From Early Strengths to Lifespan Well-Being: The Sequential Role of Resilience and Psychological Flexibility in a...

The 2023 Kahramanmaraş-Hatay earthquakes caused widespread collective trauma across Türkiye, affecting both directly and indirectly exposed populations. This crisis underscored the urgent need to understand psychological factors that foster resilience and mental well-being in disaster-affected groups. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are key developmental assets that shape mental health across the lifespan. Yet, the mechanisms through which these early relational strengths influence adult well-being, particularly in non-Western and ecologically disrupted contexts, remain underexplored. Drawing on resilience theory and psychological flexibility frameworks, this study tested a serial mediation model in which resilience and psychological flexibility sequentially mediate the relationship between PCEs and adult mental well-being. Data were collected from 952 adults (91.5% female; Mage = 39.48, SD = 8.71, range = 18-66) across 75 Turkish cities in the post-earthquake period, offering a unique context to examine protective psychological mechanisms under macro-level adversity. Structural equation modeling confirmed the hypothesized model, revealing significant indirect effects of PCEs on mental well-being through both resilience and psychological flexibility. This study contributes to the literature by (1) offering a dynamic, process-oriented framework explaining how early developmental strengths promote adult mental health; (2) extending resilience theory to a national post-disaster context, emphasizing how early assets buffer against collective trauma; and (3) broadening positive psychology research through a socioeconomically and geographically diverse Turkish sample. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive interventions that strengthen early relational resources and promote adaptive psychological capacities to sustain lifelong mental well-being.