Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with parental aggression towards children, but little is known about the relation between parents’ PTSD symptoms and their risk for perpetrating child physical abuse during the early parenting years, when the potential for prevention of abuse may be highest. Objective: To examine direct associations between mothers’ and fathers’ PTSD symptoms and child abuse potential, as well as indirect effects through couple relationship adjustment (i.e., conflict and love) in a high-risk sample of parents during the perinatal period, most of whom were first-time parents. Participants and setting: From March 2013 to August 2016, data were collected from 150 expecting or new parental dyads in which the mother was participating in a home visiting program. Methods: Data were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model. Results: For mothers and fathers, there were direct associations between PTSD symptom severity and child abuse potential (βs =.51, ps <.001), and this association for fathers was stronger at higher levels of mothers’ PTSD symptoms (β =.15, p =.03). In addition, parents’ own and their partners’ PTSD symptoms were each indirectly associated with parents’ own child abuse potential through parents’ report of interparental conflict (standardized indirect effects =.052–.069, ps =.004) but not love. Conclusions: Addressing parents’ PTSD symptoms and relationship conflict during the perinatal period using both systemic and developmental perspectives may uniquely serve to decrease the risk of child physical abuse and its myriad adverse consequences.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 66-75 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Child Abuse and Neglect |
| Volume | 90 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2019 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
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Parents’ PTSD symptoms and child abuse potential during the perinatal period : Direct associations and mediation via relationship conflict. / Fredman, Steffany Jane; Le, Yunying; Marshall, Amy Dyanna; Garcia Hernandez, Walter; Feinberg, Mark Ethan; Ammerman, Robert T.
In: Child Abuse and Neglect, Vol. 90, 01.04.2019, p. 66-75.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents’ PTSD symptoms and child abuse potential during the perinatal period
T2 - Direct associations and mediation via relationship conflict
AU - Fredman, Steffany Jane
AU - Le, Yunying
AU - Marshall, Amy Dyanna
AU - Garcia Hernandez, Walter
AU - Feinberg, Mark Ethan
AU - Ammerman, Robert T.
PY - 2019/4/1
Y1 - 2019/4/1
N2 - Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with parental aggression towards children, but little is known about the relation between parents’ PTSD symptoms and their risk for perpetrating child physical abuse during the early parenting years, when the potential for prevention of abuse may be highest. Objective: To examine direct associations between mothers’ and fathers’ PTSD symptoms and child abuse potential, as well as indirect effects through couple relationship adjustment (i.e., conflict and love) in a high-risk sample of parents during the perinatal period, most of whom were first-time parents. Participants and setting: From March 2013 to August 2016, data were collected from 150 expecting or new parental dyads in which the mother was participating in a home visiting program. Methods: Data were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model. Results: For mothers and fathers, there were direct associations between PTSD symptom severity and child abuse potential (βs =.51, ps <.001), and this association for fathers was stronger at higher levels of mothers’ PTSD symptoms (β =.15, p =.03). In addition, parents’ own and their partners’ PTSD symptoms were each indirectly associated with parents’ own child abuse potential through parents’ report of interparental conflict (standardized indirect effects =.052–.069, ps =.004) but not love. Conclusions: Addressing parents’ PTSD symptoms and relationship conflict during the perinatal period using both systemic and developmental perspectives may uniquely serve to decrease the risk of child physical abuse and its myriad adverse consequences.
AB - Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with parental aggression towards children, but little is known about the relation between parents’ PTSD symptoms and their risk for perpetrating child physical abuse during the early parenting years, when the potential for prevention of abuse may be highest. Objective: To examine direct associations between mothers’ and fathers’ PTSD symptoms and child abuse potential, as well as indirect effects through couple relationship adjustment (i.e., conflict and love) in a high-risk sample of parents during the perinatal period, most of whom were first-time parents. Participants and setting: From March 2013 to August 2016, data were collected from 150 expecting or new parental dyads in which the mother was participating in a home visiting program. Methods: Data were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model. Results: For mothers and fathers, there were direct associations between PTSD symptom severity and child abuse potential (βs =.51, ps <.001), and this association for fathers was stronger at higher levels of mothers’ PTSD symptoms (β =.15, p =.03). In addition, parents’ own and their partners’ PTSD symptoms were each indirectly associated with parents’ own child abuse potential through parents’ report of interparental conflict (standardized indirect effects =.052–.069, ps =.004) but not love. Conclusions: Addressing parents’ PTSD symptoms and relationship conflict during the perinatal period using both systemic and developmental perspectives may uniquely serve to decrease the risk of child physical abuse and its myriad adverse consequences.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.024
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.024
M3 - Article
VL - 90
SP - 66
EP - 75
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
SN - 0145-2134
ER -