AUTHOR=Yun Ai , Cai Yi , Hu Yuanyan 

TITLE=The relationship between Chinese vocational college students' adverse childhood experience and meaning in life: the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of humorous coping

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1467780

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1467780

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=This study examined the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and meaning in life among Chinese vocational college students, along with the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of humorous coping. A total of 451 students were assessed utilizing the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACES), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Coping Humor Scale (CHS). Results indicated that: (1) adverse childhood experiences significantly and negatively predicted meaning in life; (2) self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and meaning in life; (3) humorous coping moderated the first stage of the mediation model, specifically buffering the negative effect of adverse childhood experiences on self-esteem. In summary, adverse childhood experiences reduce meaning in life by impairing self-esteem, whereas enhancing humorous coping abilities can buffer their detrimental effects on self-esteem among college students.