Browsing by Author "Hyvämäki, Vera"

Objective. Reform schools (RSs) in Finland are child welfare institutions for adolescents with severe conduct problems. RS adolescents have generally been studied in terms of their disadvantages while factors related to positive adulthood outcomes remain unknown. Cognitive abilities have been associated with resilience, which embodies personal qualities that enable individuals to overcome adversity. This study aimed to investigate cognitive performance and resilience among former RS residents with good adult-age outcomes, and to see whether cognitive abilities were a predictor of their resilience. Methods. The sample consisted of 30 former RS residents who had no criminal record or diagnosed mental illness. Cognitive performance was measured with WAIS-IV subtests Matrix Reasoning, Vocabulary, Coding and a measure of verbal fluency. Resilience was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Linear regression was used to identify the association between cognitive performance and resilience. Results. The participants’ cognitive performance and resilience were lower compared to general population standards. None of the cognitive measures were significantly correlated with resilience. Among all the measures, verbal fluency predicted resilience the most. Conclusions. Cognitive deficits appear to be common among the whole RS population. Future research should conduct comparisons within the RS population for more clinically relevant conclusions. The participants’ lower resilience was likely due to an unfitting comparison group. In future work, it might be fruitful to investigate the connection between resilience and skills related to executive functioning and emotional intelligence. This study raised important methodological considerations and it provides a valuable starting point for future strength-based RS studies.