Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Resilience of University Student Emerging Adults: The Promotive and Protective Roles of Positive Childhood Experiences

This study investigated how positive childhood experiences (PCEs) predict psychological resilience and psychopathological symptoms in the context of childhood maltreatment (CM). Drawing from Resiliency Theory and the Ecological-Transactional Model, we examined PCEs’ promotive and protective roles across ecological levels in 406 Turkish university students (ages 18–27; 79.3% female), following data screening procedures. PCEs were assessed at individual (self-regulation), microsystem (perceived social support), and exosystem (neighborhood cohesion) levels. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the Compensatory Model, with perceived social support and self-regulation predicting better outcomes after accounting for CM. Unexpectedly, higher levels of these factors strengthened rather than buffered the associations between CM and resilience relationship, and no moderation effects emerged for psychopathological symptoms. Neighborhood cohesion showed no significant effects. These findings highlight the complex interplay between CM and PCEs, suggesting that their role on resilience may vary based on both the ecological levels and the severity of CM. Implications include the need for early prevention programs target the development of self-regulation skills and strengthening of perceived social support during childhood.