Positive Childhood Experiences Associate with Adult Flourishing Amidst Adversity: A Cross Sectional Survey Study with a National Sample of Young Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of PCEs among young adults in Mainland China and the extent to which the cumulative number of PCEs moderates the associations between ACEs and flourishing in adulthood. Between August and November 2020, we used convenience and snowball sampling to recruit 9468 young adults, ages 18–35, enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs at universities in Mainland China to participate in a survey, which included measures on flourishing, exposure to ACEs and PCEs, and demographic characteristics. Approximately 92% of participants reported experiencing seven to nine PCEs, with harmonious family relationships (96.9%), feeling supported by friends (96.8%) and being treated fairly at school (96.3%) being the most common PCEs reported. Results of the multiple regression indicated that the cumulative number of PCEs statistically significantly moderated the relation between the cumulative number of ACEs and flourishing (interaction term b = −0.060 [−0.071, −0.049], p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.183); as the number of ACEs increased up through eight ACEs, decreases in flourishing were smaller among those with higher numbers of PCEs. PCEs are common among young adults from Mainland China and serve a potential buffering effect against exposure to ACEs.

Specific domains of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) associated with improved adult health: A nationally representative study

“…Although there is prior evidence to support a buffering effect of PCEs ( Elmore et al, 2020 ; Yu et al, 2022 ), our study found that the total score did not interact with the individual PCE domains. This suggests that the effect of PCEs may operate independently of ACEs to influence adult health outcomes, which is in line with other work ( Bethell et al, 2019 ; Lynch et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Generally, it is posited that PCEs buffer the negative effect of ACEs on lifelong health ( Elmore et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2020 ; Yu et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ). Alternatively, PCEs may protect health independent of ACE exposure ( Bethell et al, 2019 ; Lynch et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Alternatively, PCEs may protect health independent of ACE exposure ( Bethell et al, 2019 ; Lynch et al, 2018 ). Prior studies testing models with both ACEs and PCEs have found evidence supporting both hypotheses, but they generally used small, non-nationally representative samples, or were cross-sectional ( Bethell et al, 2019 ; Elmore et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2018 ; Lynch et al, 2018 ; Yu et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2021 ). Despite evidence that ACEs and PCEs both influence health and may operate in concert, no national longitudinal study has examined the extent to which individual PCE domains affect physical and mental health outcomes while considering the level of ACE exposure.…”

The impact of Benevolent Childhood Experiences on adult Flourishing: the mediating role of Light Triad traits

“…As such, it is considered an essential aspect of mental health promotion ( Burns et al, 2022 ). Previous studies have shown that experiencing parental warmth during childhood is significantly associated with Flourishing scores during mid-adulthood ( Chen et al, 2019 ); suggesting a link between childhood experiences and adulthood subjective well-being ( Yu et al, 2022 ).…”

How adverse and benevolent childhood experiences influence depression and suicidal ideation in Chinese undergraduates: a latent class analysis

“…According to previous studies, 39% of adolescents have at least one type of ACE, and Chinese undergraduates with a history of ACEs are more likely to report symptoms of psychological distress and ultimately higher premature mortality than those without a history of ACEs [ 14 , 15 ]. Given the harmful effects of ACEs on health, recent studies have begun to identify protective factors that can help adolescents overcome the negative impacts of ACEs on mental health outcomes [ 16 , 17 ]. Indeed, positive self-awareness and relationship with caregivers, peers, and teachers are known as BCEs [ 18 ].…”