Traumatic childhood events of parents enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Ellis, Genette; Iles-Caven, Yasmin; Northstone, Kate; Golding, Jean

doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15804.1

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Maternal ACEs were measured using a 31-item checklist and 12-item checklist as part of self-reported questionnaires gathered at 32 weeks gestation and 33-months postpartum, respectively (Ellis, Iles-Caven, Northstone, & Golding, 2020 ; The ALSPAC Study Team, 2018 ). Ten items were used to represent types of ACEs: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, parental incarceration, parental death, parental separation, parental divorce, and having had a parent with mental illness.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity

Hemady

Speyer

Kwok

et al. 2022

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Objective: The effects of maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be transmitted to subsequent generations through various biopsychosocial mechanisms. However, studies tend to focus on exploring one or two focal pathways with less attention paid to links between different pathways. Using a network approach, this paper explores a range of core prenatal risk factors that may link maternal ACEs to infant preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW). Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) ( n = 8379) to estimate two mixed graphical network models: Model 1 was constructed using adverse infant outcomes, biopsychosocial and environmental risk factors, forms of ACEs, and sociodemographic factors. In Model 2, ACEs were combined to represent a threshold ACEs score (≥4). Network indices (i.e., shortest path and bridge expected influence [1-step & 2-step]) were estimated to determine the shortest pathway from ACEs to infant outcomes, and to identify the risk factors that are vital in activating other risk factors and adverse outcomes. Results: Network analyses estimated a mutually reinforcing web of childhood and prenatal risk factors, with each risk connected to at least two other risks. Bridge influence indices suggested that childhood physical and sexual abuse and multiple ACEs were highly interconnected to others risks. Overall, risky health behaviours during pregnancy (i.e., smoking & illicit drug use) were identified as ‘active’ risk factors capable of affecting (directly and indirectly) other risk factors and contributing to the persistent activation of the global risk network. These risks may be considered priority candidate targets for interventions to disrupt intergenerational risk transmission. Our study demonstrates the promise of network analysis as an approach for illuminating the intergenerational transmission of adversity in its full complexity. HIGHLIGHTS We took a network approach to assessing links between ACEs and birth outcomes. ACEs, other prenatal risk factors, and birth outcomes had complex inter-connections Health behaviours in pregnancy were indicated as optimal intervention targets.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity

Hemady

Speyer

Kwok

et al. 2022

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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“…Maternal bonding score at 8 months was obtained from combining the two following subscale scores: maternal enjoyment and maternal confidence (Ellis et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety disorders across middle childhood and early adolescence in a UK population‐based cohort

et al. 2022

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Background: Patterns of development and underlying factors explaining anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are under-researched, despite their high prevalence, impact and associations with other mental disorders. We aimed to a] understand the pattern and persistence of specific anxiety disorders; b] examine differing trajectories of symptoms of specific anxiety disorders and; c] examine socio-demographic and health-related predictors of persistent anxiety disorderspecific symptoms, across middle childhood to early adolescence. Methods: The current study used data from 8122 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children birth cohort. The Development and Wellbeing Assessment questionnaire was administered to parents to capture child and adolescent anxiety total scores and DAWBA-derived diagnoses. Separation anxiety, specific phobia, social anxiety, acute stress reaction, and generalized anxiety at 8, 10 and 13 years were selected. Further, we included the following socio-demographic and health-related predictors: sex, birth weight, sleep difficulties at 3.5 years, ethnicity, family adversity, maternal age at birth, maternal postnatal anxiety, maternal postnatal depression, maternal bonding, maternal socio-economic status and maternal education. Results: Different anxiety disorders presented different prevalence and patterns of development over time. Further, latent class growth analyses yielded a trajectory characterized by individuals with persistent high levels of anxiety across childhood and adolescence; for specific phobia (high = 5.8%; moderate = 20.5%; low = 73.6%), social anxiety (high = 3.4%; moderate = 12.1%; low = 84.5%), acute stress reaction (high = 1.9%; low = 98.1%) and generalized anxiety (high = 5.4%; moderate = 21.7%; low = 72.9%). Finally, the risk factors associated with each of the persistent high levels of anxiety disorders were child sleeping difficulties and postnatal maternal depression and anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings show that a small group of children and young adolescents continue to suffer from frequent and severe anxiety. When considering treatment strategies for anxiety disorders in this group, children's sleep difficulties and postnatal maternal depression and anxiety need to be assessed as these may predict a more prolonged and severe course of illness. Danielle Hett and Clara Humpston are contributed equally and share second authorship.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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“…Maternal ACEs were measured using a 31-item checklist and 12-item checklist as part of self-reported questionnaires gathered at 32 weeks gestation and 33 months postpartum, respectively (32,33). Ten items were used to represent types of ACEs: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, parental incarceration, parental death, parental separation, parental divorce, and having had a parent with mental illness.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity in the ALSPAC cohort

Hemady

Speyer

Kwok

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Objective: The effects of maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be transmitted to subsequent generations through various biopsychosocial mechanisms. However, studies tend to focus on exploring one or two focal pathways with less attention paid to links between different pathways. Using a network approach, this paper explores a range of core prenatal risk factors that may link maternal ACEs to infant preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW). Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (n = 8 379) to estimate two mixed graphical network models: Model 1 was constructed using adverse infant outcomes, biopsychosocial and environmental risk factors, forms of ACEs, and sociodemographic factors. In Model 2, ACEs were combined to represent a threshold ACEs score (≥ 4). Network indices were estimated to determine the shortest pathway from ACEs to infant outcomes, and to identify the risk factors that are most vital in bridging these variables. Results: In both models, childhood and prenatal risk factors were highly interrelated. Childhood physical abuse, but not threshold ACEs, was directly linked to LBW. Further, exposure to second-hand smoke, developing gestational hypertension, prenatal smoking, first time pregnancy, not being White, and older age were directly linked to LBW, while developing gestational diabetes, having previous pregnanc(ies), and lower educational attainment were associated with PTB. Only pre-eclampsia was directly linked to both outcomes. Network indices and shortest pathways plots indicate that sexual abuse played a central role in bridging ACEs to other risks and poor infant outcomes. Overall, prenatal smoking was determined as the most influential bridge node. Conclusions: As child physical abuse was directly linked to low birthweight, and child sexual abuse and prenatal smoking were the most influential bridge nodes, they can be considered priority candidate targets for interventions to disrupt intergenerational risk transmission. Further, our study demonstrates the promise of network analysis as an approach for illuminating the intergenerational transmission of adversity in its full complexity.

show abstract

Traumatic childhood events of parents enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity

Anxiety disorders across middle childhood and early adolescence in a UK population‐based cohort

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity in the ALSPAC cohort

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