Adverse Childhood Experiences to Mental Well-Being: A Serial Mediation Through Social Connectedness, Psychological Capital and Dark Future

Abstract

Individuals with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may continue to suffer the negative consequences of these experiences into adulthood. While prior research has identified separate relationships between ACEs, social connectedness, psychological capital, dark future, and mental well-being, the serial links among these variables remain underexplored. This study investigates the serial mediation of social connectedness, psychological capital, and dark future in the relationship between ACEs and mental well-being in a Turkish sample. The sample consisted of 357 participants (206 women [71.7%] and 101 men [28.3%]), aged 18 to 63 years (M = 30.62, SD = 9.14). Structural equation modeling results indicated that social connectedness, psychological capital, and dark future fully mediated the effect of ACEs on mental well-being. ACEs were negatively associated with social connectedness, which in turn predicted lower psychological capital. Reduced psychological capital was associated with increased future anxiety. This serial pathway suggests that ACEs may impact individuals' mental well-being through disruptions in social and psychological resources.