How Positive Childhood Experiences Fostering College Students Adjustment: The Role of Siblings Number and Self-Esteem

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the mental health and well-being of college students, as they face numerous challenges and transitions during their higher education journey. This research aims to investigate the influence of Positive childhood experiences on the adaptability of college students and the underlying mechanisms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 5,787 college students from Chinese universities. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring positive childhood experiences, self-esteem, the number of siblings, and China College Students' Adjustment. The results showed that positive childhood experiences positively predicted China College Students' Adjustment, and self-esteem played a mediating role in the positive effect of positive childhood experiences on China College Students' Adjustment. Moreover, sibling played an antagonistic moderating role in the positive effect of Positive childhood experiences on China College Students' Adjustment. Therefore, it is recommended to enrich positive childhood experiences, improve self-esteem, and provide more care and support to students from multi-sibling families to enhance China College Students' Adjustment.