J Affect Disord. 2022 Dec 1;318:130-138. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.061. Epub 2022 Aug 27.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted parental and child mental health; however, it is critical to examine this impact in the context of parental histories of adversity. We hypothesized that maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and pandemic-related negative life events would predict child traumatic stress symptoms (TSS) and tested potential mediating pathways through maternal pandemic-related TSS and/or poorer maternal sensitivity during the pandemic.
Data were collected from a longitudinal sample of low-income, racially/ethnically diverse mothers and their children. Between May and November 2020, mothers (n = 111) of young children (M age = 7.42 years, SD = 0.45) completed questionnaires to assess their own and their child's pandemic-related TSS, exposure to pandemic-related negative events, and parent-child relationship quality. Maternal ACEs, maternal depression, parent-child relationship quality, and child internalizing symptoms had been assessed approximately 1-3 years prior.
Structural equation analyses revealed that pandemic negative life events were indirectly associated with child TSS via greater maternal TSS. For mothers, recent pandemic-related negative events were associated with their own TSS, whereas maternal ACEs were not. Maternal ACEs directly predicted greater child TSS, with no evidence of mediation by either maternal TSS or maternal sensitivity.
All measures were parent report, and pandemic-related measures were collected at the same time point.
Findings underscore the long reach of mothers' own adverse childhood experiences, highlighting the negative consequences of these prior traumatic exposures alongside current pandemic-related maternal trauma symptoms for children's adjustment during the pandemic.
COVID-19 大流行对父母和儿童的心理健康产生了负面影响；然而，重要的是要在父母逆境经历的背景下检查这种影响。我们假设，母亲的不良童年经历（ACE）和与大流行相关的负面生活事件会预测儿童创伤后应激症状（TSS），并通过母亲与大流行相关的 TSS 和/或大流行期间较差的母亲敏感性来检验潜在的中介途径。
数据来自一个低收入、种族/民族多样化的母亲及其子女的纵向样本。在 2020 年 5 月至 11 月期间，年幼子女（M 年龄=7.42 岁，SD=0.45）的母亲（n=111）完成了问卷，以评估他们自己和孩子与大流行相关的 TSS、接触与大流行相关的负面事件以及亲子关系质量。母亲 ACE、母亲抑郁、亲子关系质量和儿童内化症状在大约 1-3 年前进行了评估。
结构方程分析表明，大流行的负面生活事件通过增加母亲的 TSS 与儿童 TSS 间接相关。对于母亲来说，最近与大流行相关的负面事件与她们自己的 TSS 相关，而与母亲的 ACE 无关。母亲 ACE 直接预测儿童 TSS 增加，没有证据表明母亲 TSS 或母亲敏感性存在中介作用。
所有措施均为父母报告，与大流行相关的措施在同一时间点收集。
研究结果强调了母亲自身不良童年经历的深远影响，突显了这些先前创伤暴露以及当前与大流行相关的母亲创伤症状对儿童在大流行期间适应的负面影响。
