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| Titre de l’article | Parental representations moderating the effect of maternal PTSD on child psychopathology |
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| Code d’article | P24 |
| Auteurs | |
| Forme de présentation | Poster |
| Domaines thématiques |
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| Résumé (Abstract) |
Background: Maternal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), especially when related to interpersonal violence, is known to impact parent-child relationships. As a function of its effect on the quality of maternal care along with other environmental and biological factors impacting child development, an impaired mother-child relationship particularly in early childhood can lead to subsequent psychopathology. We hypothesized that the severity of maternal PTSD symptoms would predict later child psychopathology, and that the child’s mental representations of caregivers described in a narrative play task would moderate this effect. Method: Within a three-phase longitudinal study of mothers and children, we analyzed maternal PTSD symptoms via the Clinical Administered PTSD scale (CAPS) in phase 1 (ages 1-3,5 years), child’s mental representations, as explored in the MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB) in phase 2 (ages 4-9 years) and child self-reported psychopathology on the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in phase 3 (ages 9 to 14 years). Simple non-parametric correlations, regression modeling, testing for moderation were performed to test our hypothesis. Results: We found a trend-level association between maternal PTSD symptom severity in Phase 1 and child psychopathology (SDQ) in phase 3 (ρ(43)=.259, p = .085). Child mental representations involving parental protection in story stems of child injury moderated the effect of maternal PTSD on child SDQ scores (Z=-2.09, p=0.036). Those involving avoidance and dissociation scores in story stems eliciting parental empathy moderated the effect of maternal PTSD on child SDQ in phase 3 (Z=3.05, p=0.002). Conclusion: Maternal PTSD severity predicted later child psychopathology. In children of mothers suffering from PTSD, parental figures represented in play narratives as providing safety is a protective factor for later psychopathology. On the contrary, demonstrating avoidance and dissociation with respect to interpersonal conflict is a risk factor for it. |