How Adverse Childhood Experiences Relate to Subjective Vitality: The Half-Longitudinal Role of Loneliness

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may negatively impact individuals’ ability to establish and maintain social relationships, leading to an increase in feelings of loneliness. Loneliness, in turn, can negatively affect subjective vitality by reducing an individuals’ life satisfaction and overall sense of well-being. Earlier research has also emphasized that ACEs can affect the quality of social relationships and contribute to feelings of loneliness. Therefore, ACEs can increase an individual’s sense of loneliness and, as a result, reduce subjective vitality. This study explored the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between ACEs and subjective vitality. The study sample consists of 322 individuals with an average age of 26.19. The data were obtained through self-report questionnaires and examined using cross-lagged structural equation modeling. Findings from the cross-lagged panel model within a half-longitudinal framework highlighted that loneliness significantly mediated the association between ACEs and vitality. The results suggest that high levels of loneliness reduce the subjective vitality of individuals with ACEs. Consequently, adults’ vitality may be hindered by ACEs as well as loneliness and the absence of social relationships. It is possible to deduce that functional social relationships can be seen as a remedial factor for adults with ACEs, and as feelings of loneliness decrease, their subjective vitality is likely to improve.