Madigan Sheri, Plamondon André, Jenkins Jennifer M
Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2025 Jul;66(7):1029-1039. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.14118. Epub 2025 Jan 26.
This longitudinal study with multi-informant (maternal, paternal, and experimenter) and multimethod (questionnaires, behavioral observations, and standardized assessments) data tests an intergenerational model from mothers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to their children's socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes.
Participants were 501 children (50.7% male) and caregivers (56.5% white) followed from child age 2 months to 5 years. Mothers reported on their ACEs, as well as their postnatal socio-economic status (SES), marital conflict, and depressive symptoms. Observers rated maternal sensitivity using validated coding systems. Partners' history of childhood conduct problems and children's emotional and conduct problems were rated by mothers and fathers, and cognition was assessed by experimenters using standardized assessments.
Maternal ACEs score was associated with children's socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes through unique intermediary pathways. Specifically, maternal ACEs were related to child emotion problems through SES, paternal history of conduct problems, and maternal depression. Maternal ACEs to child conduct problems operated via SES, paternal history of conduct problems, and marital conflict. Maternal ACEs to child cognitive skills operated through SES and maternal sensitivity.
Maternal ACEs, economic stress, and paternal history of conduct problems may collectively strain families, diverting caregiver attention and resources, which may impact childrearing and children's development. To effectively address root causes of intergenerational risks, it is critical to advocate for resources and supports that mitigate these hardship conditions. In addition, interventions that target modifiable individual and family factors may hold the greatest promise for breaking cycles of generational risk and promoting healthier outcomes for children and families.
这项纵向研究采用多信息提供者（母亲、父亲和实验者）和多方法（问卷调查、行为观察和标准化评估）数据，检验了一个从母亲的童年不良经历（ACEs）到其子女社会情感和认知结果的代际模型。
研究对象为501名儿童（50.7%为男性）及其照顾者（56.5%为白人），从儿童2个月大追踪至5岁。母亲报告自己的ACEs、产后社会经济地位（SES）、婚姻冲突和抑郁症状。观察者使用经过验证的编码系统对母亲的敏感性进行评分。母亲和父亲对伴侣童年行为问题的历史以及孩子的情绪和行为问题进行评分，实验者使用标准化评估对认知进行评估。
母亲的ACEs得分通过独特的中介途径与孩子的社会情感和认知结果相关。具体而言，母亲的ACEs通过SES、父亲的行为问题历史和母亲的抑郁与孩子的情绪问题相关。母亲的ACEs对孩子行为问题的影响通过SES、父亲的行为问题历史和婚姻冲突起作用。母亲的ACEs对孩子认知技能的影响通过SES和母亲的敏感性起作用。
母亲的ACEs、经济压力和父亲的行为问题历史可能共同给家庭带来压力，转移照顾者的注意力和资源，这可能影响育儿和孩子的发展。为了有效解决代际风险的根本原因，倡导提供减轻这些困难状况的资源和支持至关重要。此外，针对可改变的个人和家庭因素的干预措施可能最有希望打破代际风险循环，为儿童和家庭促进更健康的结果。
