Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect: Effects of maltreatment type and depressive symptoms

Yang, Mi‐Youn; Font, Sarah A.; Ketchum, McKenzie; Kim, Youn Kyoung

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.06.036

Cited by 49 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…With respect to measurement, emotional neglect is assessed on the CTQ entirely with reverse-scored items (e.g., “I felt loved” and “My family was a source of strength and support”), which might constitute a relatively indirect measure of maltreatment that is conceivably more commonly endorsed outside of exposure to other forms (e.g., abuse; Spinhoven et al, 2014). As a construct, some evidence suggests that neglect may be more specifically transmitted across generations than abuse; for example, Yang, Font, Ketchum, and Kim (2018) found that parental history of neglect (broadly conceived) was associated with neglect but not physical abuse in the next generation, while physical abuse was associated with both neglect and physical abuse. However, it is possible that differential endorsement rates between neglect and abuse could underlie these differential associations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment: Nonspecificity of maltreatment type and associations with borderline personality pathology

et al. 2019

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One generation's experience of childhood maltreatment is associated with that of the next. However, whether this intergenerational transmission is specific to distinct forms of maltreatment and what factors may contribute to its continuity remains unclear. Borderline personality pathology is predicted by childhood maltreatment and characterized by features (e.g., dysregulated emotion, relationship instability, impulsivity, and inconsistent appraisals of others) that may contribute to its propagation. Among 364 older adults and 573 of their adult children (total n = 937), self-reported exposure to distinct forms of childhood maltreatment (i.e., emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect as assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) showed homotypic and heterotypic associations across generations with little evidence that latent factors unique to specific forms of maltreatment show generational continuity. General nonspecific indices of childhood maltreatment showed evidence of intergenerational transmission after accounting for demographic factors and parent socioeconomic status (b = 0.126, p = 9.21 × 10−4). This continuity was partially mediated by parental borderline personality pathology (assessed longitudinally through a variety of measures and sources, indirect effect: b = 0.031, 95% confidence interval [0.003, 0.060]). The intergenerational continuity of childhood maltreatment may largely represent general risk for nonspecific maltreatment that may, in part, be propagated by borderline personality pathology and/or shared risk factors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment: Nonspecificity of maltreatment type and associations with borderline personality pathology

et al. 2019

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“…As this model would predict, risk factors for abusive parenting include aspects of the child’s immediate microsystem (e.g., parents’ age, educational attainment, mental health functioning, marital status, household financial stability; Berlin et al, 2011; Dixon et al, 2005; Sidebotham & Heron, 2006; Thompson, 2006) and broader environmental context (e.g., economic and social wellbeing of the community, parents’ social support and feelings of social isolation, parents’ victimization as adults; Berlin et al, 2011; Coulton et al, 2007; Dixon et al, 2008; Thompson, 2006). Importantly, once these more proximal factors are taken into account, the relationship between parents’ CM history and their child’s CM risk is attenuated (Thompson, 2006; Yang et al, 2018).…”

Section: Cycle Of Violencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recognizing the complex and transactional nature of the intergenerational transmission of abusive parenting, a number of parent-level factors have been proposed as potential mediators, including social isolation, aggressive response biases, emotion dysregulation, young age, the presence of a violent partner, substance use, and depression (Appleyard et al, 2011; Berlin et al, 2011; Choi et al, 2019; Dixon et al, 2005; Smith et al, 2014; Yang et al, 2018). Among these, depression (most often maternal depression) has received substantial attention in the literature.…”

Section: Pathways In the Intergenerational Transmission Of Abusive Parentingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extant reviews on the intergenerational transmission of abusive parenting have noted that our current understanding of this process relies heavily on cross-sectional studies and that findings vary significantly depending on the study methods (Savage et al, 2019; Thornberry et al, 2012). Moreover, of the few studies that have tested mediators of the intergenerational transmission of violence, only Yang et al (2018) examined mediators of the associations between parents’ CM histories and their own perpetration of CM toward their children. All other studies have examined mediators of the association between parents’ histories of CM and their children’s victimization or CM experiences by any perpetrator (i.e., not necessarily by the maltreated parent; Appleyard et al, 2011; Berlin et al, 2011; Choi et al, 2019; Dixon et al, 2005); a substantively different question.…”

