Explaining Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Spiritual Well‐Being Through Resilient Mindset, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Turkish University Students

Purpose This study addresses an important gap in understanding the mechanisms linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to spiritual well‐being. Specifically, it tested the serial mediating roles of resilient mindset and psychological distress—depression, anxiety, and stress—in both independent and sequential pathways. By controlling for age and gender, the study aimed to clarify how resilience and distress jointly explain the relationship between ACEs and spiritual well‐being. Method A cross‐sectional design was used to conduct this study. A total of 686 university students participated in this study (75.4% females; M = 21.5, SD = 2.21). Finding The results showed that higher ACEs were associated with lower spiritual well‐being, with a significant total effect ( B = −0.64). Significant indirect effects supported the mediating roles of resilient mindset ( B = −0.06) and psychological distress, including depression ( B = −0.14), anxiety ( B = −0.09), and stress ( B = −0.09). Serial mediation analyses further showed that ACEs were indirectly associated with spiritual well‐being through resilient mindset, followed by depression ( B = −0.03), anxiety ( B = −0.01), and stress ( B = −0.01). Conclusion These findings suggest that developing a resilient mindset and reducing psychological distress may be important in reducing the effects of ACEs on well‐being.