Adverse childhood experiences, emotion regulation and subjective happiness among young adults

Abstract Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to have lasting effects on well-being. This research studies ACEs, subjective happiness, and emotion regulation in young adults. Using a cross-sectional design, data was collected from a diverse sample of 323 young adults aged between 18 and 25 years (M = 21.08 years, SD = 1.94) from Gandhinagar, Gujarat and Jaipur, Rajasthan, India through self-report questionnaires assessing ACEs, emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and subjective happiness. Results revealed a significant negative correlation between ACEs and subjective happiness ( r = − .312, p < .001) and between ACEs and cognitive reappraisal ( r = − .243, p < .001). However, no significant correlation was found between ACEs and expressive suppression ( p = .586). ACEs, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression emerged as significant predictors of subjective happiness ( p < .001, p < .001, p = .001, respectively), collectively explaining 15.1% variance in subjective happiness. Additionally, cognitive reappraisal was positively correlated with subjective happiness ( p < .001), while expressive suppression was negatively correlated with subjective happiness ( p < .005). Males were found to engage in expressive suppression more than females ( p < .001), though there was no gender difference in the use of cognitive reappraisal ( p = .054). It highlights the strong negative link between ACEs and subjective happiness, showing the long-lasting impact of childhood adversity on a person’s well-being. The study also highlights gender differences in expressive suppression, emphasizing the importance of considering gender-specific approaches in psychological interventions.