Child Socioemotional Problems Research Articles

Paternal and Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Sensitivity: Links with Trajectories of Socioemotional Problems in Toddlerhood.

Parental depressive symptoms and sensitivity have well-documented consequences for children; however, studies considering both parents are still scarce. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the respective roles of paternal and maternal depressive symptoms and sensitivity in predicting the development of child socioemotional problems during toddlerhood. We also investigated the buffering role of each parent's sensitivity in the associations between the other parent's depressive symptoms and toddlers' socioemotional problems. The sample consisted of 140 Canadian families who were visited in their homes when children were around 13 (T1), 19 (T2), and 27 (T3) months of age. At T1, both parents' sensitivity was assessed from observations of parent-child interactions at home and each parent reported on his or her own depressive symptoms. At T1, T2, and T3, maternal and paternal perceptions of their toddler's socioemotional problems were assessed and aggregated. Growth curve analyses revealed that paternal and maternal depressive symptoms as well as paternal sensitivity were unique and persistent predictors of child socioemotional problems and that sensitive fathering acted as a buffer in the context of maternal depressive symptoms. This study highlights the importance of considering both parents when studying risk and protective factors for young children's socioemotional problems.

Does group-based parent support during the transition to parenthood affect child socio-emotional problems and health care utilization? A randomized controlled trial

As government-funded universal programs for new parents continue to expand, it is critical to investigate their short- and longer-term effects. The level of knowledge, especially on the effect of group-based interventions, is sparse. This study is the second report from a large trial of a widely implemented universal group-based parenting program in Denmark and includes outcomes on child socio-emotional problems and use of health services. A sample of 1701 unborn children from families representative within the area, were randomized to intervention or care as usual beginning November 2014. From these families, 1268 mothers and 999 partners (mean age 29.4 and 31.19, respectively; 6% migration background) filled in the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Intention-to-treat-analyses showed fewer socio-emotional problems in the intervention group (between-group difference - 2.34, 95% CI [0.40, 4.30], d = - 0.13) as reported by mothers, but not partners, when children were 10 months old. This finding was transitory (no longer significant at 19 months). No effects were found on health care utilization. The previous report from this trial showed no effects on measures of parenting. In total, these findings serve the purpose of adjusting future expectations to the size and type of effect to be gained from a universal parent program in a resourceful setting. We conclude that even if the Family Startup Program (DK: Familieiværksætterne) 2 was liked, well implemented, and well attended by the parents, the positive effect on children's socio-emotional problems, was too modest to be the argument that can carry the weight of policy going forward. Public significance statementThis study examined the effects of the Family Startup Program (DK: Familieiværksætterne), a universal, group-based program to support parents during the transition to parenthood. Results showed a modest transitory preventive effect on children's socio-emotional problems and no effects on health care utilization. These findings adjust down previous expectations to the size and type of effects to be gained from universal group-based parent support in a well-resourced setting.

Negative associations between maternal prenatal hair cortisol and child socioemotional problems

Maternal prenatal distress can participate in the programming of offspring development, in which exposure to altered maternal long-term cortisol levels as measured by hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) may contribute. Yet, studies investigating whether and how maternal prenatal HCC associates with problems in child socioemotional development are scarce. Furthermore, questions remain regarding the timing and potential sex-specificity of fetal exposure to altered cortisol levels and whether there are interactions with maternal prenatal distress, such as depressive symptoms. The subjects were drawn from those FinnBrain Birth Cohort families that had maternal reports of child socioemotional problems (the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment [BITSEA] at 2 years and/or the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ] at 5 years) as follows: HCC1 population: maternal mid-pregnancy HCC measured at gestational week 24 with 5 cm segments to depict cortisol levels from the previous five months (n = 321); and HCC2 population: end-of-pregnancy HCC measured 1–3 days after childbirth (5 cm segment; n = 121). Stepwise regression models were utilized in the main analyses and a sensitivity analysis was performed to detect potential biases. Negative associations were observed between maternal HCC2 and child BITSEA Total Problems at 2 years but not with SDQ Total difficulties at 5 years, and neither problem score was associated with HCC1. In descriptive analyses, HCC2 was negatively associated with Internalizing problems at 2 years and SDQ Emotional problems at 5 years. A negative association was observed among 5-year-old girls between maternal HCC1 and SDQ Total Difficulties and the subscales of Conduct and Hyperactivity/inattentive problems. When interactions were also considered, inverse associations between HCC2 and BITSEA Internalizing and Dysregulation Problems were observed in subjects with elevated prenatal depressive symptoms. It was somewhat surprising that only negative associations were observed between maternal HCC and child socioemotional problems. However, there are previous observations of elevated end-of-pregnancy cortisol levels associating with better developmental outcomes. The magnitudes of the observed associations were, as expected, mainly modest. Future studies with a focus on the individual changes of maternal cortisol levels throughout pregnancy as well as studies assessing both maternal and child HPA axis functioning together with child socioemotional development are indicated.

