The attachment theory suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have an effect on how individuals perceive other people's attitude towards them. ACEs have also been associated with adult depression. We hypothesised that ACEs associate with perceived negative attitude of others (AoO) and depressive symptoms (DEPS), and that these associations differ between the genders.

Altogether, 692 participants drawn from the general population completed the Trauma and Distress Scale, as a measurement of ACE and its domains: emotional abuse (EmoAb), physical abuse (PhyAb), sexual abuse (SexAb), emotional neglect (EmoNeg) and physical neglect (PhyNeg); a visual analog scale with the question: “What kind of attitude do other people take towards you?”, and the self-report scale DEPS on depressive symptoms.

ACEs, AoO and DEPS correlated strongly with each other. In path analyses, ACE total and all its domains associated directly and indirectly, via DEPS, to negative AoO in the whole sample, and in females separately. ACE total, EmoAb, PhyAb, EmoNeg and PhyNeg associated directly and indirectly, via AoO, to DEPS in the whole sample and in both genders separately. EmoNeg, in all, and EmoAB, in males, had specific associations both with negative AoO and DEPS. Mediation effect via AoO was greater than via DEPS.

ACEs have a direct and indirect, via depression, negative effect on how adult individuals perceive other people's attitude towards themselves. Additionally, negative AoO mediates the effects of ACEs on depression. Childhood EmoNeg associates specifically with negative AoO and DEPS in adulthood.