Attachment, regulation, and competency in emerging adults: Validating a framework of resilience in a population with adverse childhood experiences

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a pervasive problem linked to a myriad of negative outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression) across key developmental periods, including emerging adulthood. The attachment, regulation, and competency (ARC) Framework of Resilience offers several factors through which the associations between ACEs and mental health symptoms may be reduced. Objective: Examine the utility of the ARC Framework of Resilience among a sample of emerging adults. Participants and Setting: Data were collected from 289 emerging adults from a large Midwestern University. Method: Descriptive statistics and bivariate relationships were examined. Independent sample t-tests were employed to explore differences in demographics and ARC variables for 4 or more ACEs, clinical anxiety symptoms, and clinical depressive symptoms. A path analysis was fit to examine the structural relationships between ACEs, ARC factors, and anxiety and depression. Results: Variation in the variables of interest were found across high vs low ACEs and clinical levels of anxiety and depression. ACEs were related to attachment (R² = 0.10) and competence (R² = 0.02, but not regulation (R² = 0.00). Connections between ARC factors and anxiety (R² = 0.39) and depression (R² = 0.28) were multifaceted. Conclusions: Findings offer preliminary support for the application of the ARC Framework of Resilience to emerging adults with a history of ACEs.