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Contribution title Mother being exposed to interpersonal violence: Associations between symptoms of PTSD and psychopathy and impact on child development
Contribution code D1.153
Authors
  1. Laura Moeller Juan-Torres Uni Lausanne Presenter
  2. Daniel Scott Schechter Lausanne University Hospital
  3. Sébastien Urben Lausanne University Hospital
  4. Sandra Rusconi Serpa Université de Genève Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation
  5. Setareh Ranjbar Center of Epidemiological Studies in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
  6. Camille Piguet University of Geneva
  7. Ryan Murray Lausanne University Hospital And Faculty Of Biology & Medicine
  8. Mathilde Morisod-Harari
Form of presentation Poster
Topic
  • T45 - Birth Cohorts and longitudinal studies
Abstract Aims:
Interpersonal violence (IPV) significantly affects mental health, often causing PTSD symptoms like hypervigilance, re-experiencing, and avoidance, with broader family impacts. This study examines (1) the link between maternal IPV-PTSD symptoms and psychopathy subtypes (primary [callous-unemotional traits, low anxiety] and secondary [impulsivity, high anxiety] and (2) their influence on child outcomes, including (3) potential moderation effects of psychopathy on the association between maternal PTSD and child outcomes.
Methodology:
Data includes 46 mothers-child dyads from the Geneva Early Childhood Stress longitudinal study. PTSD was measured using the PTSD Checklist Scale (PCLS) psychopathy, via the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, and child outcomes via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, regression, network analysis, and moderation analysis to identify psychopathy’s moderating role.
Results:
IPV-exposed mothers showed significantly higher PTSD symptoms (re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal; p < 0.001) and higher secondary psychopathy scores (p = 0.009). Correlations revealed strong links between secondary psychopathy and PTSD symptoms, precisely with reexperience r = 0.537, p < 0.001, with avoidance r = 0.332, p < 0.042 and with hyperarousal r = 0.463, p < 0.003. Regression analyses showed children’s externalizing problems were predicted by maternal PTSD re-experiencing (p = 0.028) and secondary psychopathy (p = 0.041). Network analysis revealed PTSD symptoms were positively associated with secondary psychopathy, which negatively impacted prosocial and externalizing behaviours. Moderation analysis showed secondary psychopathy moderated maternal PTSD effects on child prosocial (p = 0.036) and externalizing behaviours (p = 0.023).
Conclusions:
Findings highlight the complex role played by secondary psychopathy’s influence in the intergenerational transmission of IPV related traumatic stress. This study identifies targets for early intervention and prevention.