Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Xuemei Ma; Alessandra Biaggi; Chiara Sacchi; Andrew Lawrence; Pei Jung Chen; Becky Pollard; Maryam Matter; Nuria Mackes; Katie Hazelgrove; Craig Morgan; Seeromanie Harding; Alessandra Simonelli; Gunter Schumann; Carmine Pariante; Mitul Mehta; Giovanni Montana; Ana Maria Rodriguez Mateos; Chiara Nosarti; Paola Dazzan

doi:10.1017/S0033291722001775

Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Xuemei Ma^*, Alessandra Biaggi, Chiara Sacchi, Andrew Lawrence, Pei Jung Chen, Becky Pollard, Maryam Matter, Nuria Mackes, Katie Hazelgrove, Craig Morgan, Seeromanie Harding, Alessandra Simonelli, Gunter Schumann, Carmine Pariante, Mitul Mehta, Giovanni Montana, Ana Maria Rodriguez Mateos, Chiara Nosarti, Paola Dazzan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Maternal experiences of childhood adversity can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in their children. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide the first narrative and quantitative synthesis of the mediators and moderators involved in the link between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane Library, grey literature and reference lists. Studies published up to February 2021 were included if they explored mediators or moderators between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development. Data were synthesised narratively and quantitatively by meta-analytic approaches. The search yielded 781 articles, with 74 full-text articles reviewed, and 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Maternal mental health was a significant individual-level mediator, while child traumatic experiences and insecure maternal–child attachment were consistent family-level mediators. However, the evidence for community-level mediators was limited. A meta-analysis of nine single-mediating analyses from five studies indicated three mediating pathways: maternal depression, negative parenting practices and maternal insecure attachment, with pooled indirect standardised effects of 0.10 [95% CI (0.03–0.17)), 0.01 (95% CI (−0.02 to 0.04)] and 0.07 [95% CI (0.01–0.12)], respectively. Research studies on moderators were few and identified some individual-level factors, such as child sex (e.g. the mediating role of parenting practices being only significant in girls), biological factors (e.g. maternal cortisol level) and genetic factors (e.g. child's serotonin-transporter genotype). In conclusion, maternal depression and maternal insecure attachment are two established mediating pathways that can explain the link between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development and offer opportunities for intervention.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1817-1837
Number of pages	21
Journal	Psychological Medicine
Volume	52
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001775
Publication status	Published - 22 Jul 2022

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Ma, X., Biaggi, A., Sacchi, C., Lawrence, A., Chen, P. J., Pollard, B., Matter, M., Mackes, N., Hazelgrove, K., Morgan, C., Harding, S., Simonelli, A., Schumann, G., Pariante, C., Mehta, M., Montana, G., Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., Nosarti, C., & Dazzan, P. (2022). Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 52(10), 1817-1837. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001775

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title = "Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis",

abstract = "Maternal experiences of childhood adversity can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in their children. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide the first narrative and quantitative synthesis of the mediators and moderators involved in the link between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane Library, grey literature and reference lists. Studies published up to February 2021 were included if they explored mediators or moderators between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development. Data were synthesised narratively and quantitatively by meta-analytic approaches. The search yielded 781 articles, with 74 full-text articles reviewed, and 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Maternal mental health was a significant individual-level mediator, while child traumatic experiences and insecure maternal–child attachment were consistent family-level mediators. However, the evidence for community-level mediators was limited. A meta-analysis of nine single-mediating analyses from five studies indicated three mediating pathways: maternal depression, negative parenting practices and maternal insecure attachment, with pooled indirect standardised effects of 0.10 [95% CI (0.03–0.17)), 0.01 (95% CI (−0.02 to 0.04)] and 0.07 [95% CI (0.01–0.12)], respectively. Research studies on moderators were few and identified some individual-level factors, such as child sex (e.g. the mediating role of parenting practices being only significant in girls), biological factors (e.g. maternal cortisol level) and genetic factors (e.g. child's serotonin-transporter genotype). In conclusion, maternal depression and maternal insecure attachment are two established mediating pathways that can explain the link between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development and offer opportunities for intervention.",

author = "Xuemei Ma and Alessandra Biaggi and Chiara Sacchi and Andrew Lawrence and Chen, {Pei Jung} and Becky Pollard and Maryam Matter and Nuria Mackes and Katie Hazelgrove and Craig Morgan and Seeromanie Harding and Alessandra Simonelli and Gunter Schumann and Carmine Pariante and Mitul Mehta and Giovanni Montana and {Rodriguez Mateos}, {Ana Maria} and Chiara Nosarti and Paola Dazzan",

