Poster #62 - Parental Physical Violence and Persistent Externalizing Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Early Dissociative Symptoms

• In Event: 2-055 - Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

The study of the developmental course of externalizing symptoms typically focuses on the progressive emergence of homotypic indicators such as hyperactivity, aggression, and antisocial tendencies. However, other indicator of maladaptive emotional development shaped by early adversity may also signal an increased risk for externalizing outcomes. One such indicator may be dissociative symptoms, which manifest as a psychological disconnection from one’s own thoughts, feelings, and situational context. Dissociative symptoms have been associated with experience of violence and may reflect efforts to cope with unavoidable circumstances. Such symptoms may be more common in young children due to a sense of helplessness and fewer alternative emotion regulatory strategies. Although dissociation may offer reprieve in an acute context, reliance on it as a primary coping strategy may impede children’s ability to learn prosocial strategies for regulating emotional arousal and responding to evocative social interactions, or to maintain attentional engagement in goal-directed situations. Thus, dissociative symptoms may mediate the development of later externalizing symptoms.
Previous studies examining the role of dissociative symptoms in mediating the association between experience of violence and externalizing outcomes has typically focused on adult samples and relied on retrospective recall. The current study utilizes prospectively collected data from the Family Life Project, a longitudinal study of 1292 predominantly low-income families residing in semi-rural communities (50.4% male; 56.0% Caucasian and 42.5% African American). Exposure to violence was assessed when children were approximately 35 months of age. Primary caregivers completed the Conflict Tactics Scale indicating how often they engaged in physically violent acts, such as hitting or throwing things at their child. The primary caregiver reported on behalf of themselves and any secondary caregiver in the home, and scores were summed across caregivers. Dissociative symptoms were assessed using the Child Dissociative Checklist, completed by the primary caregiver when the child was approximately 58 months of age. Externalizing symptoms were assessed via teacher-report when children were in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. The average scores on the conduct problems and hyperactivity/inattention subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to model externalizing behavior.
Data indicated that 75.4% of the children experienced some form of physical violence from a caregiver at least once during the past year, and 79.6% of the children had some degree of dissociative symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the link between parental physical violence and externalizing symptoms, as well as the mediating role of dissociative symptoms. As predicted, exposure to violence in early childhood was associated with greater teacher-reported externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, physical violence toward the child predicted more dissociative symptoms before school entry, which in turn predicted more externalizing symptoms during elementary school years (see Figure 1). Results indicate that dissociative symptoms partially mediate the association between violence exposure and externalizing behavior, indicating that parental violence increases the risk for externalizing behaviors through multiple mechanisms (e.g., social learning process). Findings may have implications for prevention by highlighting the importance of attending to early symptoms of dissociation as an indicator of externalizing risk.

Authors

• Xutong Zhang, The Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Gatzke-kopp, Penn State University
  Non-Presenting Author