This cross-sectional study examined how specific patterns of emotion dysregulation (ED) relate to resilience in 441 Spanish emerging adults (ages 18–30, 69.8% female), grouped into four typologies based on ACE exposure: both direct and indirect ACEs, only direct ACEs, only indirect ACEs, or no ACEs. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was used to identify multi-condition pathways to high and low resilience.
Those with no ACEs showed the highest resilience scores. Across all three ACE-exposed typologies, emotion dysregulation — especially emotional inattention — was linked to low resilience. Those with both direct and indirect ACEs scored highest on all ED dimensions (e.g., emotional decontrol F=20.83, p≤.001). Emotional inattention emerged as the key driver of low resilience in Typologies I, II, and IV; emotional decontrol and interference were central in Typology III (indirect ACEs only).
- Self-report only; retrospective ACE recall may introduce bias. - Sample is predominantly female (69.8%) and Spanish (95%), limiting generalizability. - Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference about ACEs, ED, and resilience.
Screen patients with ACE histories for emotional inattention — it consistently predicts low resilience across ACE types and is a high-yield intervention target. Tailor treatment by ACE typology: CBT and mindfulness for those with combined abuse/neglect and household dysfunction; emotion-labeling and structured coping for direct-ACE-only patients; trauma-informed cognitive therapy for household-dysfunction-only patients.
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