Trajectories of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms and child's socio-emotional outcome during early childhood

Maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and early postnatal years are suggested to impose differential negative effects on child's socio-emotional development depending on the characteristics of the symptoms, such as timing, intensity, and persistence. The aim of this study was to identify trajectories of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms from pregnancy until 2 years postpartum and to examine their relationship with child socio-emotional problems and competence at 2 and 5 years of age.The sample included 1208 mother-infant dyads from FinnBrain Birth Cohort study. Latent growth mixture modelling (LGMM) was utilized to model the trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms, measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and general anxiety, measured with Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) at 14, 24, and 34 weeks' gestation (gw) and at 3, 6 and 24 months postpartum. Maternal depression was also assessed at 12 months. Child socio-emotional problems and competence were evaluated using the Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) at 2 years and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 5 years. Relevant background factors and maternal concurrent symptomatology were controlled for.The trajectories of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were associated negatively with differential aspects of child long term socio-emotional outcomes from early toddlerhood to preschool years. The trajectories of depressive symptoms and high-level persistent symptoms that continued from pregnancy to two years of child age had the strongest negative association with child outcomes. This highlights the importance of identifying and treating maternal symptomatology, especially that of depression, as early as possible.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences on child growth and development in rural Pakistan: An observational cohort study.

Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have significant impacts on the next generation with links to negative birth outcomes, impaired cognitive development, and increased socioemotional problems in children. However, not all types or levels of adversity are similarly deleterious and research from diverse contexts is needed to better understand why and how intergenerational transmission of adversity occurs. We examined the role of maternal ACEs on children's growth, cognitive, and socioemotional development at 36 months postpartum in rural Pakistan. We used data from 877 mother-child dyads in the Bachpan Cohort, a birth cohort study. Maternal ACEs were captured using an adapted version of the ACE-International Questionnaire. Outcomes at 36 months of age included child growth using the WHO growth z-scores, fine motor and receptive language development assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, and socioemotional and behavioral development measured with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Socioemotional and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. To estimate the associations between maternal ACEs and child outcomes, we used multivariable generalized linear models with inverse probability weights to account for sampling and loss to follow-up. Over half of mothers in our sample (58%) experienced at least one ACE. Emotional abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect were the most commonly reported ACEs. We found null relationships between the number of maternal ACEs and child growth. Maternal ACEs were associated with higher fine motor and receptive language development and worse socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. Maternal ACE domains had similarly varying relationships with child outcomes. Our findings highlight the complexity of intergenerational associations between maternal ACEs and children's growth and development. Further work is necessary to examine these relationships across cultural contexts and identify moderating factors to mitigate potential negative intergenerational effects.

Intergenerational effects of maternal depression and co-occurring antisocial behaviors: The mediating role of parenting-related processes.

Co-occurring maternal depression and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are associated with the development of psychopathology in children, yet little is known about risk mechanisms. In a sample of 122 racially diverse and economically disadvantaged families, we prospectively investigated (a) to what extent child socioemotional problems were related to maternal depression-only, ASPD-only, or the co-occurrence of both and (b) specificity in parenting-related mechanisms linking single-type or comorbid maternal psychopathology to child outcomes at age 3. Compared to mothers without either ASPD or depression, exposure to maternal depression-only and comorbid depression/ASPD predicted child problems as a function of greater parenting stress and lower maternal sensitivity. Mothers with comorbid depression/ASPD uniquely exhibited more negative parenting and had children with more socioemotional problems than mothers with depression-only. Compared to mothers with neither ASPD nor depression, mothers with depression-only uniquely impacted child difficulties via lower maternal efficacy. Study findings suggest areas of parenting intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Patterns of parent screen use, child screen time, and child socio-emotional problems at 5 years.

