Poster #130 - ACEs, Parenting, and Child Social and Emotional Problems: The Role of Depression and Parenting Self-Efficacy.

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative physical and mental health outcomes is well established (Felitti et al., 1998). However, much less is known about the impact of ACEs on parenting, and children’s social and emotional development. Prolonged exposure to adversity in childhood has also been linked to changes in the structure and function of the developing brain and biological impairments of the body’s stress response system, leading to increased rates of depression, difficulty regulating emotions, and responding to stressful situations, all of which have the ability to negatively affect parenting abilities (Dube et al., 2003; Miller, Chen & Parker, 2011). Mothers living in poverty face additional risk due to the increased stressors associated with financial hardships (Brooks & Duncan, 1994). The current study has two objectives 1) to examine the relationship between mothers ACE scores and children’s social and emotional problems in a sample of low-income mothers and their young children, and 2) to examine maternal depression, perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy as possible mediators of that relationship.
Data for the current study comes from participants (N = 52) who were part of an implementation study of an evidence-based, parent-focused intervention aimed at improving child outcomes by fostering sensitive mother-child relationships, promoting maternal self-efficacy, and supporting sense of community among low-income mothers of young children. Low-income status was determined by eligibility for Women, Infants, and Children Food and Nutrition Service (WIC). ACE scores, depressive symptoms, social support, and parenting self-efficacy were assessed via mother’s self-report when children were between 3 and 11 months of age (M = 6.0). Data on children’s social and emotional problems was self-reported by the mother approximately one year later.
Bivariate correlation analysis indicated that ACEs, maternal depression, and children’s social and emotional problems were positively associated. See Table 1. ACEs and social support, and parenting self-efficacy were negatively correlated, however the association between ACEs and social support was not significant, therefore mediation was not conducted for this variable. To test the hypothesized mediation models, Baron and Kenny’s (1986) procedure for mediation was used. Indirect effects were computed using bootstrapping and PROCESS 3.0 software (Hayes, 2017). Indirect effects were significant for self-efficacy mediating the relationship between ACEs and child social and emotional problems. The bootstrapped unstandardized indirect effect for ACEs, parenting self-efficacy was significant B = .342, 95% CI [.010, .886]. Indirect effects for maternal depression mediating the relationship between ACEs and child social emotional problems was marginally significant. The bootstrapped indirect effect was significant at a 90% confidence level, indicating a trend towards significance.
These findings suggest that one-way mothers’ early adversity affects their children’s development is through its effects on maternal mental health and parenting confidence. Increasing awareness of the intergenerational risks associated with ACEs, and supporting both research and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing risk and improving outcomes for families and young children is an important next step.

Authors

• Amy E Treat, Oklahoma State University
  Presenting Author

• Amanda Morris, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Hays-Grudo, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy C Williamson, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jens Erik Jespersen, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rashmi Singh, Oklahoma state university
  Non-Presenting Author