiznesposobnost’ cheloveka: individual’nye, professional’nye i social’nye aspekty [Resilience of a Person: Individual, Professional and Social Aspects]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2016, pp. 211—227.
Tarabrina N.V., Agarkov V.A., Bykhovets Yu.V. et al. Prakticheskoe rukovodstvo po psihologii posttravmaticheskogo stressa. Ch. 1. Teoriya i metody [Practical guidance on the psychology of post-traumatic stress. Part 1. Theory and methods]. Moscow: Kogito- Centr, 2007. 208 p.
Warden M. Osnovy semejnoj psihoterapii [Basics of Family Psychotherapy]. Saint- Petersburg: Prajm-Evroznak, 2005. 256 p.
Hanin Yu.L. Shkala Marlou — Krauna dlya issledovaniya motivacii odobreniya: Metod. pis’mo [The Marlow-Crown Scale for the Study of Approval Motivation: Method. Letter]. Leningrad: Research Institute of Physical Culture, 1976. 10 p.
Shubnikova E.G. Pedagogicheskaya profilaktika zavisimogo povedeniya detej i molodezhi: formirovanie zhiznesposobnosti [Pedagogical Prevention of Dependent Behavior of Children and Youth: the Formation of Resilience]. In Makhnach A.V., Dikaya L.G. (Eds.). Zhiznesposobnost’ cheloveka: individual’nye, professional’nye i social’nye aspekty [Resilience of a Person: Individual, Professional and Social Aspects]. Moscow: Publ. «Institut psihologii RAN», 2016, pp. 508—522.
Bronfenbrenner U. The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979. 330 p.
De Haan L.G., Hawley D.R., Deal J.E. Operationalizing family resilience: a methodological strategy. The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2002. Vol. 30, pp. 275— 291. doi: 10.1080/01926180290033439
Folkman S., Moskowitz J.T. Stress, positive emotion, and coping. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2000. Vol. 9 (4), pp. 115—118. doi: 10.1111/1467-8721.00073
Friborg O., Hjemdal O., Rosenvinge J., Martinussen M. A new rating Scale for Adult Resilience: What are the central protective resources behind healthy adjustment? International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. 2006. Vol. 12 (2), pp. 65—76. doi: 10.1002/mpr.143
Geppert C., Bogenschutz M.P., Miller W.R. Development of a bibliography on religion, spirituality, and addiction. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2007. Vol. 26, pp. 389—395. doi: 10.1080/09595230701373826
Greeff A., Vansteenwegen A., Ide M. Resiliency in families with a member with a psychological disorder. The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2006. Vol. 34. pp. 285— 300. doi: 10.1080/01926180600637465
Handbook of Family Resilience. In D.S. Becvar (Ed.). L.: Springer, 2013. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-3917-2
Hawley D.R., DeHaan L.G. Toward a definition of family resilience: Integrating life-span and family perspectives. Family Process. 1996. Vol. 35 (3), pp. 283—298. doi: 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1996.00283.x
Johnson K. A retrospective support assessment study of foster and relative care providers. Wisconsin: Children’s Research Center, 2005. 54 p.
Luthar S.S., Cushing G. Measurement issues in the empirical study of resilience. In Glantz M.D., Johnson J.L., Huffman L. (Eds.). An overview. Resilience and development: Positive life adaptations. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 1999, pp. 129— 160. doi: 10.1007/0-306-47167-1_7
Masten A.S., Obradovic J. Competence and resilience in development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2006. Vol. 1094, pp. 12—27. doi: 10.1196/annals.1376.003
Masten A.S., Reed M. Resilience in development. In. Snyder C.R., Lopez S.J. (Eds.). Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. 74—88.
McCubbin L.D., McCubbin H.I. Culture and ethnic identity in family resilience: Dynamic processes in trauma and transformation of Indigenous people. In Ungar M. (Ed.). Handbook for Working with Children and Youth: Pathways to Resilience across Cultures and Contexts. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2005, pp. 27—44.
Novotný J.S. Weakness of causal models with multiple roles elements. The proceedings of 3rd International e-Conference on optimization, education and data mining in science, engineering and risk management 2013/2014. Bratislava: Curriculum Studies Research Group, 2014, pp. 443—456.
Patterson J.M. Integratingfamilyresilienceandfamilystresstheory. JournalofMarriage and Family. 2002. Vol. 64 (2), pp. 349—360. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00349.x
Piel M.H., Geiger J.M., Julien-Chinn F.J., Lietz C.A. An ecological systems approach to understanding social support in foster family resilience. Child and Family Social Work. 2017. Vol. 22 (2), pp. 1034—1043. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12323
Rotter J.B. Internal versus external control of reinforcement: A case history of a variable. American Psychologist. 1989. Vol. 45, pp. 489—493. doi: 10.1037/0003- 066X.45.4.489
Ungar M. Practitioner review: Diagnosing childhood resilience — a systemic approach to the diagnosis of adaptation in adverse social and physical ecologies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2015. Vol. 56, pp. 4—17. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12306
Ungar M., Clark S.E., Kwong W.-m., Makhnach A., Cameron C.A. Studying resilience across cultures. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work. 2005. Vol. 14, no. 3/4, pp. 1—19. doi: 10.1300/J051v14n03_01
Walsh F. Strengthening family resilience. 3rd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 2016. 400 p.
Walsh F. Applying a family resilience framework in training, practice, and research: Mastering the art of the possible. Family Process. 2016. Vol. 55 (4), no. 616—632. doi: 10.1111/famp.12260