Digital media screens have become an essential part of our family life. However, we have insufficient knowledge about parental screen use patterns and how these affect children's socio-emotional development. In total, 867 Canadian parents of 5-year-old children from the TARGet Kids! Cohort (73.1% mothers, mean ± SD age=38.88 ± 4.45 years) participated in this study from 2014 to the end of 2019. Parents reported parental and child time on television (TV) and handheld devices and completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Latent profile analysis identified six latent profiles of parent screen use: low handheld users (P1, reference; n=323), more TV than handheld (P2; n=261), equal TV and handheld (P3; n=177), more handheld than TV (P4; n=57), high TV and handheld (P5; n=38), and extremely high TV and handheld (P6; n=11). Parents that were more likely to belong to P6 were also more likely to be living in single-parent households compared to P1 (estimate=-1.49 ± 0.70), p=.03). High membership probability for P2 (estimate=-0.67 ± 0.32, p=.04) and P4 (estimate=-1.42 ± 0.40, p < 0.001) was associated with lower household income compared to P1. Children of parents with higher P4 (χ2 =12.32, p < 0.001) or P5 (χ2 =9.54, p=.002) membership probability had higher total screen time compared to P1. Finally, a higher likelihood to belong to P6 (χ2 =6.82, p=.009) was associated with a higher SDQ Total Difficulties Score compared to P1. Thus, patterns of parent screen use were associated with child screen use and child socio-emotional problems. The emerging link between parental screen use profiles and child behaviors suggests the need for more research on parent screen time.

Intrusive parenting in early childhood: A review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examines similarities and differences in intrusive parenting between mothers and fathers and relations between intrusive parenting and early childhood development. The authors integrated 55 studies and differentiated cognitive skills and socio-emotional problems as developmental outcomes. The present study employs three-level meta-analyses to reliably estimate effect sizes and examine a range of moderators. It finds a moderate effect size of similarities in intrusive parenting within a family (r=0.256, confidence interval [CI]=[0.180, 0.329]). No significant differences were observed in intrusiveness level between mothers and fathers (g=0.035, CI=[-0.034, 0.103]). Intrusive parenting had a significant positive association with children's socio-emotional problems (rmother =0.098, CImother =[0.051, 0.145]; rfather =0.094, CI father =[0.032, 0.154]) but was not related to cognitive skills. Moderator analyses suggest that East Asian mothers exhibit higher intrusiveness levels than fathers, whereas Western parents display no significant differences. Overall, these results reveal more similarities than differences in intrusive parenting and that culture likely plays a role in shaping gender-specific parenting behaviors.

A four-year multi-wave prospective study on the role of parental reflective functioning and parenting stress in the development of socio-emotional problems in internationally adopted children.

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) plays a protective role in the development of children with histories of early adversity, including adopted children. This is the first study to investigate the developmental trajectories of PRF and children's socio-emotional problems in the first 4 years after international adoption (N = 48 families, mean age (T1) = 20.7 months) and to examine the mediating role of parenting stress in the relation between PRF and child socio-emotional problems. Multilevel modeling indicated that age at adoption and parent gender moderated the development of PRF and child socio-emotional problems. Moreover, decreases in PRF were associated with more socio-emotional problems in the children. These relations were mediated by parenting stress, and particularly feelings of incompetence and marital dissatisfaction.

Five-year outcomes of premature infants randomized to high or standard loading dose caffeine.

Objective:To examine five-year outcomes in children enrolled in a pilot randomized controlled trial of a high loading dose of caffeine after preterm birthStudy design:Seventy-four very low birth weight neonates were randomized within the first 24 hours of life to receive a high (80 mg/kg) or standard (20 mg/kg) loading dose of caffeine citrate. At five years of age, we conducted standardized neurodevelopmental tests and collected parent reports of child socioemotional problems.Result:Seventy-four percent of survivors returned for follow up. Children obtained similar scores on neurodevelopmental and socioemotional evaluations. There was no difference in the incidence of any neurodevelopmental delay after controlling for confounding factors.Conclusion:Five year follow up of a pilot trial of high loading dose caffeine citrate documented no profound impacts on childhood neurodevelopment or socioemotional outcome.

