Psychosocial adjustment profiles of Elementary School 6th graders: a Cluster-based analysis

Abstract

Based on the resilience theory, this study aimed to analyze different psychosocial adjustment profiles of Elementary School 6th graders, considering risk factors (school stressors and daily discrimination), protection (social skills, family support, and school climate) and adjustment indicators (general and academic self-efficacy beliefs). A total of 448 students (between 10 and 17 years old) from public schools in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) participated. Through cluster analysis, two profiles were identified: resilient, with high levels of risk indicators and good adjustment; and vulnerable, with high levels of risk and low adjustment. The results indicated that the protective factors do not neutralize the stressful psychophysiological phenomena associated with the transition, but they mitigate the impact of the risk, increasing the coping capacity in the new context, promoting students’ resilience.