Family dynamics and youth wellbeing : the role of adverse and positive childhood experiences and exposure to prolonged family conflict

Kuhar, Metka (author), Hall, Elizabeth Dorrance (author)

Families are complex relational systems in which multiple, often contradic-tory, processes unfold simultaneously. This study examines how adversechildhood experiences (ACEs), exposure to prolonged family conflict, andfamily-based positive childhood experiences (PCEs) relate to mental healthand flourishing among late adolescents and young adults in Slovenia. Onlinepanel-based and targeted field recruitment yielded a sample of 1,059 parti-cipants aged 16–24 years. Multiple regression and simultaneous multipleregression path analysis (PROCESS) indicated that ACEs and prolonged familyconflict were negatively associated with wellbeing (i.e. self-rated mentalhealth and flourishing). Prolonged family conflict explained additional var-iance in self-rated mental health beyond ACEs. Family-based PCEs werepositively associated with wellbeing. This positive association was weakenedwhen prolonged family conflict was included as a moderator. Practicalimplications for youth counselors, educators, and families are discussed.

• Language: English
• Keywords: family dynamics, youth wellbeing, positive childhood experiences, family conflict
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 04.08.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 401-413
• Numbering: Vol. 26, Iss. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-188098
• UDC: 316.6
• ISSN on article: 1532-7698
• DOI: 10.1080/15267431.2026.2713692
• COBISS.SI-ID: 287164163
• Publication date in RUL: 18.09.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of family communication
• Publisher: London
• ISSN: 1532-7698
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1387797

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: V5-2306-2023
• Name: Duševno zdravje mladih v Sloveniji v kontekstu globalnih kriz: stanje, dejavniki tveganja in varovalni dejavniki