UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES), PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING ON HUMAN FLOURISHING AMONG STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS.

The university marks a critical juncture in student’s lives where the shift to adulthood involves significant social, academic and personal obstacles, this shift can be made more difficult by past adverse experiences. This study set out to investigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the psychological well-being and human flourishing of undergraduates in the university. In carrying out this study, specific objectives were to: (a) determine if ACEs will significantly influence psychological well-being among Unilag students.(b) determine if there is a negative relationship between ACEs and human flourishing among Unilag students, it is also aimed at examining if age differences are moderating the impact of ACEs on psychological well-being, and lastly to determine if there are differences in the levels of adverse childhood experiences and psychological well-being between Males and Females. Students were conveniently sampled across various levels and departments at the University of Lagos. The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 undergraduate students. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing their ACEs, psychological well-being and human flourishing. The findings indicate that ACEs have a significant negative influence on psychological well-being (B=-2.636, p= <.001), and showed a significant negative relationship between ACEs and human flourishing (r= - .503, p= <.01). However, age did have a significant influence on the impact of ACEs on psychological well-being (B= -.288, p=.033). Males did not report higher ACEs and psychological well-being than females (t(333)= 0.091, p=0.927), (t(333) = 1.077, p = 0.282). This study concludes that ACEs have a detrimental influence on university student’s psychological well-being and that ACEs have a negative relationship with the flourishing of students at the University of Lagos. Discussions and recommendations were made in line with the research findings.