Fathers, mothers and family violence: Which risk factors contribute to the occurrence of child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence in early childhood? Findings in a German longitudinal in-depth study

BackgroundFamily violence, especially child maltreatment and intimate partner violence, in early childhood has a strong impact on negative developmental outcomes. There is evidence of child, parental, and family risk factors. Less is known about paternal than maternal risk factors. ObjectiveTo identify maternal and paternal predictors of family violence and predictive constellations of risk factors. Participants and settingAccording to psychosocial adversity in a larger study, families were stratified into low-, medium- and high-risk groups. Both, mothers and fathers (n = 197/191), were investigated longitudinally across seven months using self-report questionnaires and ratings of the IFEEL Pictures. Methodsχ2-tests, logistic regression models, and prediction configural frequency analysis (P-CFA) were employed. ResultsUnivariate predictors (p < .05) were anxiety and stress in mothers, and insensitivity in recognizing negative child emotions in fathers. Within high-risk levels, paternal adverse childhood experiences (ACE) were a predictor (z = 2.92, p > .01), proven by P-CFA. Logistic regression models including family violence at baseline, sociodemographic variables, univariate predictors, and ACE of both parents revealed maternal anxiety (OR = 1.22, p < .05) and low paternal recognition of negative IFEEL Pictures (OR = 6.00, p < .05) as predictors. P-CFA identified socioemotional problems in children and low paternal recognition of negative child emotions as a predictive risk constellation (z = 2.58, p > .01). ConclusionAnalysis of both caregivers in small population samples with oversampled at-risk families leads to a systemic perspective of family violence. The identified risk constellation is highly relevant for early childhood intervention.

Internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool children: The role of mothers' and fathers' observed parenting behavior in a well-resourced sample.

Empirical evidence links sensitive parenting behavior to positive developmental trajectories in children, whereas parental intrusiveness, in contrast, has been found to increase the risk of socio-emotional problems in children of various ages. However, most studies investigating the effect of parenting behavior have been conducted with mothers. Thus, little is yet known about fathers' role in child development and if mothers' and fathers' parenting behaviors are linked to child socio-emotional outcomes in similar or different ways. To date, findings are ambiguous, and this is why more studies are needed. The present study examined associations between mothers' and fathers' observed sensitivity and intrusiveness and children's internalizing and externalizing problems as reported by parents and by children themselves. The sample compromised 52 mothers, 41 fathers and their preschool children. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed a negative association between fathers' intrusiveness, at low levels, and children's internalizing problems. This result was unexpected. However, in line with this finding, a number of recent studies suggest that when fathers challenge and push their children's limits, it buffers against emotional problems such as anxiety. The present study highlights the importance of a continuous investigation into fathers' potentially unique contribution to children's socio-emotional development. No other associations were identified between mothers' and fathers' parenting behaviors and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Most likely, because this study was conducted with a low-risk sample, where children were in general well-functioning.

Influences on help-seeking decisions for behavioral child sleep problems: Why parents do and do not seek help.

Behavioral sleep problems affect 25% of children and impact functioning, but little is known about help-seeking for these problems. We identified (1) predictors for sleep problem perception and help-seeking, using nested-logit regression and (2) reasons why parents did not seek professional help for sleep problems, using chi-square. Parents (N = 407) of children (2-10-years-old) completed the study online. Parents indicated whether their child had no sleep problem, a mild problem, or a moderate-to-severe problem and completed additional questionnaires on parent/child functioning. Overall, 5.4% ± 2.2% of parents sought professional help for a child sleep problem. Greater child sleep problem severity and greater child socioemotional problems were significant predictors of parents perceiving a sleep problem. Among parents who perceived a sleep problem, greater parental socioemotional problems significantly predicted professional help-seeking. Parents who perceived no problem or a mild sleep problem reported not needing professional help as the main reason for not seeking help; parents who perceived a moderate-to-severe problem reported logistic barriers most often (e.g. treatment unavailability, cost). Problem perception and help-seeking predictors resemble the children's mental health literature. Differences in barriers, based on problem severity, suggest differential help-seeking interventions are needed (e.g. education vs access).

Cognitive readiness to parent, stability and change in postpartum parenting stress and social-emotional problems in early childhood: A second order growth curve model

