Pathways of Intergenerational Risk: Examining the Association Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Child Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Concerns at 8 Years of Age

Pathways of Intergenerational Risk: Examining the Association Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Child Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Concerns at 8 Years of Age

Children--Mental health

Kristen Walker

Jenney Zhu, Nicole Racine, Suzanne Tough, Sheri Madigan

Child Maltreatment

Vol. 30

No. 2

2025

SAGE Publications

Journal article

English

Open Access

Support has been found for the intergenerational transmission of risk from maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to child outcomes. Less research has focused on longitudinal psychosocial pathways that account for this transmission. In the current study, path analysis examined mediating pathways (i.e., maternal adult attachment insecurity, romantic relationship functioning, and maternal anxiety and depression symptoms) in the association between maternal ACEs and internalizing and externalizing concerns among their child at eight years of age. Participants included 1,994 mother-child dyads from a prospective longitudinal cohort sample. Maternal ACEs were significantly associated directly with child internalizing concerns (β = .06, p = .025) and indirectly via both maternal attachment anxiety and avoidance, lower romantic relationship functioning, and depression, (β = .002, p = .006; β = .003, p = .005, respectively). Maternal ACEs were directly associated with child externalizing concerns (β = .06, p = .018) and indirectly via both maternal attachment anxiety and avoidance, lower romantic relationship functioning, and depression, (β = .001, p = .008; β = .002, p = .010, respectively). This study identified several maternal risk factors that have implications for downstream internalizing and externalizing concerns among their children.