Section: Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intergenerational Transmission of Abusive Parenting: Role of Prospective Maternal Distress and Family Violence

et al. 2020

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Parents who were abused as children are at increased risk for perpetuating maladaptive parenting practices, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study prospectively examined maternal distress (a latent variable consisting of depressive symptoms and daily stress) and family violence as potential mediators in the intergenerational transmission of abusive (i.e., psychologically aggressive and physically assaultive) parenting. Participants included ( N = 768) mother-child dyads identified as being at-risk for family violence and maltreatment prior to children’s age four. More maternal childhood abuse was associated with more distress and increased risk for family violence exposure in adulthood. However, only maternal distress mediated the association between mothers’ history of abuse and their use of abusive parenting strategies. This study provides critical information about ecological mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of abusive parenting and suggests the importance of targeting depression and stress management among mothers with abuse histories to curtail the cycle of violence.

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“…The variability in the prevalence estimates across studies of perinatal mental illness in parents is partly explained by other risk factors, for example, socioeconomic disadvantages, unplanned pregnancies, low empathy, and social support from the partner and/or environment (23, 24). Furthermore, the link between parental mental illness and offspring psychopathology may mediate the effect of other disadvantages that are known to be intergenerationally transmitted, such as childhood emotional abuse and neglect in parents (25). Childhood maltreatment constitutes a lifelong risk for depression (26, 27) that may specifically manifest during transition to parenthood (28–30).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fetal and Infant Outcomes in the Offspring of Parents With Perinatal Mental Disorders: Earliest Influences

et al. 2019

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Mental illness is highly prevalent and runs in families. Mental disorders are considered to enhance the risk for the development of psychopathology in the offspring. This heightened risk is related to the separate and joint effects of inherited genetic vulnerabilities for psychopathology and environmental influences. The early years of life are suggested to be a key developmental phase in the intergenerational psychopathology transmission. Available evidence supports the idea that early exposure to parental psychopathology, during the pregnancy and first postpartum year, may be related to child psychological functioning beyond the postpartum period, up to adulthood years. This not only highlights the importance of intervening early to break the chain of intergenerational transmission of psychopathology but also raises the question of whether early interventions targeting parental mental disorders in this period may alleviate these prolonged adverse effects in the infant offspring. The current article focuses on the specific risk of psychopathology conveyed from mentally ill parents to the offspring during the pregnancy and first postpartum year. We first present a summary of the available evidence on the associations of parental perinatal mental illness with infant psychological outcomes at the behavioral, biological, and neurophysiological levels. Next, we address the effects of early interventions and discuss whether these may mitigate the early intergenerational transmission of risk for psychopathology. The summarized evidence supports the idea that psychopathology-related changes in parents’ behavior and physiology in the perinatal period are related to behavioral, biological, and neurophysiological correlates of infant psychological functioning in this period. These alterations may constitute risk for later development of child and/or adult forms of psychopathology and thus for intergenerational transmission. Targeting psychopathology or mother-infant interactions in isolation in the postnatal period may not be sufficient to improve outcomes, whereas interventions targeting both maternal psychopathology and mother-infant interactions seem promising in alleviating the risk of early transmission.

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Intergenerational transmission of child abuse and neglect: Effects of maltreatment type and depressive symptoms

Cited by 49 publications

References 55 publications

The intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment: Nonspecificity of maltreatment type and associations with borderline personality pathology

The intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment: Nonspecificity of maltreatment type and associations with borderline personality pathology

Intergenerational Transmission of Abusive Parenting: Role of Prospective Maternal Distress and Family Violence

Fetal and Infant Outcomes in the Offspring of Parents With Perinatal Mental Disorders: Earliest Influences

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