The role of emotion regulation in the relationship between childhood adversity and COVID-19 stress

Child Protection and Practice Pub Date : 2025-06-13 DOI:10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100194

Nathalie Goubet, Katherine W. Delaney, Allison M. Yurasek, Anna K. Garst, Esther Ekeh, Aleah B. Ellerbee

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Abstract

Background

Poor emotion regulation and low resilience are associated with high stress levels in adults with a history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Objective

The goal of the current study was to explore the relationship between ACEs and stress level experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential mediational effects of current emotion regulation and resilience.

Participants and setting

Two hundred and eight participants, aged 18 to 71 completed online self-report measures assessing retrospectively their stress level during the COVID-19 pandemic and their childhood adversity with the ACEs questionnaire. Current emotion regulation was assessed with the Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Inventory (PERCI) and current resilience was measured with the Connor-Davidson-Risk 25 (CD-25).

Methods

Mediation analyses were used to investigate whether current emotion regulation and resilience mediated the relationship between retrospective ACEs and COVID-19 stress.

Results

Results indicated that a higher number of ACEs was associated with increased stress during the pandemic. Poor emotion regulation (ab = 0.05), in particular poor regulation of negative emotions (ab = 0.10), mediated the relationship between ACEs and COVID-19 stress but resilience was not a significant mediator.

Conclusions

These results highlight the psychological burden of childhood adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic and point to the importance of identifying and treating individuals with childhood trauma.

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情绪调节在童年逆境与COVID-19压力关系中的作用

背景：有不良童年经历（ace）史的成年人情绪调节能力差和适应能力低与高压力水平相关。目的探讨新冠肺炎大流行期间ace与应激水平的关系，以及当前情绪调节和心理弹性的潜在中介作用。228名年龄在18岁至71岁之间的参与者完成了在线自我报告测量，通过ace问卷回顾性评估了他们在COVID-19大流行期间的压力水平和童年逆境。采用珀斯情绪调节能力量表（Perth emotion regulation Competency Inventory， PERCI）评估当前情绪调节能力，采用Connor-Davidson-Risk 25 （CD-25）测试当前心理弹性。方法采用中介分析，探讨当前情绪调节和心理弹性是否在回顾性ace与新冠肺炎应激之间起中介作用。结果表明，在大流行期间，较高的ace数量与压力增加有关。情绪调节能力差（ab = 0.05），尤其是负面情绪调节能力差（ab = 0.10）介导了ace与COVID-19应激的关系，但心理恢复能力不是显著的中介。结论这些结果突出了COVID-19大流行期间童年逆境的心理负担，并指出了识别和治疗童年创伤个体的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Child Protection and Practice

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