Background@#This study was conducted to examine the effect of
adverse childhood experiences on
depressive symptoms in
university students and to verify whether positive psychological
resources act as a
protective factor for
depression . @*
Methods @#Data from 1,317
young adults aged 18-29 years
who took part in the
university -based
cross-sectional survey were analyzed. All participants completed self-report
questionnaires that included demographic variables, the
Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Positive
Resources Test. @*Results@#The
incidence of
depression was 33.3% and was higher in
women than in
men . Based on the 10 ACE categories, 32.7% of the
students reported one or more
adverse childhood experiences , and 14.4% reported two or more forms of
adverse childhood experiences .
Students with
depressive symptoms were likely to
report more traumatic experiences in childhood and fewer positive psychological
resources than those without
depressive symptoms . Hierarchical
regression analysis indicated that positive psychological
resources moderated the relationship between
adverse childhood experiences and
depression . @*Conclusion@#Based on these results, professionals should consider identifying
adverse childhood experiences early and provide active
mental health service support, including positive psychological and social
resources for individuals
who have adverse experiences during childhood.