Social reactions as a predictor of PTSD symptom trajectories following sexual assault

Abstract

Introduction: Mothers of sexually abused children experience a greater proclivity for depressive symptoms than mothers of nonabused children. As parental depression is associated with deficits in positive parenting (ie, low maternal support), a depressed parent's use of maternal support following CSA may be compromised, subsequently impacting rates of child externalizing symptoms. The current study advances prior research by examining the role of maternal support in the relationship between maternal depression and child delinquency behaviors within a sample of 7to 16year-old child victims of sexual abuse. Methods: A total of 106 mother-child dyads participated in the current study. Maternal depression was assessed via the Symptom Checklist 90– Revised. Maternal support was assessed via the Maternal Self-Report Support Questionnaire. Child externalizing behavior was assessed via the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18. Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms were related to less maternal support (β = −.19, P b .05), lower levels of maternal support were associated with more child delinquency behavior (β = −.29, P b .01), and higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms were associated with more child delinquency behavior (β = .35, P b .001). When considered in the context of child age and maternal support, the strength of the association of maternal depression with child delinquency behavior was slightly reduced (β = .31, P b .01). Conclusions: Consistent with our hypothesis, maternal depression was significantly associated with decreased maternal support and increased child delinquency behaviors, whereas maternal support was negatively associated with child delinquency behaviors. In addition, analyses found a depressed parent's use of maternal support following CSA to partially account for the association of maternal depressive symptoms with child delinquency behaviors, suggesting that although maternal support is important in determining the functioning of a CSA victim, its effects on child delinquency behaviors may not supersede those of a parent's own depressive symptoms. These findings yield additional credence to the impact of parental depression on child functioning within the context of CSA and begin to answer the question of why maternal depressive symptoms are linked to child delinquency behaviors within the context of CSA problems. Limitations: Future research should consider the impact of both child and parent report within the context of the current population. In addition, despite research supporting the selection of depressive symptoms as the main predictor variable, the SCL-99′s design as a screening tool and its time-limited range of inquiry (eg, past week) may have truncated depression scores. Funding Source: This research was supported by grant award number 90CA1689 by the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, US Department of Health and Human Services. Daniel W. Smith, PhD: principal investigator.