Parenthood at Risk: Disentangling Influences of Maternal Childhood Maltreatment from Other Adverse Experiences

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Early adversity, including maltreatment, is associated with physical and mental health problems across childhood and often lasting into adulthood, and may have implications for parenting and the transmission of risk across generations. However, childhood maltreatment frequently co-occurs with other forms of adversity and with disadvantage later in life, making it difficult to understand the extent to which lasting effects on wellbeing are attributable to maltreatment, other forms of adversity, or a combination of risks. Therefore, this symposium extends prior work by examining effects of mothers’ childhood maltreatment on adulthood well-being and parenting and attempts to parse maltreatment effects from other childhood adversity (e.g., community disadvantage, adolescent pregnancy) and adulthood adversity (e.g., socioeconomic disadvantage).

The first paper explores the influence of mothers’ childhood maltreatment and adolescent pregnancy and childbirth experiences on adulthood mental health in a child welfare sample. The second paper identifies unique patterns of familial and community adverse childhood experiences and examines relations with parenting in early childhood. The final paper investigates the relative influences of mothers’ childhood maltreatment and adulthood socioeconomic risk on self-regulation during parenting, a potential mediator of the intergenerational transmission of risk. Together, these papers demonstrate that childhood maltreatment has lasting effects on parent wellbeing and caregiving and these effects are often seen even in the context of other risk factors.

The discussant, an expert in the intergenerational transmission of maternal adversity and psychopathology, will highlight the implications for interventions that seek to improve wellbeing of both parents and their children.

Sub Unit

• Family Context & Processes

Chair

• Alex Busuito, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

Discussant

• Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Harvard Medical School

Individual Presentations

• Adolescent Childbirth Moderates the Association between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adulthood - Presenting Author: Maria Schweer-Collins, University of Oregon; Non-Presenting Author: Camille Cioffi, University of Oregon; Non-Presenting Author: Leslie D. Leve, University of Oregon

• An Expanded View on ACEs: Familial- and Community-Level ACEs and Parenting among Adolescent Mothers - Presenting Author: Lauren E Stargel, American Institutes for Research - Illinois; Non-Presenting Author: Rachel C Katz, Start Early; Non-Presenting Author: Ann Easterbrooks, Tufts University

• Mothers’ Childhood Maltreatment, Not Adulthood Socioeconomic Risk, is Associated with Altered Parasympathetic Self-Regulation during Parenting - Presenting Author: Alex Busuito, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD); Non-Presenting Author: Erika S. Lunkenheimer, Pennsylvania State University, University Park