Scientific Articles - The Life Paths Research Center

Resilience Portfolios & Related

Banyard, V., Hamby, S., & Grych, J. (2017). Health effects of adverse childhood events: Identifying promising protective factors at the intersection of mental and physical well-being. Child Abuse & Neglect, 65, 88-98.

Banyard, V., Hamby, S., & Grych, J. (2016). Using values narratives to promote youth well-being in schools: An exploratory quantitative evaluation of the Laws of Life Essay. School Social Work Journal, 40(2), 1-16.

Banyard, V., Kelmendi, K., Yoon, S., & Hamby, S. (2025). The role of resilience portfolios in overcoming trauma. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 26(2), 209–219.

Banyard, V., Rousseau, D., Shockley McCarthy, K., Stavola, J., Xu, Y., & Hamby, S. (2025). Community-level characteristics associated with resilience after adversity: A scoping review of research in urban locales. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 26(2), 356-372.

Cheng, S.-Y., Taylor, E., & Hamby, S. (2024). When support seekers encounter unsettling responses: A dual-factor approach. Journal of Social Work, 24(2), 197-218.

Grych, J., Hamby, S., & Banyard, V. (2015). The resilience portfolio model: Understanding healthy adaptation in victims of violence. Psychology of Violence, 5(4), 343-354.

Grych, J., Taylor, E., Banyard, V., & Hamby, S. (2020). Applying the Dual Factor Model of Mental Health to understanding protective factors in adolescence. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90(4), 458-467.

González Méndez, R., & Hamby, S. (2021). Identifying women’s strengths for promoting resilience after experiencing intimate partner violence. Violence and Victims, 36(1), 29-44.

Gonzalez-Mendez, R., Ramírez-Santana, G., & Hamby, S. (2021). Analyzing Spanish adolescents through the Lens of the resilience portfolio model. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(9-10), 4472–4489.

González Méndez, R., Ramírez Santana, G., & Hamby, S. (online first). Analyzing Spanish adolescents through the lens of the resilience portfolio model. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(9-10), 4472-4489.

Hagler, M., Grych, J., Banyard, V., & Hamby, S. (2016). The ups and downs of self-regulation: Tracing the patterns of regulatory abilities from adolescence to middle adulthood in a rural sample. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 40(3-4), 164-179.

Hagler, M., Hamby, S., Grych, J., & Banyard, V. (2016). Working for well-being: Uncovering the protective benefits of work through mixed methods analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(4), 1493-1510.

Hamby, S. (2025). The Resilience Portfolio Concept: New Insights into How Sufficient Strengths Can Overcome Even High Burdens of Trauma. Review of General Psychology, 29(3), 311-324.

Hamby, S. (2022). Strengths-based approaches to conducting research with low-income and other marginalized populations. In K. C. McLean (Ed.), Cultural methods in psychology: Describing and transforming cultures (pp. 76–108). Oxford University Press.

Hamby, S., Banyard, V., & Grych, J. (2016). Strengths, narrative, and resilience: Restorying resilience research. Psychology of Violence, 6(1), 1-7.

Hamby, S., Banyard, V., Hagler, M., Kaczkowski, W., Taylor, E., Roberts, L., & Grych, J. (2015). Virtues, narrative, & resilience: Key findings of the Life Paths Project on the Laws of Life Essay and pathways to resilience. Sewanee, TN: Life Paths Research Program.

Hamby, S., Blount, Z., Taylor, E., Mitchell, K., & Jones, L. (2021). The association of different cyber-victimization types with current psychological and health status in southern Appalachian communities. Violence and Victims, 36(2), 251-271.

Hamby, S., de Wetter, E., Schultz, K., Taylor, E., & Banyard, V. (2024). Resilient responses to victimization and other trauma: Positive emotion regulation and other understudied psychosocial strengths. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Hamby, S., Grych, J., & Banyard, V. (2018). Resilience portfolios and poly-strengths: Identifying protective factors associated with thriving after adversity. Psychology of Violence, 8(2), 172-183.

Hamby, S., Guerra, C., Toro, E., & Pinto Cortez, C. (2024). Advancing the science of adverse childhood experiences and resilience: A case for global and ecological perspectives. Child Protection and Practice.

Hamby, S., Roberts, L. T., Taylor, E., Hagler, M., & Kaczkowski, W. (2017). Families, poly-victimization, & resilience portfolios: Understanding risk, vulnerability & protection across the span of childhood. In Parenting and Family Processes in Child Maltreatment and Intervention (pp. 3-22). Springer, Cham.

