Abstract
Research has demonstrated the predictive effect of maternal childhood maltreatment on adolescent internalizing problems. However, few studies have explored the mediating mechanisms of how mothers’ experiences of childhood maltreatment are transmitted to their offspring’s internalizing problems over time. The present multi-informant study investigated the potential mediating effects of maternal depressive symptoms and offspring’s childhood maltreatment experiences on the relation between maternal childhood maltreatment and adolescent internalizing problems. A total of 823 Chinese youth (43.4% girls; Mage = 10.26 years, SD = 0.94) and their mothers participated in a two-wave longitudinal study with one-year intervals. Mothers reported their experiences of childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms, while youth reported their childhood maltreatment experiences and internalizing problems. Findings of path analysis indicated that maternal emotional abuse at T1 could significantly predict adolescent internalizing problems at T2, after controlling for a baseline of adolescent internalizing problems. Maternal emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect at T1 can influence adolescent internalizing problems at T2 through maternal depressive symptoms at T1 to adolescent internalizing problems at T1. Maternal emotional abuse at T1 displayed statistically significant indirect effects on adolescent internalizing problems at T2 successively through the pathway from adolescent emotional abuse at T1 to adolescent internalizing problems at T1. The findings supported the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis. The present study highlights the intergenerational link between maternal childhood maltreatment and adolescent internalizing problems, as well as reveals the mediating mechanisms in this relation.
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We are grateful to the participants of this study for their participation.
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This research was supported by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2021ZD0203804), and Funds for Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Foundation, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (22YJC190031), and Funds for Young Doctor of Institutions of Higher Learning of Gansu Province (2022QB-036), and Funds for General Project of Social Science Planning of Gansu Province (2022YB057), and Funds for Youth Science and Technology of Gansu Province (22JR5RA170).
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X.G. conceived of the study, and participated in its design and coordination and performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript; L.Z. participated in the design and coordination of the study and helped to draft the manuscript; J.Z. participated in the design of the study and performed the measurement; T.B. participated in the revision and coordination of the study and helped revise the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Gong, X., Zhang, L., Zhou, J. et al. Maternal Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescent Internalizing Problems: The Mediating Role of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Offspring Childhood Maltreatment. J. Youth Adolescence 53, 159–170 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01877-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01877-5