Citation

Espeleta HC, Brett EI, Ridings LE, Leavens ELS, Mullins LL. Child Abuse Negl. 2018; 82: 92-101.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.05.027

PMID

29879586

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are important public health concerns, with links to higher prevalence rates of both health-risk behaviors and physical health difficulties in adulthood. Research has demonstrated an association between early adversity and long-term health-risk behavior development. The current study assessed the role of emotion dysregulation and facets of impulsivity as potential mediators in the relation between ACEs and general health-risk behaviors, including alcohol-related consequences and risky sexual behavior. College students (N = 668) completed online questionnaires that assessed history of ACEs, emotion regulation difficulties, impulsivity under extreme affect, and current engagement in health-risk behaviors. Emotion dysregulation and impulsivity under extreme positive emotion, but not negative emotion, demonstrated a significant serial mediation between ACEs and alcohol-related consequences.

RESULTS also suggest that emotion dysregulation mediates the relation between early adversity and all three outcomes (i.e., overall engagement in maladaptive behavior, alcohol-related consequences, and risky sexual behavior). Impulsivity under positive or negative affect did not demonstrate a mediation effect on the three outcomes.

RESULTS of this study highlight the importance of assessing for emotion regulation skills when working with young adults with histories of adversity.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

ACEs; Adverse childhood experiences; Emotion dysregulation; Urgency