Early life adversity and males: Biology, behavior, and implications for fathers’ parenting

Condon, Eileen M.; Dettmer, Amanda M.; Baker, Ellie; McFaul, Ciara; Stover, Carla Smith

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104531

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 185 publications

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“…The distinction between abuse and neglect may, therefore, matter in the effect of childhood maltreatment on parental protective behavior. The role of different types of maltreatment is particularly relevant when examining fathers, as the biological and behavioral effects of adverse childhood experiences may differ for males and females 66 and previous studies mainly focused on mothers 67 . Lastly, it should be mentioned that we did not ask fathers to rate how the neutral and threatening infant videos were perceived.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The role of different types of maltreatment is particularly relevant when examining fathers, as the biological and behavioral effects of adverse childhood experiences may differ for males and females 66 and previous studies mainly focused on mothers. 67 Lastly, it should be mentioned that we did not ask fathers to rate how the neutral and threatening infant videos were perceived. However, in a previous study, expectant and first-time fathers reported that they felt more tense and more negative after viewing threatening situations compared to the neutral situations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parental protection in fathers with negative caregiving experiences: Heightened amygdala reactivity to infant threatening situations

Riem

Witte

Lotz

et al. 2023

J Neuroendocrinology

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Parental protection is an important, yet understudied, aspect of parenting behavior. Predictors of the quality of protection and potential underlying neural mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we examined whether negative caregiving experiences in fathers’ own childhood are related to protective behavior and neural reactivity to infant threatening situations. Paternal protective behavior was measured with self‐ and partner‐reported protective behavior and behavioral observations in an experimental set‐up (auditory startling task) in 121 first‐time fathers (mean age child = 19.35 weeks, SD = 11.27). Neural activation during exposure to videos of infant‐threatening (vs. neutral) situations was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found a significant and positive association between negative caregiving experiences and amygdala reactivity to infant‐threatening situations. A history of negative caregiving experiences was not significantly related to reported or observed paternal protective behavior. Our findings suggest that fathers with negative caregiving experiences show emotional hyperreactivity to cues of infant threat.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental protection in fathers with negative caregiving experiences: Heightened amygdala reactivity to infant threatening situations

Riem

Witte

Lotz

et al. 2023

J Neuroendocrinology

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“…Recent biopsychosocial models of fathering also suggest that stress and adversity throughout the life-course impacts men's neurocognitive functioning-including negative cognitive biases and difficulties with emotion regulation-in ways that make it difficult to form attachments with new babies (E. M. Condon et al, 2022). The cumulative effects of life stress may be exacerbated among unmarried, Black men who are preparing to have a baby while navigating contextual stressors.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Life stress and unmarried, Black fathers’ attitudes toward attachment: The moderating role of shift-and-persist.

Thomas,

Collins,

Aytuglu

et al. 2024

Psychology of Men & Masculinities

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Unmarried, Black fathers' positive engagement contributes to children's health and development beginning in early infancy. For many men, preparations for parenthood begin before birth as expectant fathers formulate parenting attitudes that can promote secure infant-father attachment relationships. This study examined aspects of life stress as predictors of prenatal attitudes toward attachment-the extent to which expectant fathers endorsed promoting attachment security in their infants. Further, we considered whether shift-and-persist cognitive strategies-a psychological resilience factor focused on shifting to positive focus and future-orientation-moderated these associations. A sample of 121 unmarried, Black men expecting the birth of a child were recruited during the second or third trimester of their partner's pregnancy. Expectant fathers reported on childhood trauma, recent negative life experiences, and depressive symptomology. Fathers also completed a survey assessment of shift-and-persist strategies, as well as a newly developed scale assessing attitudes toward attachment. Depressive symptoms and negative life events were directly, positively related to attitudes toward attachment. The association between positive attitudes toward attachment and both negative life events and depressive symptomology was moderated by fathers' ability to shift-and-persist. Specifically, aspects of life stress were generally unrelated to attitudes toward attachment when shift-and-persist was low, but related to more positive attitudes toward attachment when shift-andpersist was high. Preliminary findings point to the potential steeling effects of shift-and-persist strategies for expectant fathers facing moderate levels of life stress. Public Significance StatementUnmarried, expectant Black fathers in the rural southern United States who were experiencing life stress endorsed more positive attitudes toward attachment when they had shift-and-persist cognitive resilience strategies. Although findings are specific to this population and cannot necessarily be generalized to other fathers, results suggest opportunities for early father-child interventions to foster resilience and strengthen father-child relationships among unmarried fathers in rural communities.

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“…There is widespread interest in the role of early-life environments in shaping later health, biological function, and behavior ( 1 – 8 ). The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis and its production of testosterone (T) are widely studied across vertebrates for their roles in reproductive function, life-history strategies, and health outcomes, but little is known about the range of early-life environmental stimuli involved in HPG programming ( 9 – 12 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Intertwined with this prolonged, accentuated importance of social context to humans, early-life social experiences are foundational environmental inputs to sensitive periods for numerous biological systems, extending beyond infancy to include later childhood and adolescence ( 4 , 6 , 7 , 17 , 18 ). In this vein, developmental social environments have also been proposed to affect human adult T production ( 3 , 4 , 19 ). Yet, few prospective, longitudinal studies have focused on the implications of early-life social experiences for human T production ( 20 – 23 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for an adolescent sensitive period to family experiences influencing adult male testosterone production

Gettler

Rosenbaum

Kuo

et al. 2022

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Significance Testosterone influences how animals devote energy and time toward reproduction, including opposing demands of mating and competition versus parenting. Reflecting this, testosterone often declines in new fathers and lower testosterone is linked to greater caregiving. Given these roles, there is strong interest in factors that affect testosterone, including early-life experiences. In this multidecade study, Filipino sons whose fathers were present and involved with raising them when they were adolescents had lower testosterone when they later became fathers, compared to sons whose fathers were present but uninvolved or were not coresident. Sons’ own parenting behaviors did not explain these patterns. These results connect key social experiences during adolescence to adult testosterone, and point to possible intergenerational effects of parenting style.

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Early life adversity and males: Biology, behavior, and implications for fathers’ parenting

Cited by 12 publications

References 185 publications

Parental protection in fathers with negative caregiving experiences: Heightened amygdala reactivity to infant threatening situations

Parental protection in fathers with negative caregiving experiences: Heightened amygdala reactivity to infant threatening situations

Life stress and unmarried, Black fathers’ attitudes toward attachment: The moderating role of shift-and-persist.

Evidence for an adolescent sensitive period to family experiences influencing adult male testosterone production

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