Biopsychosocial Profiles in Young Adulthood Following Childhood Abuse: A Nationally Representative Sample Analysis

Objective: Grounded in the dynamic multi-dimensional outcome resilience framework, this study aims to explore the biopsychosocial profiles in young adulthood following childhood abuse, as well as early protective factors.Method: Data were drawn from Wave I (1994-1995; ages 12-17 years) and IV (2008-2009; ages 24-32 years) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health dataset (N = 5112). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct patterns of childhood abuse experience and its biopsychosocial outcomes (cardiometabolic risk, depressive symptoms, and socioeconomic functioning) in young adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was subsequently utilized to examine the predictive roles of early demographic factors, parent-child relationships, and health behaviors in adolescence.Results: LPA identified five distinct profiles: low risk, medium risk-resilient, medium risk-maladjusted, high risk-resilient, and high risk-maladjusted profiles. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that gender as female and low family income distinguished medium risk-maladjusted and high risk-maladjusted profiles from the high risk-resilient profile. Maternal closeness and warmth, along with reduced sedentary behavior in adolescence, emerged as significant protective factors for healthier development in young adulthood.Conclusions: These findings revealed the diverse biopsychosocial outcomes following childhood abuse of varying severities. We also highlight the critical need for tailored interventions that enhance parent-child emotional closeness and reduce sedentary time across different social backgrounds to foster resilience in the face of childhood adversity.