Adaptive Functioning in College Students Following Childhood Maltreatment

This study examined the relations between childhood maltreatment and several domains of functioning (i.e., relational, educational, psychological, autonomy, drinking consequences) and three moderators (i.e., emotion regulation, meaning-making, and social support) of these relations among college students. We hypothesized that most students with a history of childhood maltreatment would display adaptive functioning in these domains and that emotion regulation, meaning-making, and social support would buffer the relations between childhood maltreatment and poorer functioning. Data were collected from undergraduate students at one midwestern university (N = 312). Childhood maltreatment, the five domains of functioning, and three moderators were assessed using online surveys. Half of the sample met cutoffs for either low (23%) or moderate-to-severe (28%) childhood maltreatment. The majority (54% to 82%) of students with either level of childhood maltreatment displayed adaptive functioning (above the 25th percentile) across the five domains of functioning. In ordinal regression analyses, students exposed to maltreatment, particularly moderate-to-severe maltreatment, had significantly lower odds of adaptive relational, educational and psychological functioning (but higher odds of adaptive functioning in terms of drinking consequences). Emotion regulation, meaning-making, and social support did not moderate the relations between maltreatment and any outcome. Of the three moderator variables, emotion regulation was most consistently associated with functioning, with emotion regulation difficulties being related to poorer functioning. Research on maltreatment in undergraduate college students needs to acknowledge resilience, as many students with histories of maltreatment display adaptive functioning. Further research on potential moderators is needed.