Poster #52 - Adolescent Psychopathology and Substance Use: Developmental Pathways from Child Maltreatment via Revictimization

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Developmental Psychopathology

Integrative Statement

Decades of research have demonstrated the detrimental influence that childhood maltreatment has on various aspects of child development including but not limited to increased risk of developing psychopathology and adolescent substance use (Cicchetti & Toth, 2016) and it is critical to gain a more complete understanding of the developmental pathways that place some maltreated children at a more heightened risk than others. Aside from increased risk of psychopathology and substance use, an unfortunate reality for many maltreated children is that they will be victimized yet again later in life. Furthermore, those children who do experience repeat victimization have an even higher risk of psychopathology and substance use (Classen, Palesh, & Aggarwal, 2005). Thus, revictimization could provide a potential pathway through which maltreated children develop these adverse outcomes. However, much of the revictimization literature uses cross-sectional, retrospective designs with adult samples focused on sexual forms of victimization only that provide evidence for the cumulative impact of victimization but not for a potential mediating impact.

The current study utilizes a 3-wave longitudinal design that follows up a sample of maltreated and demographically similar non-maltreated school-aged children at two time points in adolescence. Maltreatment is assessed using Department of Human Services (DHS) records rather than retrospective self-report questionnaires and four primary subtypes of maltreatment as well as various forms of adolescent victimization are examined, which allows for a broader view of maltreatment and revictimization experiences beyond the typical focus on sexual forms of abuse and victimization. The aim of this study is to examine whether adolescent revictimization provides a mediating pathway from early child maltreatment to adolescent psychopathology and substance use. Main effects of maltreatment on adolescent outcomes and stability and cross-lagged effects of psychopathology and substance use between adolescent waves were also examined.

Participants were from a community sample of 545 (295 maltreated, 250 non-maltreated) racially diverse (52.8% Black, 27.5% White, 12.8% Bi-racial) children who were recruited with the assistance of DHS. Children and their families participated in a weeklong summer camp in middle childhood (Mean age= 7.6 years) for low-income families. They were followed up twice in early-mid adolescence (Mean age = 13.8 years) and mid-late adolescence (Mean age = 16.2 years). Psychopathology, substance use, and revictimization were assessed using adolescent self-report measures. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze a cross-lagged panel mediation model that allowed for examination of main effects, cross-lagged effects, and mediation simultaneously.

Results of the path analysis are presented in Figure 1. Analyses revealed that revictimization occurring between early-mid and mid-late adolescence did not mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mid-late adolescent psychopathology or substance use. However, adolescent revictimization strongly and significantly predicted these outcomes whereas childhood maltreatment was weakly related to psychopathology and unrelated to substance use. Results highlight the importance of further examining the mechanisms by which adolescent revictimization increases risk for psychopathology and substance use. Additionally, future research should investigate whether well-established relationships between childhood maltreatment and certain adverse outcomes are truly attenuated when later victimization is taken into account.

Authors

• Michelle Patrice Desir, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author

• Fred Rogosch, University of Rochester
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dante Cicchetti, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author