Intergenerational transmission of parent adverse childhood experiences to child outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveThe current meta-analytic review provides a comprehensive synthesis of studies examining parent exposure to ACEs and the developmental and mental health outcomes of their children. Participants and settingEligible studies up to August 2021 were identified through comprehensive database searches in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Embase. Studies that were included examined the intergenerational effects of parent ACEs on child development (i.e., cognitive, language, motor, social difficulties, and early social-emotional development) or mental health (i.e., internalizing problems, externalizing problems) outcomes. MethodsData were extracted by two coders using a standardized extraction protocol. A multi-level meta-analytic approach was used to derive pooled effect sizes and test for moderators. ResultsA total of 52 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Parent ACEs were positively associated with child mental health problems (r=0.17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.21], p<.001), child externalizing difficulties (r=0.20, 95% CI [0.15, 0.26], p<.001), and child internalizing difficulties (r=0.17, 95% CI [0.11, 0.22], p<.001). There were no significant sociodemographic (i.e., child age, parent age, income level, child sex, or racial/ethnic minority status) or methodological (i.e., study type or quality) moderators of these associations. Preliminary evidence suggests that parent ACEs were not associated with offspring developmental outcomes, such as cognitive or language skills. ConclusionsResults suggest that parent ACEs are associated with some, but not all child outcomes. Additional research focused on the mechanisms of transmission are needed to inform policies and practices related to the intergenerational transmission of ACEs.