Exploring intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict and adverse childhood experiences on University students’ adjustment in Greater Accra.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the meanings that university students attached to their ACEs and the effect of those interpretations on their intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. This study aligned to the interpretivist paradigm which informed the use of the hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative design. Homogeneous purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 15 participants (9 females and 6 males) from three public universities in the Greater Accra Region. Having analysed the data thematically, it was observed that victims of ACEs in the university describe their experiences as going through parental neglect, disregard for their viewpoint, teasing and humiliation, exhibition of vices by parents, experienced physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse, and playing adult roles. These experiences influenced their intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts. Additionally, it was found out that victims of ACEs have emotional and social needs which make them adapt either healthy or unhealthy coping strategies. Nonetheless, the participants had different opinions and attitudes towards counselling seeking. The findings were discussed in line with some key concepts in the Adler theory, the Choice theory and the Psychological Model of Students’ Retention. This has confirmed that exposure to ACEs influenced the way the participants viewed themselves and their relationship with others. It is therefore recommended that university management and mental health professionals should screen students during the admission to identify those at risk of ACEs for immediate intervention.