Abstract
BackgroundChildhood adversities pose deleterious consequences on health and well-being, but limited studies explore whether unique patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the mental health of emerging adults and the mediating role of current stressful events (CSEs). This study examined classes of ACEs and how they relate to CSEs, psychological distress, and subjective well-being among Eritrean College undergraduates.MethodsCross-sectional data on ACEs, CSEs, symptoms of psychological distress, and subjective well-being were collected from a national sample of college students (N = 507). We identified ACE patterns using latent class analysis and further examined whether CSEs mediated the effects of ACE classes on psychological distress and subjective well-being.Results86.4% of the sample experienced at least one ACE. Collective violence, domestic violence, and physical abuse were the most common ACEs. Three subgroups, low ACEs (66.3%), household violence (19.1%), and multiple ACEs (14.6%) were identified. We found that relative to low ACEs, household violence (β = 0.142, 95% CI 0.046, 0.248) and multiple ACEs (β = 0.501, 95% CI 0.357, 0.666) indirectly influenced psychological distress through CSEs, and CSEs mediated the relationships between household violence (β = −0.096, 95% CI −0.176, −0.033), multiple ACEs (β = −0.338, 95% CI −0.498, −0.210), and subjective well-being. However, there were nonsignificant relative direct effects of ACE patterns on both psychological distress and subjective well-being.ConclusionsExperiencing multiple ACEs and household violence in conjunction with CSEs significantly predict psychological distress and subjective well-being. Contextual interventions for the early identification of ACEs and the management of CSEs may play a crucial role in the prevention of mental health problems.
Highlights
Childhood adversities pose deleterious consequences on health and well-being, but limited studies explore whether unique patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the mental health of emerging adults and the mediating role of current stressful events (CSEs)
Means and standard deviations of ACEs, CSEs, psychological distress, and subjective well-being are listed in Table 1. 86.4% (438/507) of the sample experienced at least one ACE
The Pearson correlations for ACEs, CSEs, subjective well-being, and psychological distress were significant at p < 0.001 level
Summary
Childhood adversities pose deleterious consequences on health and well-being, but limited studies explore whether unique patterns of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the mental health of emerging adults and the mediating role of current stressful events (CSEs). Self-focus, instability (inbetween self-reliance and dependence), and exploration of identity together with the feelings of great hopes and uncertainties are characteristic of this age group [10] These developmental processes coupled with academic pressures and the requisite to adjust to new social and physical conditions might entail sources of stress for students [11]. These current stressful events (CSEs) occur within a limited period (few weeks to a year), including work strains and safety, financial problems, interpersonal relationships, family and personal conflicts, educational issues, and health-related stressors [12, 13]. Researchers documented that 39% of college students reported at least one ACE [19], and students with histories of ACEs were more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress than those with no histories [20, 21]
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