Positive childhood experiences and life satisfaction among Chinese college students: serial mediation through perceived social support and meaning in life

Abstract

Background Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) constitute foundational environmental protective factors associated with long-term psychological well-being; however, the mechanisms linking early relational environments to life satisfaction (LS) among college students remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in Broaden-and-Build Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, this study examined perceived social support (PSS) and meaning in life (ML) as sequential mediating resources in the association between PCEs and LS among Chinese undergraduates. Methods A cross-sectional sample of 1,352 undergraduates (M_age = 19.37, SD = 1.06; 67.5% female) from four universities in Sichuan Province, China, completed validated measures of PCEs, PSS, ML, and LS. Serial mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Model 6 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples, controlling for seven demographic covariates; measurement validity checks and four sets of sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of the results. Results PCEs were positively associated with LS (completely standardized total effect = .414, p <.001). All three specific indirect pathways were significant: through PSS alone (completely standardized effect = .161, 95% CI [.113,.209]), through ML alone (.053, 95% CI [.031,.077]), and through PSS and ML sequentially (.062, 95% CI [.042,.085]), together accounting for 66.5% of the total association. The pathway through PSS was significantly larger than the other two, which were of comparable magnitude. The direct association remained significant (β = .139, p <.001), indicating partial mediation. The pattern of results was robust to the removal of PCE items overlapping in content with the PSS measure, to the separate specification of the two ML dimensions, and across genders. Conclusion The findings are consistent with a sequentially organized resource pathway in which positive early relational experiences relate to life satisfaction through social and existential mechanisms. Pending longitudinal confirmation, strengthening perceived social support and fostering meaning in life represent complementary intervention targets for promoting well-being among Chinese college students.