Hamby, S., Schultz, K., & Taylor, E. (2023). Health-related quality of life among American Indian and Alaska Native People: Exploring associations with adversities and psychosocial strengths. Health & social work, 48(2), 105–114.

Hamby, S., Segura, A., Taylor, E., Grych, J., & Banyard, V. (2017). Meaning making in rural Appalachia: Age and gender patterns in seven measures of meaning. Journal of Happiness and Well-being, 168-186.

Hamby, S., Smith, A., Mitchell, K., & Turner, H. (2016). Poly-victimization and resilience portfolios: Trends in violence research that can enhance the understanding and prevention of elder abuse. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 28(4-5), 217-234.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Grych, J., & Banyard, V. (2016). A naturalistic study of narrative: Exploring the choice and impact of adversity versus other narrative topics. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8(4), 477-486.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Jones, L., Mitchell, K., & Newlin, C. (2020). Poly-victimization, trauma, and resilience: Exploring strengths that promote thriving after adversity. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 21(3), 376-395.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Mitchell, K., Jones, L., & Newlin, C. (2020). Health-related quality of life among adolescents as a function of victimization, other adversities, and strengths. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 50, 46-53.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Mitchell, K., Jones, L., & Newlin, C. (2020). Is it better to seek or to receive? How social support contributes to resilience. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Resilience, 7(1), 5-17.

Simultaneously published in French: Est-ce mieux de rechercher ou de recevoir? Un modèle de soutien social à double facteur. Revue international de la resilience des enfants et des adolescents, 7(1), 5-17.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Segura, A., & Weber, M. (2022). A dual-factor model of posttraumatic responses: Which is better, high posttraumatic growth or low symptoms? Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 14(S1), S148–S156.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Smith, A., & Blount, Z. (2019). Resilience Portfolio Questionnaire manual: Scales for youth. Sewanee, TN: Life Paths Research Center. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27296.74243

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Smith, A., Mitchell, K., Jones, L., & Newlin, C. (2019). New measures to assess the social ecology of youth: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(7), 1666-1681.

Hamby, S., Thomas, L. A., Banyard, V. L., de St Aubin, E., & Grych, J. (2015). Generative roles: Assessing sustained involvement in generativity. American Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 24-32.

Hamby, S., & Yoon, S. (2024). A call for a basic science of healing. Psychology of Violence, 14(6), 396–403.

Hamiti, E., Kelmendi, K., Retkoceri, S., & Hamby, S. (2024). Resilience in the Kosovo context: A qualitative study of young adults. Emerging Adulthood, 12(5), 710-725.

Kelmendi, K., & Hamby, S. (2025). Enduring strengths: How childhood adversity shapes adult resilience in Kosovo. Child Protective and Practice, 3, 100070

Kelmendi, K., & Hamby, S. (2023). Resilience After trauma in Kosovo and Southeastern Europe: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 24(4), 2333–2345.

Manco, N., & Hamby, S. (2021). A meta-analytic review of interventions that promote meaning in life. American Journal of Health Promotion: AJHP, 35(6), 866–873.

Segura, A., Pereda, N., Guilera, G., & Hamby, S. (2017). Resilience and psychopathology among victimized youth in residential care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 72, 301-311.

Piercy, S., & Hamby, S. (2025). A scoping review of resilience among intensive care nurses: Exploring strengths that mitigate secondary trauma. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 10.1037/tra0002017. Advance online publication.

Reid, M. & Hamby, S. (2025). Strengths supporting resilience in individuals with learning disabilities: A scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, 177, 108434

Roberts, L., Banyard, V., Grych, J., & Hamby, S. (2019). Well-being in rural Appalachia: Age and gender patterns across five indicators. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1-20.

Roberts, L. T., Hamby, S. L., Banyard, V. L., & Grych, J. (2015). Beyond collective efficacy: New brief measures to assess the outer layers of the social ecology. American Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 14-23.

Schultz, K., Taylor, E., McKinney, S., & Hamby, S. (2024). Exploring strengths, psychological functioning and youth victimization among American Indians and Alaska Natives in four southern states. Child Abuse & Neglect, 148, 106197.

Williams-Butler, A., Taylor, E., Hamby, S., & Banyard, V. (2024). Does gender moderate the relationship between protective factors and rule violating behavior? Children and Youth Services Review, 166, 1–10.

