Hope
Why Hope?
Hope has been identified as a protective factor for childhood trauma and obesity and may explain the ability to overcome traumatic life events and support general well being. Hope typically describes a psychological strength to cope with traumatic experiences.
Hope Theory
Hope theory is based on the assumption that human behavior is goal oriented and involves hope agency and hope pathways. This involves the positive expectation that a person has towards achieving a future goal as well as envisioning a potential pathway and barriers and mental willpower to direct and sustain energy towards the goal.
Hopeful People
Hopeful people have the ability to initiate, sustain and complete an action while also visualizing different options to accomplish the goal. Hopeful thinking among children is positively associated with a host of benefits including self worth, confidence, optimism, strong problem solving skills, better interpersonal relationships, and higher school achievement. Furthermore, hope has been found to be correlated with well-being in individuals who have experienced adversity. For childhood trauma survivors, hope has been associated with self-control, grit and well-being.
Hope Informed Interventions
Hope informed interventions have been identified of high potential value to assist survivors of childhood trauma and have shown positive outcomes. Hope interventions can take the form of individual psychotherapy, group or camp settings. Interventions can focus on achievement goals and pathways and daily positive affirmations to strengthen children’s hope as a way to cope with trauma. Research suggests childhood trauma survivors with internalized hope may have lower obesity rates as adults.