The effects of early adverse experiences on relational and emotional difficulties as predictors of well being of university students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of early experience as conceptualized by the early adverse traumatic experiences and perceived parenting styles on relational patterns and emotion regulation difficulties as determinants of well being and psychopathology among Turkish university students. For this purpose, 356 students between the ages of 21 and 45 participated in the study. The assessment battery consisted of Demographic Form, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEQ), Short-EMBU (Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppfostran- My Memories of Upbringing), Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), Separation Individuation Inventory (SII), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). For the data analysis, firstly the associations of ACEQ with other variables were first investigated to reveal the specific effects of early traumatic experiences. The results of regression analyses revealed that ACE significantly predicted the attachment anxiety, separation individuation pathology, emotion regulation difficulties, life satisfaction ve psychopathology. Secondly, in order to examine the association between the study measures path analysis were conducted. The results revealed that maternal overprotection was significantly associated with relational problems and emotion regulation difficulties. Moreover ACE were predictors of emotion regulation difficulties as well. As for well-being, separation individuation pathology and emotion regulation difficulties were associated with depression, anxiety, stress and the satisfaction of life. Finally, the difficulties in adopting emotion regulatory strategies was found to be a mediator between ACE and psychopathology as well as maternal overprotection and psychopathology. The findings of the present study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature with clinical implications and future suggestions.