Maternal Childhood Abuse and Children's Emotional-Behavioral Difficulties: Intergenerational Transmission via Birth Outcomes and Psychosocial Health

• Published in: Journal of family psychology 2020-02, Vol.34 (1), p.112-121
• Main Authors: Giallo, Rebecca, Gartland, Deirdre, Seymour, Monique, Conway, Laura, Mensah, Fiona, Skinner, Lorraine, Fogarty, Ali, Brown, Stephanie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abused children; Adult; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - psychology; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Affective Symptoms - epidemiology; Affective Symptoms - psychology; Australia - epidemiology; Behavior Problems; Behaviour disordered children; Birth Rate; Causality; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - psychology; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child of Impaired Parents - psychology; Child of Impaired Parents - statistics & numerical data; Child sexual abuse; Childbirth & labor; Childhood; Children; Children & youth; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Domestic violence; Early intervention; Emotional abuse; Emotions; Exposure; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health behavior; Health Promotion; Health status; Human; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intergenerational relationships; Intergenerational transmission; Intimate Partner Violence; Intimate Partner Violence - psychology; Intimate Partner Violence - statistics & numerical data; Male; Maternal & child health; Maternal characteristics; Maternal depression; Mental depression; Mental Health; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Postpartum period; Postpartum women; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial Rehabilitation; Risk Factors; Sexual abuse; Social Health; Symptoms; Well being; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0893-3200; 1939-1293
• DOI: 10.1037/fam0000623

Understanding the mechanisms and psychosocial pathways potentially underlying the association between maternal childhood abuse exposure and poor child health and wellbeing is important to inform opportunities for support and intervention early in the period of becoming a parent. The aim of the study was to investigate whether adverse birth outcomes and psychosocial health issues (maternal depressive symptoms, exposure to intimate partner violence in the first postnatal year) are potential mechanisms underlying the association between maternal childhood abuse and children's emotional-behavioral functioning at 10 years. Data were drawn from 1,507 first-time mothers and their 10-year-old children participating in the Maternal Health Study, a prospective study of women's health during pregnancy and after birth. One in four women reported that they had experienced physical or sexual abuse in childhood. Children whose mothers had experienced either of these types of childhood abuse had significantly higher emotional-behavioral difficulties than children whose mothers had not. Psychosocial health pathways via maternal depressive symptoms and exposure of mothers to intimate partner violence in the first 12 months postpartum, but not adverse birth outcomes, mediated the association between maternal childhood abuse and children's emotional-behavioral difficulties. These findings underscore the need to support mothers who have experienced childhood abuse and psychosocial health issues, both as a means of promoting maternal health and mitigating the potential intergenerational risks for children's emotional and behavioral health.