hope under the shadow of fear and uncertainty: resilience factors among working adolescents

Background & aim: working adolescents need to cope with extreme situations they face, and it is important to identify what factors influence their resilience to better support their health and well-being. the purpose of this study was to explore resilience in working adolescents. methods & materials: the directed content analysis approach based on the ecologicaltransactional resilience model was employed across five domains of resilience (self, family, peers, school, and community). semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of working adolescents were conducted. inclusion criteria were being 12-18 years of age, persian speaker, and direct experience of being forced to work for at least one year. hsieh & shannon (2005) instruction was used for data analysis. results: 17 participants were interviewed, 59% were male, 88% immigrants, and 41% had started working by age 6. adolescents reported experience of significant adversity. a dichotomic range of resilience-related factors was identified within five domains, embedded with distinct themes. there was evidence of self-care, patience, empathy, and emotional insight within extremely difficult life circumstances. peers and schools were identified as supporting resilience. very few family or community resilience factors were identified; instead, adolescents reported hurt, alienation, and voicelessness within the family; and fear and insecurity in the community. conclusion: working adolescents in this study revealed some dichotomic strengths and vulnerabilities. individual, peer, and school factors were more evident than family and community factors in fostering resilience among working adolescents.