Mediating role of personality traits in the association between multi-dimensional adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms among older adults: A 9-year prospective cohort study

To explore the mediating role of personality traits in the correlation between multi-dimensional adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depressive symptoms in older adults. This cohort study used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and included 4050 older adults without depressive symptoms in 2010–2011. Multi-dimensional ACEs were evaluated in 2006–2007. Personality traits were assessed using the Midlife Development Inventory in 2010–2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 8-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale during 2012–2019. Cox proportional hazard model was used to explore the associations between ACEs and depressive symptoms. The package named “mediation” in R was used to test mediating role of personality traits. ACEs in each dimension significantly increased the risk of depressive symptoms (all P-values < 0.05). The association of maltreatment (18.18 %) and household dysfunction (19.69 %) with depressive symptoms was significantly mediated by neuroticism. The correlation between poor parent-child bonding and depressive symptoms was significantly mediated by neuroticism (19.43 %), conscientiousness (4.84 %), and extroversion (8.02 %). ACEs were retrospectively assessed based on participants' memories, which may induce recall bias. Maltreatment and household dysfunction may induce depressive symptoms by increasing neuroticism. Poor parent-child bonding may induce depressive symptoms by increasing neuroticism and reducing conscientiousness and extraversion. In addition to reducing the occurrence of ACEs, reducing neuroticism of individuals with maltreatment and household dysfunction in childhood, and reducing neuroticism, and increasing conscientiousness and extraversion of individuals with poor parent-child bonding in childhood might help to decrease their risk of depressive symptoms. •Maltreatment and household dysfunction might increase the risk of depressive symptoms (DS) by enhancing neuroticism.•Poor parent-child bonding might induce DS by enhancing neuroticism and reducing conscientiousness and extraversion.•Reducing neuroticism of the elderly with maltreatment and household dysfunction might help to prevent DS.•Reducing neuroticism of the elderly with poor parent-child bonding might decrease the risk of DS.•Increasing conscientiousness and extraversion of the elderly with poor parent-child bonding might decrease the risk of DS.