Parenting stress (PS) is prospectively associated with children’s lowered socio-emotional functioning; however, little is known about the antecedents and consequences of changes in postpartum parenting stress and its relationship to problematic behaviors in early childhood. This research examined the longitudinal relationships between multiple measures of cognitive readiness to parent, parenting stress (initial level and growth) and child social-emotional competence at age 3. It was hypothesized that lack of cognitive readiness to parent would predict initial level and growth in PS and that initial level and change in parenting stress would, in turn, would be related to poor social-emotional development. Cognitive readiness to parent was assessed at baseline shortly after childbirth; parenting stress, conceptualized as difficult child, parent-child dysfunction and parental distress, was assessed at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months postpartum (i.e. when children were 6 months, 1, 2 and 3 years of age) using the Parenting Stress Index (PSI-SF; Abidin, 1995); children’s socio-emotional functioning was assessed with behavioral rating scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) (BSID-II; Bayley, 1993) which was administered by professionals at age 3. Using a second order growth curve, or curve-of-factors model, the study’s hypotheses were tested with data from the Predicting and Preventing Neglect in Teen Mothers Study (2001–2007), a longitudinal study of 682 first-time mothers. Results from the latent growth curve analyses demonstrated that parenting stress predicted child socio-emotional problems. Specifically, mothers who began parenthood with high stress levels had children with lower levels of pro-social functioning (i.e. more behavior problems). Two measures of cognitive readiness to parent were associated with lower levels of postpartum PS at baseline but social support moderated the relationship between readiness to parent and parenting stress. Implications for interventions aimed at identifying families with children at risk for emotional and developmental problems and/or new parents who demonstrate changes in parenting stress during the postpartum period are discussed in context.

Perinatal maternal mental health and infant socio-emotional development: A growth curve analysis using the MPEWS cohort

Pregnancy and the early post partum period are widely understood as a critical period for the infant’s emotional development and the earliest influence shaping social interaction. The present study aims to understand the potential influence of both antenatal and postnatal maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms on socio-emotional outcomes in offspring aged 12 months. The study used longitudinal data from a prospective cohort study on Australian pregnant women and their children. Data were available for 282 mothers and their children. Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured in early pregnancy, trimester three of pregnancy, six and 12 months postpartum. Social and emotional development in children was measured using the Brief Infant and Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) at 12 months. Using growth curve analysis of 4 waves of repeated measurement to examine intercept and slope, we found that both initial maternal depression and anxiety symptom levels, and the growth of these symptoms over time, predicted more problems with children’s social and emotional development. In the final model anxiety accounted for 19% of the variance in child socio-emotional problems and depression 23% of variance. The results emphasise the importance of perinatal maternal mental health as a potential risk factor for child development. This carries important implications for policy development, such as the need to build early identification and early intervention models in to the current clinical practice for perinatal care, specifically, to develop targeted screening, assessment and interventions to address maternal mental health issues for at-risk parents during pregnancy, and continuing monitoring of young children whose mothers have experienced perinatal mental health difficulties.

EARLY MALTREATMENT AND CURRENT QUALITY OF RELATIONAL CARE PREDICT SOCIOEMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AMONG INSTITUTIONALIZED INFANTS AND TODDLERS.

The present study is focused on child socioemotional problems 6 months after institutionalization, by considering the putative predictive role of child maltreatment, of developmental functioning at admission and the following months, and of the quality of institutional relational care. Fifty institutionalized infants and toddlers participated in this study. Child developmental functioning (i.e., cognitive, language, and motor development) was assessed at admission to the institution (Wave 0), and 3 (Wave 1) and 6 months (Wave 2) thereafter. The quality of institutional relational care-operationalized in terms of caregivers' sensitivity and cooperation-was measured at Wave 2. Caregivers reported on the presence of disturbed socioemotional behaviors at Wave 2. Child gestational age, birth weight, age, and stunted growth at admission to the institution served as covariates. Results revealed significant associations between socioemotional difficulties and lower levels of motor development at Waves 0 and 1, child maltreatment, and less sensitive caregiving. A logistic regression showed that child maltreatment and caregiver insensitivity were the only significant predictors of disturbed socioemotional functioning by the end of 6 months of institutionalization.

Parents who exit and parents who enter. Family structure transitions, child psychological health, and early drinking

This paper seeks to extend prior research by exploring whether family structure transition is associated with an increase in early alcohol consumption and whether this association is mediated by; children's socio-emotional problems, providing information on whether the effects of the transition; differ according to the number of changes, the family's initial status, or the time of exposure. The; data have been drawn from the UK Millennium Cohort Study to explore associations framed with; a life-course approach. Our findings suggest that types of family transitions (such as distinguishing; parental exits from and parental entrances to the family) are more important than the number of; family changes during childhood. The results show that moving from a two-parent household to a single-parent household directly increased the probability of being a frequent alcohol consumer among early adolescent boys, whereas the indirect effect on girls was found via socio-emotional difficulties. Our findings also show an increase in socio-emotional and behavioural difficulties in boys due to the entrance of a step-parent only if the transition occurred in the earliest childhood. Indeed, a sensitivity analysis of the time to which the children were exposed to the transition to a new family structure showed stronger effects for those who experienced a family structure change in the early life course, consistent with the cumulative disadvantage process.

