Is neglect the first form of threat?

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Neuroscience
• Child psychopathology

Background:

• Maternal childhood maltreatment links to child psychopathology.
• Infant stress systems (HPA axis, limbic regions) may mediate intergenerational effects.
• Threat and deprivation experiences differentially impact brain development.

Purpose of the Study:

• Review findings on intergenerational transmission of maltreatment effects (threat vs. deprivation).
• Propose a Developmental Salience Model of Threat.
• Integrate human and animal study findings on stress system development.

Main Methods:

• Review of emerging findings from the Mother-Infant Neurobiological Development (MIND) Study.
• Synthesis of human and animal research on stress system responses to threat and deprivation.
• Development of a theoretical model (Developmental Salience Model of Threat).

Main Results:

• Threat and deprivation have distinct effects on infant stress systems.
• Human and animal studies present contrasting predictions.
• The Developmental Salience Model of Threat is proposed.

Conclusions:

• Threat of neglect is evolutionarily more salient than threat of attack for infant stress systems.
• This salience influences the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment effects.
• The model integrates diverse findings on early life stress and development.