Authors: Dominik Andreas Moser; Shannen Graf; Jennifer Glaus; Sébastien Urben; Sondes Jouabli; Virginie Pointet Perrizolo; Francesca Suardi; JoAnn Robinson; Sandra Rusconi Serpa; Kerstin Jessica Plessen; Daniel Scott Schechter · Research

How Does Maternal Trauma Impact Children's Development?

Maternal PTSD and related issues in early childhood are linked to various behavioral and emotional challenges for school-age children.

Source: Moser, D. A., Graf, S., Glaus, J., Urben, S., Jouabli, S., Pointet Perrizolo, V., Suardi, F., Robinson, J., Rusconi Serpa, S., Plessen, K. J., & Schechter, D. S. (2023). On the complex and dimensional relationship of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder during early childhood and child outcomes at school-age. European Psychiatry, 66(1), e20, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.8

What you need to know

  • Mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to interpersonal violence may struggle with parenting, which can affect their children’s development.
  • Children of mothers with PTSD symptoms during early childhood are at higher risk for various behavioral and emotional problems when they reach school age.
  • The effects of maternal trauma on children are complex and multi-faceted, involving not just PTSD but also related issues like depression, parenting stress, and difficulties with emotional awareness.

The Impact of Maternal Trauma on Child Development

When parents experience trauma, particularly related to interpersonal violence, it can have far-reaching effects on their children’s development. This study looked at how mothers’ posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related issues during their children’s early years (ages 1-3) were associated with various outcomes for those same children when they reached school age (ages 5-9).

Maternal Factors

The researchers examined several factors related to mothers’ mental health and parenting when their children were toddlers:

  1. PTSD symptoms: These can include intrusive memories, avoidance of trauma reminders, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.

  2. Depression: Symptoms like persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, and difficulty concentrating.

  3. Dissociation: Feeling disconnected from one’s thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity.

  4. Parenting stress: The difficulties and challenges associated with the parenting role.

  5. Alexithymia: Difficulty identifying and describing one’s own emotions.

  6. Maternal sensitivity: The ability to perceive and respond appropriately to the child’s signals and needs.

Child Outcomes

When the children reached school age, the researchers looked at various aspects of their behavior, emotional well-being, and social interactions:

  1. Symptoms of mental health issues: Including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

  2. Bullying: Both perpetrating bullying behaviors and being a victim of bullying.

  3. Emotional comprehension: The ability to understand and process emotions.

  4. Representations of parents: How children viewed their parents in storytelling tasks.

Key Findings

The study found that maternal PTSD symptoms and related issues during early childhood were indeed associated with various challenges for children when they reached school age. Here are some of the main findings:

Maternal Mental Health Matters

Mothers’ PTSD symptoms, along with depression and dissociation, were strongly linked to children’s later outcomes. This suggests that addressing mothers’ mental health early on could have significant benefits for their children’s development.

Parenting Stress Plays a Role

High levels of parenting stress when children were young were associated with more difficulties for children at school age. This highlights the importance of supporting parents in managing the challenges of raising young children.

Children’s Mental Health

Children of mothers with higher PTSD symptoms were more likely to show signs of various mental health issues themselves, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Social Challenges

Interestingly, maternal PTSD was linked to both bullying behaviors and being bullied among school-age children. This suggests that the effects of maternal trauma can extend to children’s social interactions with peers.

Perceptions of Parents

Children of mothers with higher PTSD symptoms were more likely to represent their parents as harsh in storytelling tasks. This indicates that maternal trauma may influence how children view their relationships with their parents.

Implications for Families and Clinicians

These findings have several important implications:

  1. Early intervention is crucial: Addressing mothers’ mental health and parenting challenges early in a child’s life could have long-lasting benefits.

  2. Comprehensive approach needed: Given the complex interplay of factors, interventions should address not just PTSD symptoms, but also related issues like depression, parenting stress, and parent-child interactions.

  3. Monitor children’s development: Children of mothers with trauma histories may need extra support and monitoring as they grow, particularly in areas of emotional and social development.

  4. Support for social skills: Given the link to bullying behaviors, these children might benefit from programs that foster healthy social interactions and conflict resolution skills.

  5. Family-centered care: Treatment approaches that involve both parents and children may be most effective in breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

Conclusions

  • Maternal PTSD and related issues in early childhood can have wide-ranging effects on children’s development.
  • These effects are complex and multifaceted, involving mental health, social interactions, and family relationships.
  • Early, comprehensive interventions that support both mothers and children may be key to promoting healthy development in families affected by trauma.

This research underscores the interconnected nature of parent and child well-being. By supporting mothers who have experienced trauma, we can also help set their children on a path toward healthier emotional and social development. While the effects of maternal trauma are significant, this study also points to opportunities for intervention and positive change.

Back to Blog

Related Articles

View All Articles »