The resilience portfolio model calls for the identification of key strengths (individual, family, and community) that help people overcome trauma and other adversity. Strengths are organized into three domains: meaning making, regulatory, and interpersonal. We have published several papers trying to identify the most helpful strengths and explore the under-appreciated strengths of marginalized people. No one is good at everything, but everyone can build a portfolio of strengths to cope with life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Polyvictimization & Other Trauma

Banyard, V., Weber, M. C., Grych, J., & Hamby, S. (2016). Where are the helpful bystanders? Ecological niche and victims’ perceptions of bystander intervention. Journal of Community Psychology, 44(2), 214-231.

Bell, A. S., Dinwiddie, M., & Hamby, S. (2018). Gender patterns in intimate partner violence: Results from 33 campus climate surveys based on the Partner Victimization Scale. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34326.86086. Sewanee, TN: Life Paths Research Center.

Brooks, M., Taylor, E., & Hamby, S. (2024). Polyvictimization, polystrengths, and their contribution to subjective well-being and posttraumatic growth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 16(3), 496–503.

Hamby, S., Banyard, V., & Grych, J. (2016). Prevention of interpersonal violence. In J. Norcross, G. VandenBos, & D. Freedheim (Eds.), APA Handbook of Clinical Psychology: Volume 3 Applications and Methods (pp. 511-522). Washington, DC: APA. doi: 10.10371/14861-027

Hamby, S., Blount, Z., Smith, A., Jones, L., Mitchell, K., & Taylor, E. (2018). Digital poly-victimization: The increasing importance of online crime and harassment to the burden of victimization. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 19(3), 382-398.

Hamby, S., Elm, J. H. L., Howell, K. H., & Merrick, M. T. (2021). Recognizing the cumulative burden of childhood adversities transforms science and practice for trauma and resilience. The American psychologist, 76(2), 230–242.

Hamby, S., Schultz, K., & Elm, J. (2020). Understanding the burden of trauma and victimization among American Indian and Alaska native elders: historical trauma as an element of poly-victimization. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation: The Official Journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD), 21(2), 172–186.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Jones, L., Mitchell, K. J., Turner, H. A., & Newlin, C. (2018). From poly-victimization to poly-strengths: Understanding the web of violence can transform research on youth violence and illuminate the path to prevention and resilience. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(5), 719-739.

Hamby, S., Weber, M. C., Grych, J., & Banyard, V. (2016). What difference do bystanders make? The association of bystander involvement with victim outcomes in a community sample. Psychology of Violence, 6(1), 91-102.

Taylor, E., Banyard, V., Hamby, S., & Grych, J. (2019). Not all behind closed doors: Examining bystander involvement in intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34 (18), 3915-3935.

Yuan, N. P., Kram-Brooks, N. A. Z., Ellsworth-Kopkowski, A., & Hamby, S. (2022). Adverse experiences and positive and negative responses among Appalachian young people. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 46(4), 237–248.

The newest science suggests that understanding dose is essential for understanding the true burden of trauma. Polyvictimization is the total of all the different types of victimization a person has experienced over their lifetime. Polytrauma is a similar concept that includes other types of adversities. Polyvictimization and polytrauma have been associated with over 40 different health outcomes.

Other Topics

Banyard, V., Hamby, S., de St. Aubin, E., & Grych, J. (2019). Values narratives for personal growth: Formative evaluation of the Law of Life essay program. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 59(2), 269-293.

Hagler, M., Hamby, S., Banyard, V., & Grych, J. (2019). “We almost had the whole block’s phone number on the wall”: A mixed methods investigation of informal helping in a predominantly rural sample. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(3), 477-494.

Hamby, S., Blount, Z., Eidson, E., Smith, A., Rice, J., & Bardi, C. A. (2017). Breaking free from the web of violence: Asset-based approaches for boys and men of color. Philadelphia, PA: RISE for Boys and Men of Color. Available at http://www.equalmeasure.org/breaking-free-web-violence-asset-based-approaches-boys-men-color/.

Hamby, S., Montgomery, K. M., Storer, H. L., & Banyard, V. (2022). “That Was the Happiest Time of My Life”: Understanding Childhood Eco-Connections in Appalachian Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16661.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Jones, L., & Mitchell, K. (2018). A Portrait of Technology in Rural Appalachia: Patterns of Technology Use, Attitudes, and Safety Practices In a Low-Income Rural Sample Recruited Offline. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18545.79205. Sewanee, TN: Appalachian Center for Resilience Research.

Hamby, S., Taylor, E., Smith, A., Mitchell, K., & Jones, L. (2018). Technology in rural Appalachia: Cultural strategies of resistance and navigation. International Journal of Communication, 12, 1248-1268.

These articles cover other work on methodology, specific types of trauma, and related topics.