Somewhere I belong: Long-term increases in adolescents' resilience are predicted by perceived belonging to the in-group

Abstract

This study sought to examine the role of belonging in the increases in resilience observed following an adventure education programme (AEP). First, we demonstrate that group belonging makes a significant contribution to the improvement in resilience participants' experienced over the course of the AEP. Second, we demonstrate that this increase in resilience is maintained 9 months following the AEP and that group belonging maintained a significant contribution when controlling for participants' initial resilience level and other psychosocial variables (i.e., centrality of identity and social support). Our findings accord well with recent research on the Social Cure or Social Identity Approach to Health and add to a growing body of work identifying the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.