Intergenerational association of adverse childhood experiences and perinatal mental health in adult female offspring: evidence from the longitudinal grandmothers, mothers, and their Children's health study in China

作者：Hui Wang, Yue Zhang, Weijie Ding, Jiyue Dai, Xiaoqin Zhu, Xiaolin Xu · 发表于：The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101579 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Child Abuse and Trauma、Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research、Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Background: The cycle of maltreatment theory posits a linkage between mothers' and offspring's exposures to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and their associations with offspring's early-life mental health; however, such associations in adulthood remain unclear. This study aims to examine the intergenerational association between mothers' ACEs, offspring's ACEs, and offspring's mental health from pregnancy to three years after childbirth, and to explore the potential pathways. Methods: We used data on 1931 mother-offspring dyads from the longitudinal Grandmothers, Mothers, and Their Children's Health study in Huai'an city, China. ACEs were retrospectively assessed based on the Childhood Trauma Screener. Offspring's symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured through self-reported diagnoses or symptoms and standard questionnaires (the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale for anxiety and the 10-item Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for depression) during pregnancy, one year and three years after childbirth. Logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the associations. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the potential mediating pathways. Findings: A total of 367 (19.0%) mothers and 271 (14.0%) female offspring reported the history of ACEs. Female offspring of mothers with ACEs also had higher odds of exposure to ACEs (odds ratio [OR] = 3.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.51-4.53). Mothers' and female offspring's e...