The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life in the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depressive Symptoms in Secondary Vocational School Students

Abstract

Secondary vocational school students have a poor student population and experience depressive symptoms more frequently and more prominently. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of meaning in life between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in secondary vocational school students. The method applied in this paper is using CTO-SF, CESDS and the Meaning in Life Scale to assess adverse childhood experience, depressive symptom and meaning in life. Hayes's PROCESS macro of SPSS was used to test the relationship between these variables. Adverse childhood experiences were positively correlated with depressive symptoms; meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms. Meaning in life is an important mediating mechanism in the association between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in secondary vocational school students, and implications for preventing or reducing depressive symptoms are discussed.