Authors' Affiliations

Diana Morelen, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Lauren Driggers-Jones, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC. Chelsea Robertson, Department of Psychology, College of Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV.

Location

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Start Date

4-5-2024 9:00 AM

End Date

4-5-2024 11:30 AM

Poster Number

181

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Wallace Dixon

Faculty Sponsor's Department

Psychology

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Master’s

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Presentation Category

Social Sciences

Abstract or Artist's Statement

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring before age 18 that have been identified as leading indicators of a myriad of negative health outcomes in adulthood. Specifically, ACEs have been linked to increased adult anxiety, depression, and difficulties in emotion regulation and to decreased perceived social support. These outcomes seem to be cyclic in nature and transmit intergenerationally. For instance, individuals exposed to early adversity have an increased risk for future health difficulties, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of adversity for the individuals’ children. Thus, the present study aimed to explore paths through which adversity may be transmitted intergenerationally, specifically through caregiver mental health (e.g., anxiety and depression), emotion regulation, and perceived social support. We expected these four pathways to mediate the relationship between caregiver and child ACEs. Data were collected on child and caregiver ACEs, as well as caregiver anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and social support, using anonymous survey methodology among 326 caregivers with children between the ages of 3 months to 15 years old. REDCap survey links were published across various social media outlets and relevant listservs. Respondents primarily identified as white, female, well-educated, and middle-class. The children’s sex distribution was approximately equal. ACEs were assessed using an expanded ACEs survey adapted from the Health-Resiliency-Stress Questionnaire, with caregivers completing the survey for both themselves and their children. Caregiver anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), emotion regulation using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18), and social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). As hypothesized, caregiver childhood adversity (i.e., their ACE scores) was positively correlated with their own reported anxiety [r(326) = .24, p < .001], depression [r(326) = .23, p < .001], and emotion regulation difficulties [r(326) = .20, p < .001], as well as with their children’s ACE scores [r(325) = .16, p < .01]. Additionally, caregiver ACEs were negatively correlated with their experienced social support, r(326) = .-.18, p < .001. Simple mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of caregiver ACEs on child ACEs through caregiver anxiety [B = .03, 95% BCa CI (.006, .059)], and depression [B = .02, 95% BCa CI (.004, .045)]. No significant indirect effects were found for difficulties in emotion regulation or perceived social support. In sum, caregiver mental health appears to be a strong pathway for and predictor of intergenerational trauma, indicating that efforts to mitigate caregiver mental health may promote successful developmental outcomes for generations to follow. However, future research should also give further consideration to the potential roles of emotion regulation and social support. These potential mediators have also been found to mediate the relationship between individual ACEs and their mental health.

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Apr 5th, 9:00 AM Apr 5th, 11:30 AM

Exploring Intergenerational Trauma: The Impact of Caregiver Mental Health and Social Support on Adverse Childhood Experiences

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events occurring before age 18 that have been identified as leading indicators of a myriad of negative health outcomes in adulthood. Specifically, ACEs have been linked to increased adult anxiety, depression, and difficulties in emotion regulation and to decreased perceived social support. These outcomes seem to be cyclic in nature and transmit intergenerationally. For instance, individuals exposed to early adversity have an increased risk for future health difficulties, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of adversity for the individuals’ children. Thus, the present study aimed to explore paths through which adversity may be transmitted intergenerationally, specifically through caregiver mental health (e.g., anxiety and depression), emotion regulation, and perceived social support. We expected these four pathways to mediate the relationship between caregiver and child ACEs. Data were collected on child and caregiver ACEs, as well as caregiver anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, and social support, using anonymous survey methodology among 326 caregivers with children between the ages of 3 months to 15 years old. REDCap survey links were published across various social media outlets and relevant listservs. Respondents primarily identified as white, female, well-educated, and middle-class. The children’s sex distribution was approximately equal. ACEs were assessed using an expanded ACEs survey adapted from the Health-Resiliency-Stress Questionnaire, with caregivers completing the survey for both themselves and their children. Caregiver anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), emotion regulation using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18), and social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). As hypothesized, caregiver childhood adversity (i.e., their ACE scores) was positively correlated with their own reported anxiety [r(326) = .24, p < .001], depression [r(326) = .23, p < .001], and emotion regulation difficulties [r(326) = .20, p < .001], as well as with their children’s ACE scores [r(325) = .16, p < .01]. Additionally, caregiver ACEs were negatively correlated with their experienced social support, r(326) = .-.18, p < .001. Simple mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of caregiver ACEs on child ACEs through caregiver anxiety [B = .03, 95% BCa CI (.006, .059)], and depression [B = .02, 95% BCa CI (.004, .045)]. No significant indirect effects were found for difficulties in emotion regulation or perceived social support. In sum, caregiver mental health appears to be a strong pathway for and predictor of intergenerational trauma, indicating that efforts to mitigate caregiver mental health may promote successful developmental outcomes for generations to follow. However, future research should also give further consideration to the potential roles of emotion regulation and social support. These potential mediators have also been found to mediate the relationship between individual ACEs and their mental health.