MEDIATING ROLES OF COPING STRATEGIES IN THE INFLUENCE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES ON MENTAL HEALTH AMONG UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSITIES IN TARABA STATE

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been consistently linked to poor mental health 
outcomes however, the mechanisms through which these experiences influence psychological 
wellbeing remain insufficiently understood, particularly among university students in Nigeria. 
This study examined the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between ACEs 
and mental health outcomes, specifically depression, anxiety, and stress, among undergraduate 
students in Taraba State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and participants 
were drawn from Taraba State University, Federal University Wukari, and Kwararafa 
University. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including the Adverse 
Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-10), Brief COPE Inventory, Patient Health 
Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress 
Scale (PSS-10). Mediation analyses were conducted using Hayes' PROCESS Macro (Version 
4.2). The findings revealed that dysfunctional coping significantly mediated the relationship 
between ACEs and all three mental health outcomes: depression, anxiety, and stress. In 
contrast, emotion focused coping and problem focused coping did not demonstrate significant 
mediating effects in any of the models. The study concludes that dysfunctional coping 
represents an important pathway through which ACEs influence mental health among 
undergraduates. Consequently, the study recommends that university based mental health 
interventions should prioritize the identification of students with histories of childhood 
adversity and focus on reducing maladaptive coping behaviours while strengthening adaptive 
coping skills