Childhood Adversity and Resilience among Cadets: Evidence from The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Study

Why was the study done?

Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) during their work, but there is less understanding regarding adverse experiences that PSP may have faced before entering the profession. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are acknowledged to contribute to negative, long-lasting outcomes, and include child maltreatment, household challenges, and peer victimization. ACEs may hinder PSP resilience processes for coping with and overcoming PPTEs, limiting their ability to function and adapt to their work requirements. The current study was designed to understand how specific ACEs, including child maltreatment, household challenges, peer victimization, and their combination, may impact resilience among Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadets starting their training to become RCMP members.

What was done in the study?

The current research draws on data from the larger, 10-year RCMP Study, a part of a Federal Framework on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Study participants were Cadets (n=597; 75.0% men) who completed a full assessment before the Cadet training program (CTP) as part of the standard training program. Inclusion in the current study required Cadet respondents to have completed all items on Brief Resilience Scale, the Life Events Checklist for the DSM-5, the 10-item Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Childhood Stressor Screen. Statistical analyses were conducted to test for associations between ACEs and self-perceived resilience while adjusting for sociodemographic variables and emotional regulation.

What did we find out?

The results supported the hypothesis that ACEs are associated with decreased resilience in Cadets before training. The results indicate that child maltreatment, particularly physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, intimate partner violence, and experiences of peer victimization, are statistically significantly associated with decreased resilience among Cadets. The current results also indicate that emotional suppression (as a behavioural and cognitive strategy in response to challenging situations) worsens the inverse relationship between child maltreatment history and resilience among Cadets; individuals who prefer to suppress their emotions refrain from establishing close bonds with others, which may further increase the risk of experiencing a mood disorder. The current results underscore the critical importance of mitigating the adverse impact of child maltreatment ACEs on resilience processes among Cadets before or during the CTP. The emotional resilience skills training provided during Cadet training is designed to support more constructive engagement with emotions, which is expected to be helpful.