(PS10-50) Presence of and Search for Meaning in Life: Early Adversity and Self-compassions Role

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have longer lasting impacts through adulthood in physical and psychological wellbeing, and on an individual's sense of self.  Prior studies suggest that self-compassion (SC) may be an important part resilience to the impact of ACEs on one’s sense of meaning in life. However, the interrelationships among SC and ACEs with sense of presence vs. search for meaning in life remains unclear. Thus, in the present exploratory study we examined the cross-sectional impact of SC on the magnitude of relationship between ACEs and sense of search vs. presence of meaning in life, as well as the impact of ACEs on the strength of association between SC and search vs. presence of meaning in life.

Participants were 875 adults ages 23 to 103 (M = 66.1, SD = 20.8) from the general population of the San Diego County area. As part of the ongoing UCSD Successful Aging Survey, participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACES), Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form (CS-SF) and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Search and Presence subscales). Multiple linear regressions were employed to explore the impact of ACEs on search and presence of meaning in life, and then also the impact of SC on the magnitude of these relationships. Strength of associations are reported in reference to Standardized Betas; significance was defined as p< .05.

52.4% of participants had at least one ACE; the two highest endorsed ACEs were living with someone who has been incarcerated (21.8%) and physical abuse (21.1%). The lowest endorsed ACE was child sexual abuse (4.0%).  Level of ACEs was a significant predictor of a higher sense of search for meaning in life (B = .085) and lower sense of presence for meaning in life (B = -.080). However in when subsequently adjusting for level of SC, the level of ACEs was no longer significantly related to either search (B = .168) or presence of meaning in life (B = -.038) and despite model fit indices being significant (presence of meaning: F[2,758]= 52.182, p< 0.001; search for meaning: F[2, 744] = 22.42, p< 0.001). In contrast, even after adjusting for variance attributable to level of ACEs, SC remained a significant predictor for both lower search (B= -.225) and higher presence (B= .341) of meaning in life.

Results suggest that ACEs may result in more of a sense of ongoing search for meaning in life and lower sense of presence of meaning in life. However, SC may reduce the impact of ACEs on search and presence of meaning in life in ways that foster better well-being. These findings suggest promise in studying whether teaching adults with a history of ACEs to improve their SC may improve their sense of presence of meaning in life and well-being.