Shame and Alienation Related to Child Maltreatment: Links to Symptoms Across Generations
Publication Date
7-1-2018
Document Type
Article
Organizational Units
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Psychology
Keywords
Shame, Alienation, Posttrauma appraisals, Intergenerational trauma, Mother survivors of maltreatment
Abstract
Objective: The current study investigated associations between appraisals of shame and alienation related to mothers’ own experiences of child maltreatment and symptoms across generations—in mothers themselves as well as their toddler/preschool-aged children.
Method: Mothers who survived maltreatment (N = 113) with a child between the ages of 2 and 5 were recruited to participate in an online study on Maternal Coping, Attachment and Health. Mother participants completed a series of questionnaires, including those that asked about posttrauma appraisals of their own maltreatment experiences as well as their child’s and their own mental health symptoms.
Results: When taking into account other posttrauma appraisals (e.g., fear, betrayal, anger, self-blame), maternal shame and alienation were both significantly associated with maternal trauma-related distress (a composite of anxiety, PTSD, dissociation, and depressive symptoms). Maternal shame was also significantly linked to child internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms. Lower levels of fear and higher levels of betrayal were associated with externalizing symptoms as well. Maternal trauma-related distress mediated the relationship between maternal shame and child externalizing symptoms, and partially mediated the relationship between shame and internalizing symptoms.
Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind to examine the role of posttrauma appraisals among mother survivors of maltreatment as they relate to symptoms in their young children. Although additional research is necessary, findings suggest that mothers’ posttrauma appraisals, such as shame, could be a relevant factor in the early social-emotional development of survivors’ children.
Copyright Date
11-20-2017
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the American Psychological Association. User is responsible for all copyright compliance. This article was originally published as:
Babcock Fenerci, R. L., & DePrince, A. P. (2018). Shame and alienation related to child maltreatment: Links to symptoms across generations. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 10(4), 419-426. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000332
Rights Holder
American Psychological Association
Provenance
Received from CHORUS
Language
English (eng)
Publication Title
Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Volume
10
Issue
4
First Page
419
Last Page
426
ISSN
1942-969X
PubMed ID
29154593
Recommended Citation
Babcock Fenerci, R. L., & DePrince, A. P. (2018). Shame and alienation related to child maltreatment: Links to symptoms across generations. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 10(4), 419-426. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000332