The impact of childhood experiences on the mental health of young adults

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between childhood experiences (CE) and mental health (MH) in 787 young adults. The results indicate that most participants reported a high level of positive childhood experiences, while adverse childhood experiences were at a moderate to low level. When analyzed across three MH levels (flourishing, moderate, and languishing), positive CE showed a clear and consistent positive effect on MH in all groups, particularly in the languishing group. In contrast, adverse CE had only a slight and unstable negative impact. The full-sample regression model indicated that positive CE was a significantly stronger predictor of MH than adverse CE, with a standardized coefficient nearly three times larger in magnitude. These findings underscore the protective role of positive CE for MH and highlight a comprehensive approach for research and intervention: not only identifying and addressing past adversities but also leveraging positive resources from childhood.