Resilience and psychological well-being: differences for affective profiles in Italian middle and late adolescents

Abstract

This study was focused on the differences for affective profiles on dimensions of resilience and factors of psychological well-being in a sample of Italian middle and late adolescents. We used the Italian Resiliency Attitudes and Skills Profile (De Caroli & Sagone, 2014a), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995), and the Positive (PA) and Negative (NA) Affect Scale (Di Fabio & Bucci, 2015). We obtained four different combinations of affective profiles: self-fulfilling (high PA and low NA), low affective (low PA and low NA), high affective (high PA and high NA), and self-destructive profile (low PA and high NA). Results: adolescents with self-fulfilling profile reported higher resilience (in detail, sense of humor, competence, adaptability, and engagement) and psychological well-being (that is, autonomy, purpose in life, self-acceptance) than the others. Additionally, boys had greater self-fulfilling profile and scored higher in sense of humor and adaptability than girls, while girls had greater high affective and self-destructive profiles and scored higher in control and engagement than boys. Future developmental and educational research could deepen other protective factors of self-fulfilling profile in adolescence, as self-efficacy and optimism.