War trauma lingers on: Associations between maternal posttraumatic stress disorder, parent–child interaction, and child development

Abstract

Maternal traumatization has been proposed as a risk factor for child development, but the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. This study analyzed the interrelations among maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms, parent-child interaction (emotional availability), and infants' psychosocial functioning and development among 49 asylum-seeker and refugee mothers and their children (18-42 months). Measures included assessment of mothers' trauma and comorbid symptoms (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire: R.F. Mollica et al., 1992; Hopkins Symptom Checklist: L. Derogatis, R. Lipman, K. Rickels, E. Uhlenhuth, & L. Covi, 1974), emotional availability within parent-child interaction (Emotional Availability Scales: Z. Biringen, 2008), and infants' psychosocial functioning (Child Behavior Checklist: T.M. Achenbach & L.A. Rescorla, 2000) and development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development: B.F. van der Meulen, S.A.J. Ruiter, H.C. Spelberg, & M. Smrkovsky, 2000). The results show that higher levels of maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms are associated with a higher level of psychosocial problems of infants, but not with delays in their mental or psychomotor development. The results also show that higher levels of maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms are associated with higher levels of insensitive, unstructuring, or hostile, but not intrusive, parent-child interactions. Infants show lower levels of responsiveness and involvement to their traumatized mothers. Parent-child interaction did not function as a mediator between maternal trauma symptoms and infants' psychosocial functioning. Results are discussed in relation to the dyad's regulation of emotions. Results implicate a need to reestablish attunement between traumatized mothers and their nontraumatized children.

Sexual abuse in very young children: a psychological assessment in the Amsterdam Sexual Abuse Case study

“…Parents in our study seemed to experience slightly more feelings of shame and fewer feelings of distress related to the sexual abuse of their child compared to parents whose children completed trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy for different forms of trauma (Holt, Cohen, & Mannarino, 2015). In earlier studies, parental PTSD symptoms and psychopathology were found to be related to child PTSD symptoms, (sexual) behaviour problems, and lower parent–child relationship quality (Elkovitch, Latzman, Hansen, & Flood, 2009; Levendosky & Graham-Bermann, 2000; van Ee, Kleber, & Mooren, 2012). We found similar associations, except for sexual behaviour problems.…”

Mother–child emotion dialogues in families exposed to interparental violence

“…Children's emotions may be a reminder of their own trauma which may trigger avoidance (Lieberman, 2004). A study of mother-child dyads in which mothers were traumatized by war, but children were not exposed to war, showed that maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms were negatively associated with parent-child relation quality, and children showed lower levels of responsiveness and involvement in mother-child interactions (van Ee, Kleber, & Mooren, 2012).…”

“…Children's emotions may be a reminder of their own trauma which may trigger avoidance (Lieberman, 2004). A study of mother-child dyads in which mothers were traumatized by war, but children were not exposed to war, showed that maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms were negatively associated with parent-child relation quality, and children showed lower levels of responsiveness and involvement in mother-child interactions (van Ee, Kleber, & Mooren, 2012).In addition to the high risk of maternal posttraumatic stress in IPV-exposed families, research also shows that parents in these families often have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) themselves (Bensley, Van Eenwyk, & Simmons, 2003). Parents exposed to ACEs are at increased risk to develop psychopathology (Anda et al, 2006), and parental…”

Relationship of Pretreatment Rorschach Factors to Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Real-Life Functioning in a 3-Year Follow-Up of Traumatized Refugee Patients

“…Intergenerational trauma associated with decades or centuries of oppression and wars can upset child care and parentÀchild attachment (e.g., Van Ee, Kleber, & Mooren, 2012). Severe or repeated adverse experiences in vital periods of development can seriously affect emotional and physiological regulation and interpersonal relating, and lead to increased vulnerability to later stressors (e.g., Fonagy & Target, 2005;Hinton & Kirmayer, 2013;Schore, 2002).…”