Griffith Frances J, Simmons Sydney C, Schrader Shannon, Miller-Roenigk Brittany, Crouch Maria C, Gordon Derrick M
Division of Prevention and Community Research, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Department of Psychology, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.
Adult Learn (Wash). 2024 Oct 23. doi: 10.1177/10451595241291888.
Social and systemic barriers contribute to students' attrition from K-12 education and enrollment in adult basic education (ABE) via the reduction of available resources. Informed by Conservation of Resources Theory, the current study assessed the impact of stress-related risk factors, including trauma and COVID-19-related stress, on ABE students' ( = 227) vocational confidence. Understanding these factors can inform ABE program development and retention efforts. Survey methods with convenience sampling were used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and COVID-19-related stress on the outcomes of alcohol use, as a stress response, as well as vocational confidence. On average, past traumatic experiences were more common among ABE students who reported greater social or economic marginalization, especially those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or with a history of being unhoused. More past traumatic experiences predicted higher COVID-19-related stress and alcohol use. Higher COVID-19-related stress, in turn, predicted lower vocational confidence. ABE students experiencing marginalization face compounded barriers to achieving their educational and vocational goals when they experience trauma exposure and subsequent stressors. Based on findings, we make practice recommendations for ABE centers, including targeted psychoeducational resources to offset social and systemic stressors that may bolster the vocational confidence of enrolled students.
社会和系统性障碍通过减少可用资源，导致学生在K-12教育阶段流失，并进入成人基础教育（ABE）。基于资源守恒理论，本研究评估了与压力相关的风险因素，包括创伤和与新冠疫情相关的压力，对ABE学生（n = 227）职业信心的影响。了解这些因素可为ABE项目的开发和留住学生的努力提供参考。采用便利抽样的调查方法收集数据。使用结构方程模型来检验创伤暴露和与新冠疫情相关的压力对作为压力反应的饮酒结果以及职业信心的关系。平均而言，在报告有更大社会或经济边缘化的ABE学生中，过去的创伤经历更为常见，尤其是那些认同自己为女同性恋、男同性恋或双性恋者或有过无家可归经历的学生。更多过去的创伤经历预示着更高的与新冠疫情相关的压力和饮酒量。反过来，更高的与新冠疫情相关的压力预示着更低的职业信心。经历边缘化的ABE学生在经历创伤暴露和随后的压力源时，在实现其教育和职业目标方面面临多重障碍。基于研究结果，我们为ABE中心提出了实践建议，包括提供有针对性的心理教育资源，以抵消可能增强在册学生职业信心的社会和系统性压力源。
