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Graf S, Schechter DS. The Impact of Maternal Interpersonal Violent Trauma and Related Psychopathology on Child Outcomes and Intergenerational Transmission. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:166-175. [PMID: 38427205 PMCID: PMC10978628 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01491-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to outline some consequences that maternal history of trauma with and without related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), can have on their children's development and functioning. It then addresses mechanisms through which intergenerational transmission of interpersonal violence (IPV) and related psychopathology may occur. RECENT FINDINGS Findings include the effects of maternal IPV experience and related psychopathology on child social-emotional and biologically-based outcomes. This includes increased developmental disturbances and child psychopathology, as well as physiological factors. Secondly, the review focuses on psychobiological mechanisms by which maternal experience of IPV and related psychopathology likely trigger intergenerational effects. Maternal IPV and related psychopathology can have a negative impact on several areas of their child's life including development, interactive behavior, psychopathology, and physiology. This transmission may partially be due to fetal and perinatal processes, genetic and epigenetic effects, and interactions with their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannen Graf
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel S Schechter
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Pointet Perizzolo VC, Glaus J, Stein CR, Willheim E, Vital M, Arnautovic E, Kaleka K, Rusconi Serpa S, Pons F, Moser DA, Schechter DS. Impact of mothers' IPV-PTSD on their capacity to predict their child's emotional comprehension and its relationship to their child's psychopathology. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2022; 13:2008152. [PMID: 35111283 PMCID: PMC8803052 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2021.2008152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies demonstrated that when the violence-exposed child becomes a mother and interacts with her own child during early sensitive periods for social-emotional development, she may have difficulties providing sensitive responsiveness to the child's emotional communication. Such difficulties place the child's development of emotional comprehension (EC) and related self-regulation at risk. The aim of this study was to examine how mothers' interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic disorder (IPV-PTSD) would affect their children's EC and their own ability to predict their children's EC. We also investigated how mothers' predictive ability would correlate with child psychopathology. METHODS Sixty-one mother-child dyads (36 with IPV-PTSD) participated in this study. Children's (mean age = 7.0 years, SD = 1.1) EC was assessed with the Test of Emotion Comprehension (child TEC) and their psychopathology as reported by the mother was assessed with the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and as evaluated by a clinician using selected modules of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS). Mothers were measured for IPV-PTSD with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and for their capacity to predict their child's emotional comprehension (mother-responding-as-child TEC; mTEC). RESULTS We found no significant between-group differences in children's level of EC. Maternal PTSD was associated with lower scores on the mTEC, however. Reduced maternal scores on the mTEC were significantly associated with maternal report of increased aggressive child behaviour and with depression symptoms on the K-SADS. Further, scores on the mTEC interacted with maternal report of child aggression on child oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms on the K-SADS. CONCLUSION These findings support that improving maternal emotional comprehension may help reduce child risk for psychiatric morbidity in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- V C Pointet Perizzolo
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - J Glaus
- Department of Psychiatry, University Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lausanne University Medical Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - C R Stein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - E Willheim
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - M Vital
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - E Arnautovic
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - K Kaleka
- College of Medicine, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA
| | - S Rusconi Serpa
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - F Pons
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dominik A Moser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lausanne University Medical Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - D S Schechter
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, University Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lausanne University Medical Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Perizzolo Pointet VC, Moser DA, Vital M, Rusconi Serpa S, Todorov A, Schechter DS. Violence Exposure Is Associated With Atypical Appraisal of Threat Among Women: An EEG Study. Front Psychol 2021; 11:576852. [PMID: 33510667 PMCID: PMC7835125 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.576852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The present study investigates the association of lifetime interpersonal violence (IPV) exposure, related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD), and appraisal of the degree of threat posed by facial avatars. Methods We recorded self-rated responses and high-density electroencephalography (HD-EEG) among women, 16 of whom with lifetime IPV-PTSD and 14 with no PTSD, during a face-evaluation task that displayed male face avatars varying in their degree of threat as rated along dimensions of dominance and trustworthiness. Results The study found a significant association between lifetime IPV exposure, under-estimation of dominance, and over-estimation of trustworthiness. Characterization of EEG microstates supported that lifetime IPV-PTSD modulates emotional appraisal, specifically in encoding and decoding processing associated with N170 and LPP evoked potentials. EEG source localization demonstrated an overactivation of the limbic system, in particular the parahippocampal gyrus, in response to non-threatening avatars. Additionally, dysfunctional involvement of attention-related processing anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) was found in response to relatively trustworthy avatars in IPV-PTSD individuals compared with non-PTSD controls. Discussion This study showed that IPV exposure and related PTSD modulate individuals' evaluation of facial characteristics suggesting threat. Atypical processing of these avatar characteristics was marked by group differences in brain regions linked to facial processing, emotion regulation, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominik Andrea Moser
- University Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lausanne University Medical Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marylène Vital
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Rusconi Serpa
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Todorov
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel Scott Schechter
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,University Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lausanne University Medical Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Glaus J, Pointet Perizzolo V, Moser DA, Vital M, Rusconi Serpa S, Urben S, Plessen KJ, Schechter DS. Associations Between Maternal Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Events With Child Psychopathology: Results From a Prospective Longitudinal Study. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:718108. [PMID: 34526924 PMCID: PMC8435628 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV) can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers, and in turn adversely affect the mother-child relationship during early development, as well as the mental health of their children. Our objectives are to assess: (1) the association of maternal IPV-PTSD to child psychopathology, (2) the association of maternal IPV independently of PTSD to child psychopathology, and (3) the relationship between child exposure to violence to the psychopathology of these children. Methods: We used data from the longitudinal Geneva Early Childhood Stress Project. The sample included 64 children [mean age at Phase 1 = 2.4 (1.0-3.7) years] of mothers with or without IPV-PTSD. Data on mothers was collected during Phase 1, using the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Brief Physical and Sexual Abuse Questionnaire (BPSAQ) and the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). Modules of a semi-structured diagnostic interview, and the Violence Exposure Scale were used to collect information on child at Phase 2, when children were older [mean age = 7.02 (4.7-10)]. Results: A higher CAPS score in mothers when children were toddler-age was associated with an increased risk of symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; β = 0.33, p = 0.014) and PTSD in school-age children. The association between maternal IPV-PTSD and child PTSD (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) symptoms remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. Among children, exposure to violence was associated with an increased risk of symptoms of generalized anxiety (β = 0.37, p = 0.006), major depressive (β = 0.24, p = 0.039), ADHD (β = 0.27, p = 0.040), PTSD (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), conduct (β = 0.58, p = 0.003) and oppositional defiant (β = 0.34, p = 0.032) disorders. Conclusion: Our longitudinal findings suggest that maternal IPV-PTSD during the period of child development exert an influence on the development of psychopathology in school-aged children. Mothers' IPV was associated with child psychopathology, independently of PTSD. Child lifetime exposure to violence had an additional impact on the development of psychopathology. Careful evaluation of maternal life-events is essential during early childhood to reduce the risk for the development of child psychopathology. Early efforts to curb exposure to violence in children and early intervention are both needed to reduce further risk for intergenerational transmission of trauma, violence, and related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Glaus
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Dominik A Moser
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marylène Vital
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Sébastien Urben
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kerstin J Plessen
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel S Schechter
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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