Adverse childhood experience and loneliness among young adults: Exploring the roles of attachment style and resilience

Abstract

Objective: The health risks associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among different age groups in adults has been widely studied in recent years. Adults with ACEs are more likely to develop mental health concerns including feelings of loneliness; however, there has been limited research focusing on young adults. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship between ACEs and loneliness by examining insecure attachment patterns (anxious and avoidant) as potential mediators. The study also investigated whether positive traits such as resilience buffered the association between ACEs and loneliness through insecure attachment. Method: Young adults aged 18 to 30 (N = 203) from the community provided self- ratings of ACEs, two dimensions of adult attachment, resilience, and loneliness. Parallel mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Results: Anxious attachment style in adults were statistically significant, mediating the relationship between ACEs and loneliness; however, avoidant attachment style was non-significant. Furthermore, resilience was a significant moderator of the mediated relationship associated with ACEs and anxious attachment patterns. Conclusion: Individuals with more ACEs experienced greater loneliness as young adults, which was explained by anxious attachment patterns in adult close relationships. Interestingly, this pathway depends on the individual’s level of resilience or their attitude towards adversity. Young adults with lower resilience were more likely to have an anxious attachment style after having suffered ACEs and thus were more likely to experience loneliness. The findings suggest the possibility that intervention and policy directed towards enhancing resilience among youth who experience childhood adversity may play a role in reducing loneliness.