Relationships Between Childhood Adversity, Emotion Regulation Strategies, and Risk-Taking Behaviors in Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study.

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), have a substantial correlation with long-term psychological and behavioral outcomes. The study aimed to determine the relationship between ACEs, emotion regulation strategies, and risk-taking behaviors among young adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 353 young students selected through purposive sampling. Participants completed the (ACE) Questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale (DOSPERT). Descriptive analysis was done to summarized demographic and psychological variables. Inferential statistics, including independent sample t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the gender and family structure differences and associations between ACEs, emotion regulation, and risk-taking behaviors. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured.

Results: Out of 353 young students with a mean age of 22.03 ± 1.86 years, Emotional abuse 124 (35.1%) and emotional neglect 83 (23.5%) were the most commonly reported ACEs. Participants showed higher use of cognitive reappraisal than expressive suppression, with ACE scores significantly correlated to both reappraisal (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) and suppression (r = 0.15, p < 0.01). ACEs were also positively associated with social (r = 0.56, p < 0.01), recreational (r = 0.45, p < 0.01), ethical (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), and financial (r = 0.50, p < 0.01) risk-taking behaviors. Females showed higher social risk-taking, while joint family participants reported greater financial and health/safety risks.

Conclusion: In this study, we observed that ACEs particularly emotional abuse and neglect were significantly correlated with both emotion regulation strategies and various forms of risk-taking behavior. Participants with greater ACE exposure reported higher use of both adaptive and maladaptive regulation and were more likely to engage in social, recreational, ethical, and financial risks. Gender and family structure influenced these patterns, highlighting the lasting effects of early adversity on emotional and behavioral results in young adulthood.