Adverse Childhood Experiences and Subjective Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: The Mediating Roles of Loneliness and Depression

Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to lower levels of subjective well-being in adulthood. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this association in emerging adulthood remain underexplored. This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences and subjective well-being among individuals aged 18 to 34 years and tested the mediating roles of loneliness and depressive symptoms. Data from 2,041 participants were analyzed using multiple linear regression and serial mediation models, with indirect effects tested via bootstrapping. Greater exposure to adverse childhood experiences was significantly associated with lower subjective well-being. Both loneliness and depression emerged as significant mediators of this relationship, and a sequential indirect pathway involving both factors was also significant. These findings suggest that early adversity may be associated with lower well-being in emerging adulthood partly through loneliness and depression, highlighting that interventions targeting these factors may improve subjective well-being among individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences.