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Abstract Purpose Adverse Childhood Experiences are associated with long-term psychological and health problems, although some individuals show notable resilience and adaptability despite this adversity. Emotion regulation, a key developmental process, may play an important role in the relationship between ACEs and resilience. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how specific patterns of emotion dysregulation relate to resilience in emerging adults, adopting a person-centered approach across four ACE typologies. Method 441 young adults from Spain, aged 18–30 years ( M = 21.84, SD = 2.92), predominantly female (69.8%), participated by completing self-report questionnaires on ACEs, emotion dysregulation, and resilience. Results The findings showed that ACE exposure is associated with specific emotion dysregulation patterns and reduced resilience. Participants who experienced both abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction faced significant emotional inattention and confusion, impairing emotion regulation. Those with only abuse and neglect exhibited high emotional inattention and decontrol, leading to difficulties in regulating immediate emotional responses. Participants with only household dysfunctions experienced emotional decontrol and interference, where emotions disrupted cognitive processes such as attention and decision-making. In all three cases, emotion dysregulation contributed to low levels of resilience. In contrast, individuals without ACEs demonstrated superior emotion regulation, particularly in the absence of emotional inattention, which played a crucial role in fostering resilience and coping with adversity. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of emotion regulation in building resilience and addressing the psychological challenges associated with ACEs. Targeted interventions aimed at reducing emotion dysregulation could improve outcomes for individuals with a history of childhood adversity.
Gomis‐Pomares et al. (Fri,) studied this question.