Abstract
BackgroundChildhood experiences can exert a huge impact on adult psychological conditions. Previous studies have confirmed the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) on psychological distress (e.g., stress, depression, and suicidal ideation) separately, but few studies explored a combined effect of ACEs and BCEs on psychological distress. The aim of this study was to explore a combined effect of ACEs and BCEs on psychological distress among Chinese undergraduates.MethodsParticipants were undergraduates aged 17–24 years (N = 1,816) and completed a self-reported questionnaire. A series of regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between childhood experiences and psychological distress.ResultsA total of 65.7% of undergraduates had BCEs, 27.1% of undergraduates had ACEs, and 12.9% of undergraduates had ACEs and BCEs simultaneously. Logistic regression analysis indicated that undergraduates who experienced high ACEs were more likely to have a high risk of psychological distress [odds ratio (ORs) = 1.46, 1.84, and 3.15 for uncertainty stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, respectively], while undergraduates who experienced High BCEs were less likely to have psychological distress (ORs = 0.33, 0.22, and 0.32 for uncertainty stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, respectively) compared with Low-Both group. The combined effect of ACEs and BCEs (High-Both group) could also play as a protective factor in uncertainty stress (OR = 0.56) and depressive symptoms (OR = 0.47).ConclusionOur findings suggested that ACEs and BCEs could not only predict the psychological distress independently, but also BCEs could counteract the negative effect of ACEs in psychological problems. There is an even greater need to identify and support the victims of ACEs and to increase BCEs in early childhood.
Highlights
Depression and suicidal ideation are worldwide concerns and they are the most common mental health problems (Bilsen, 2018; Perquier et al, 2021; Pozuelo et al, 2022)
This study assessed the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs), and an overlap between them, as well as their association with psychological distress through a school-based investigation among undergraduates
BCEs could counteract the negative effects of ACEs on psychological distress, especially depressive symptoms and uncertainty stress
Summary
Depression and suicidal ideation are worldwide concerns and they are the most common mental health problems (Bilsen, 2018; Perquier et al, 2021; Pozuelo et al, 2022). Existing studies indicated that 19.6–30.6% of adolescents suffered from depression (Song et al, 2008; Ibrahim et al, 2013; Gao et al, 2020), while 18–26.4% (Baiden et al, 2021; Hu et al, 2021; Mahumud et al, 2021) had suicidal ideation. In recent years, another mental problem, i.e., uncertainty stress, has attracted some attention from scholars (Holland and Wheeler, 2016), because it can arouse worse consequences and influences than life stress and study stress (Wu et al, 2020). The aim of this study was to explore a combined effect of ACEs and BCEs on psychological distress among Chinese undergraduates
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