Socio-demographic, maternal, and child indicators of socioemotional problems in 2-year-old children

Throughout infancy and early childhood, stable and secure relationships with caregivers are needed to promote optimal socioemotional (SE) and cognitive development.The objective is to examine socio-demographic, maternal, and child indicators of SE problems in 2-year-olds living in an urban-suburban community in the southern United States.Mother–infant pairs enrolled in a prospective pregnancy cohort study.Shelby County (Memphis), Tennessee.One thousand five hundred three women were recruited during their second trimester and followed with their children through the child's age of 2 years.Child SE development was measured by the Brief Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment at 2 years of age. Mothers reported their own behavioral and mental health, temperament, parenting stress, and potential for child abuse during gestation and/or when their child was 1 year of age. Examiners measured maternal IQ during data collection at the child's age of 1 year. Child communication, cognitive development, and risk for autism spectrum disorder were assessed at 1 and 2 years of age. Multivariable regression models were developed to predict mother-reported SE problems.In bivariate analyses, multiple maternal behavioral and mental health indicators and child cognitive skills were associated with reported child SE problems at 2 years of age. Regression analyses, controlling for socio-demographic, maternal, and child variables, showed the following factors were independently associated with mother-reported child SE problems: maternal education of high school or less, lower maternal IQ, higher maternal cyclothymic temperament score, greater parenting stress, greater maternal psychological distress, lower child expressive communication score, and child risk for autism spectrum disorder. Socio-demographic variables accounted for the variance often attributed to race.Since mothers in the study were medically low-risk, generalizing these findings to medically high-risk mothers is unwarranted. In addition, these SE outcomes in 2-year-old children do not reflect the trajectory of SE development throughout early childhood.Attention to independent indicators of future SE problems in children may help identify individual children and families needing intervention and target public prevention/treatment programs in communities.

Intergenerational continuity of adverse childhood experiences in homeless families: Unpacking exposure to maltreatment versus family dysfunction.

Despite the expanding research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and corpus of studies on intergenerational maltreatment in high-risk families, studies have not examined intergenerational ACEs more broadly, much less in severely disadvantaged families. This study investigated the intergenerational continuity of ACEs in mothers and young children aged 4 to 6 years living in emergency homeless shelters. It also examined whether unpacking ACEs into categories of exposure to maltreatment versus family dysfunction affected intergenerational continuity patterns or child socioemotional problems in school. Negative parenting, in the form of observed inept coercive discipline with children, and cumulative sociodemographic risk were examined as additional predictors of child ACEs and socioemotional problems. Mothers (N = 95; aged 20-45; 64.2% African American, 3.2% African Native, 11.6% Caucasian, 7.4% biracial/multiracial, and 13.6% other) completed questionnaires on parent and child ACEs and cumulative risk factors. They participated in videotaped parent-child interactions rated for observed coercive discipline, and teachers provided reports of children's socioemotional problems. Results indicated that higher parental ACEs predicted higher child ACEs, with higher numbers of parental ACEs in either category (maltreatment or family dysfunction) predicting higher levels of child ACEs in both categories. However, child exposure to maltreatment, but not family dysfunction, significantly predicted elevations in children's socioemotional problems. Findings underscore the role of intergenerational childhood adversity in homeless families and also emphasize that unpacking ACEs in children may illuminate key areas of vulnerability for school adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record

Socioemotional Problems in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Mediating Effects of Attachment and Family Supports.

Given the high likelihood of women remaining with their partner when intimate partner violence (IPV) is present, it is important to work with existing family strengths and social supports to minimize emotional harm to the children of these couples. The current study involved interviews with mothers of young children in the child welfare system across a state in the northeast ( n = 336). Roughly one third of these women reported IPV in the past year. The relationship between IPV and child socioemotional problems was explored, along with supports that might mediate this relationship. Study results showed that child exposure to IPV was directly related to socioemotional problems. This was mediated by three family and social factors: strength of mother-child attachment, overall family functioning, and level of mothers' emotional support. Findings revealed the heterogeneity among families with IPV and highlight the need for interventions focused on the ecological context in which women are parenting.