Autoren:
Dr. Dominik Moser | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent | Switzerland
Dr. Jennifer Glaus | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Shannen Graf | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Dr. Sebastien Urben | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Sondes Jouabli | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Dr. Virginie Pointet Perrizolo | Université de Genève - Faculté de Medecine
Dr. Francesca Suardi | Université de Genève Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation
Prof. Dr. Joann Robinson | University of Connecticut
Sandra Rusconi Serpa | Université de Genève Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation
Prof. Dr. Kerstin von Plessen | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Prof. Dr. Daniel Schechter | CHUV / Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent
Background
Several studies have shown associations between maternal interpersonal violence related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), child psychiatric morbidity and impaired socioemotional development. However, maternal PTSD and other psychopathology are both associated with numerous other maternal (risk) factors as well as a complex pattern of potential child outcome variables.
Methods
We performed a prospective longitudinal investigation of 62 mothers pathology, behaviors and skills when their children when were toddlers (between 1 and 3.5 years old, Phase 1), and child outcomes when children were 5 to 9 years old (Phase 2), while retaining a focus on the context of maternal PTSD. To identify and weigh associated dimensions comparatively, we employed sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA) aimed at associating dimensions of a dataset of 20 maternal variables at Phase 1 (toddler-age) with that of more than 20 child outcome variables (i.e., child psychopathology, life-events, and social- emotional skills) at Phase 2 (school-age).
Results
sCCA found that a maternal dimension of PTSD and related concepts were significantly and reliably associated with negative child outcomes. Results stressed the importance of PTSD, depressive and dissociative symptoms, and self-reported parental stress. The models most important child outcomes were child psychopathology (PTSD, anxiety, depressive symptoms) as well as bullying and victimization. Child internalizing and externalizing symptoms as well as child temperaments with negative reactivity and task persistence also had weights on said child outcome dimension when adding maternal reports of children’s behavior to the analysis.
Conclusions
The results highlight the dimensional and multi-faceted nature - both for mothers as well as children -of the inter-generational transmission of violence and associated psychopathology. This further underscores the importance of early intervention targeting mothers, the mother-child relationship, and the child’s individual temperament and development.