The validity and reliability of benevolent childhood experiences scale in Chinese community adults

• Published in: European journal of psychotraumatology Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 1945747
• Main Authors: Zhan, Nalan, Xie, Dongjie, Zou, Jiaqi, Wang, Jian, Geng, Fulei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01-01-2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Adverse Childhood Experiences - statistics & numerical data; adversidad; adversity; Basic; Beneficence; China; comportamiento prosocial; depresión; depression; Experiencias infantiles positivas; Female; Humans; Male; Mental depression; Mental Health; Positive childhood experiences; Post traumatic stress disorder; prosocial behaviour; PTSD; Reproducibility of Results; Self Report; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Surveys and Questionnaires - statistics & numerical data; TEPT; Validity; 亲社会行为; 创伤后应激障碍; 童年期积极经历; China; 童年期积极经历; prosocial behaviour; adversity; depresión; adversidad; 逆境; PTSD; 亲社会行为; TEPT; comportamiento prosocial; Positive childhood experiences; Experiencias infantiles positivas; 创伤后应激障碍; depression; 抑郁
• ISSN: 2000-8066; 2000-8198; 2000-8066
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1945747

Background: Several studies have indicated that positive childhood experiences (PCEs) might have important protective effects on adulthood mental health. However, the instruments to assess PCEs are scarce.
Objective: In this study, we assessed the validity and reliability of the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) scale, a new instrument of PCEs, in a large sample of Chinese adults. Furthermore, we examined associations of PCEs with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, as well as, prosocial behaviours across different levels of trauma.
Method: Participants were 6929 adults (33% male; mean age 38.04 years, SD = 7.81, ranging from 18 to 81.) recruited from Jiangxi and Hunan provinces in China. Self-administrated questionnaires were used to measure PCEs, childhood trauma, lifetime trauma, PTSD, depression, and prosocial behaviours. Multiple linear regression models were conducted to examine the interdependent and interactive effects of PCEs, lifetime trauma, childhood trauma on symptoms of PTSD and depression and prosocial behaviours.
Results: In the current sample, the Cronbach's α of the BCEs scale was 0.70. PCEs were not related to lifetime trauma, while modestly associated with childhood trauma, demonstrating excellent discriminant validity. PCEs were negatively correlated with severity of PTSD and depression, while positively correlated with prosocial behaviours, indicating good predictive validity. PCEs, lifetime trauma and childhood trauma were independently associated with severity of PTSD and depression and prosocial behaviours. Moreover, the interaction of PCEs and lifetime trauma negatively predicted severity of PTSD and depression, while the interaction of PCEs and childhood trauma negatively predicted prosocial behaviours. PCEs had a protective effect on PTSD and depression in high level of lifetime trauma, and showed a reduced positive effect on prosocial behaviours in high level of childhood trauma.
Conclusions: The Chinese BCEs scale is a reliable and valid instrument. PCEs can buffer adversity and foster positive outcomes in adulthood.
The Chinese BCEs scale is a reliable and valid instrument to assess positive childhood experiences (PCEs).
PCEs have a protective effect on adulthood emotional health and can also foster prosocial behaviours despite co-occurring adversities.