Table 4 Multicategorical mediation model: the mediating role of CSEs on the relationship between household violence, multiple ACEs, and psychological distress, relative to low ACEs (N = 507)

CSEs on

Lower, upper

 Household violence (a1)

0.317 (0.108)

0.003

0.105, 0.528

 Multiple ACEs (a2)

1.117 (0.138)

<0.001

0.849, 1.395

 CSEs (b)

0.448 (0.046)

<0.001

0.359, 0.538

 Household violence (c1’)

−0.096 (0.099)

0.333

−0.295, 0.092

 Multiple ACEs (c2’)

0.014 (0.129)

0.916

−0.232, 0.275

 a1*b

0.142 (0.051)

0.005

0.046, 0.248

 a2*b

0.501 (0.079)

<0.001

0.357, 0.666

 a1*b+ c1'

0.046 (0.109)

0.674

−0.171, 0.256

 a2*b+ c2'

0.515 (0.128)

<0.001

0.265, 0.773