Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience: The Indirect Effect of a Sense of Purpose in Life.

Purpose: This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and resilience through a sense of purpose in life (SP) among 578 college students, applying resilience theory and positive psychology. Materials and methods: Using a cross-sectional, online survey design, data were collected. Most respondents were female (71.9%), heterosexual (69.9%), and Caucasian (61.6%) undergraduate students. Results: The results indicated that ACEs were not directly related to resilience (β = −.09,.05). SP had an indirect effect in the relationship between ACEs and resilience (β = −.11, 95% CI = −.16 to −.05). SP fully mediated the association between ACEs and resilience in college students. Discussion: This indicates that students with a history of ACEs tend to have lower levels of resilience due to their reduced levels of SP. Conclusion: Trauma-informed, campus-wide interventions targeting SP for college students who were exposed to ACEs may be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]