Abstract
The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between the early adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of parents and their later parenting stress and practices. At the baseline visit of an 8-week course of cognitive behavioral therapy, parenting women completed the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) and the Positive Parenting Practices (PPP) scale. Linear regression procedures were used to assess the relationship between a parent’s own early experience of ACEs and current parenting stress and practices, including if there was a dose–response relationship. For the PSI-SF, significant dose–response relationships were observed between ACEs and the PSI Total Stress score (p < 0.05) and the difficult child subscale (p < 0.05). Additionally, a relationship was suggested with the parental distress subscale (p < 0.10). No significant relationships were found between ACEs and the parent–child dysfunctional interaction subscale of the PSI-SF or the PPP scale. Given the association observed between ACEs and parenting stress, it is important that future psychosocial interventions and policy initiatives preventing ACEs are developed.
Highlights
Trauma represents a significant public health issue given its current prevalence in the United States (Kilpatrick et al 2013)
While trauma has been assessed and defined in a number of ways, recent research using the DSM-5 found that 89.7% of individuals in the United States have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives (Kilpatrick et al 2013)
This is a critical component of the conceptualization of Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), as this early exposure to trauma, and the subsequent stress related to this repeated exposure, has been found to be associated with the disruption of a child’s developing brain (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2005/2014)
Summary
Trauma represents a significant public health issue given its current prevalence in the United States (Kilpatrick et al 2013). ACEs are specific to a certain timeframe, as they only include experiences from when an individual was 18 years of age or younger (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016). This is a critical component of the conceptualization of ACEs, as this early exposure to trauma, and the subsequent stress related to this repeated exposure, has been found to be associated with the disruption of a child’s developing brain (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2005/2014).
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