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Maternal History of Child Maltreatment Predicts Dysregulated Offspring Stress Response System Functioning
Rachel Y Levin1, Justin Russotti1, Sheree L Toth1
1Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
Child Maltreatment
|January 29, 2025
Summary
Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) predicts offspring neuroendocrine dysregulation, even when the child also experiences CM. This highlights intergenerational risk for negative health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a significant risk factor for adverse health outcomes.
- Understanding intergenerational transmission of risk is crucial for effective interventions.
- Neuroendocrine dysregulation, indicated by cortisol/DHEA ratios, is a key pathway linking adversity to poor health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent and combined effects of maternal and offspring CM on offspring cortisol/DHEA ratios.
- To explore the longitudinal association between maternal CM and offspring depressive symptoms in young adulthood.
- To examine the cortisol/DHEA ratio as a mediator in the pathway from maternal CM to offspring depression.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with N=247 participants.
- Assessed maternal and offspring history of childhood maltreatment (CM).
- Measured offspring cortisol/DHEA ratios in childhood and depressive symptoms in young adulthood.
Main Results:
- Maternal CM significantly predicted offspring childhood cortisol/DHEA ratios, independent of offspring's own CM history.
- Offspring's CM history did not significantly predict their cortisol/DHEA ratio.
- The cortisol/DHEA ratio did not mediate the link between maternal CM and offspring depression.
Conclusions:
- Childhood maltreatment can have multigenerational effects, with maternal experiences impacting offspring neuroendocrine function.
- Findings support screening for maternal adversity history in at-risk youth.
- Intergenerational cascades of adversity highlight the need for comprehensive family-focused interventions.
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