Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health among Students Seeking Psychological Counseling Services
Francesco Craig1, Rocco Servidio1, Maria Luigia Calomino2
1Department of Cultures, Education and Society (DICES), University of Calabria, 87036 Cosenza, Italy.
Abstract:
Recent years have seen a marked rise in the number of students accessing University Psychological Counseling (UPC) services, and their concerns have been increasingly severe. This study aimed to examine the impact of cumulative adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on mental health in students who had approached counseling services (N = 121) and students who had no experience with counseling services (N = 255). Participants completed an anonymous online self-report questionnaire measuring exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE-Q), psychological distress (General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), personality traits (PID-5), and coping strategies. We found that students who approached UPC services scored higher on cumulative ACEs than the non-counseling group. While ACE-Q score was a direct positive predictor of PHQ-9 (p < 0.001), it did not predict GAD-7. Moreover, the results supported the existence of a mediation effect of avoidance coping, detachment, and psychoticism on the indirect effects of ACE-Q score on PHQ-9 or GAD-7. These results underlined the importance of screening for ACEs in a UPC setting because it can help identify students at higher risk for developing mental and physical health problems and provide them with early interventions and support.
Related Concept Videos
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Psychological Responses to Stress
Bullying
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

