It is not a surprise to anyone in the human helping profession that childhood experiences shape us in tremendous ways. What is surprising to some is that it isn’t just about the hardest moments children endure. It’s also about the uplifting moments that give them strength, build resiliency, and provide them with a sense of belonging.
In an exciting new study published in Children and Youth Services Review, researchers from the TCOM community Hyeeun K. Shin, Scott C. Leon, Olga Vsevolozhskaya, Xiaoran Tong, and John S. Lyons explore exactly that; how both Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) shape mood challenges for youth in foster care. The title of the study is: The role of adverse and positive childhood experiences on mood challenges in child welfare population.
Until now, most of this kind of research only focused on how negative experiences affect development and their health later in the individual’s life. This approach merely relies on an adult taking a stroll down memory lane to describe their childhood experience, which doesn’t exactly lead to transformation innovation, it’s more like watching a re-run of an old show, but with some of the important scenes distorted, or even deleted. This study did something incredibly different. Instead of retrospective reporting, it used real-world data collected from the CANS to look at the current strengths for children and adolescents. It explores things like supportive relationships, community involvement, as well as peer connection. Their findings were remarkable!
Unfortunately, our post is opposed to any spoilers regarding their findings, so please read the full study which is published in Children and Youth Services Review by accessing it using the DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.108774
There is also temporary FREE access at: https://lnkd.in/gBWC3T-m
So why does all of this matter? Research lead Hyeeun K. Shin was interviewed and was asked several questions, here is what she was asked and what she had to say!
What inspired this work and why is it personally meaningful?
“This research matters to me because much of the existing work on positive childhood experiences (PCEs) relies on retrospective reports. In contrast, our study measures PCEs as current child strengths, particularly external strengths such as community involvement and family or peer relationships, etc., using the CANS. This approach feels more meaningful and actionable for real-world child welfare settings. I hope this research informs professionals working in child welfare by highlighting how current strengths can be identified and leveraged when supporting children and adolescents experiencing mood challenges related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).” – Hyeeun K. Shin
Is there anyone else who helped with this research who should be mentioned?
“All my co-authors contributed significantly to this work … I would especially like to acknowledge Dr. Xiaoran, whose guidance and support were instrumental in helping me analyze the data precisely.” – Hyeeun K. Shin
Is there any additional information the blog and social media team should know about this research?
“This paper went through several rounds of submissions before finding the right journal home. While the earlier rejections were challenging, we are very happy that the work finally found a journal that was a well-fit for the research.” – Hyeeun K. Shin
What motivates/encourages you to do this work?
“This research matters to me because much of the existing work on positive childhood experiences (PCEs) relies on retrospective reports. In contrast, our study measures PCEs as current child strengths, particularly external strengths such as community involvement and family or peer relationships, etc., using the CANS. This approach feels more meaningful and actionable for real-world child welfare settings. I hope this research informs professionals working in child welfare by highlighting how current strengths can be identified and leveraged when supporting children and adolescents experiencing mood challenges related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).” – Hyeeun K. Shin
Whether you’re a practitioner, researcher, or student in child welfare and trauma-informed care, this work offers a fresh lens. Instead of only measuring the impact of harm, it asks, where are the strengths? How can they be recognized and supported today? It’s not just a scientific study. It’s an invitation to see children not only based on what they’ve been through, but also through what gives them resilience and what we can help them build!
Thank you for your time.