note = "Funding Information: XM is supported by the King's-China Scholarship Council (K-CSC). Paola Dazzan's research is partly supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London and the UK Medical Research Council (Grant MR/S003444/1). Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1017/S0033291722001775",

language = "English",

volume = "52",

pages = "1817--1837",

journal = "Psychological Medicine",

issn = "1469-8978",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "10",

}

Ma, X , Biaggi, A, Sacchi, C, Lawrence, A , Chen, PJ , Pollard, B , Matter, M , Mackes, N , Hazelgrove, K , Morgan, C , Harding, S, Simonelli, A, Schumann, G , Pariante, C , Mehta, M, Montana, G, Rodriguez Mateos, AM , Nosarti, C & Dazzan, P 2022, 'Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Psychological Medicine, vol. 52, no. 10, pp. 1817-1837. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001775

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AU - Ma, Xuemei

AU - Biaggi, Alessandra

AU - Sacchi, Chiara

AU - Lawrence, Andrew

AU - Chen, Pei Jung

AU - Pollard, Becky

AU - Matter, Maryam

AU - Mackes, Nuria

AU - Hazelgrove, Katie

AU - Morgan, Craig

AU - Harding, Seeromanie

AU - Simonelli, Alessandra

AU - Schumann, Gunter

AU - Pariante, Carmine

AU - Mehta, Mitul

AU - Montana, Giovanni

AU - Rodriguez Mateos, Ana Maria

AU - Nosarti, Chiara

AU - Dazzan, Paola

N1 - Funding Information: XM is supported by the King's-China Scholarship Council (K-CSC). Paola Dazzan's research is partly supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London and the UK Medical Research Council (Grant MR/S003444/1). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2022/7/22

Y1 - 2022/7/22

N2 - Maternal experiences of childhood adversity can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in their children. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide the first narrative and quantitative synthesis of the mediators and moderators involved in the link between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane Library, grey literature and reference lists. Studies published up to February 2021 were included if they explored mediators or moderators between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development. Data were synthesised narratively and quantitatively by meta-analytic approaches. The search yielded 781 articles, with 74 full-text articles reviewed, and 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Maternal mental health was a significant individual-level mediator, while child traumatic experiences and insecure maternal–child attachment were consistent family-level mediators. However, the evidence for community-level mediators was limited. A meta-analysis of nine single-mediating analyses from five studies indicated three mediating pathways: maternal depression, negative parenting practices and maternal insecure attachment, with pooled indirect standardised effects of 0.10 [95% CI (0.03–0.17)), 0.01 (95% CI (−0.02 to 0.04)] and 0.07 [95% CI (0.01–0.12)], respectively. Research studies on moderators were few and identified some individual-level factors, such as child sex (e.g. the mediating role of parenting practices being only significant in girls), biological factors (e.g. maternal cortisol level) and genetic factors (e.g. child's serotonin-transporter genotype). In conclusion, maternal depression and maternal insecure attachment are two established mediating pathways that can explain the link between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development and offer opportunities for intervention.

AB - Maternal experiences of childhood adversity can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in their children. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide the first narrative and quantitative synthesis of the mediators and moderators involved in the link between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane Library, grey literature and reference lists. Studies published up to February 2021 were included if they explored mediators or moderators between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development. Data were synthesised narratively and quantitatively by meta-analytic approaches. The search yielded 781 articles, with 74 full-text articles reviewed, and 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Maternal mental health was a significant individual-level mediator, while child traumatic experiences and insecure maternal–child attachment were consistent family-level mediators. However, the evidence for community-level mediators was limited. A meta-analysis of nine single-mediating analyses from five studies indicated three mediating pathways: maternal depression, negative parenting practices and maternal insecure attachment, with pooled indirect standardised effects of 0.10 [95% CI (0.03–0.17)), 0.01 (95% CI (−0.02 to 0.04)] and 0.07 [95% CI (0.01–0.12)], respectively. Research studies on moderators were few and identified some individual-level factors, such as child sex (e.g. the mediating role of parenting practices being only significant in girls), biological factors (e.g. maternal cortisol level) and genetic factors (e.g. child's serotonin-transporter genotype). In conclusion, maternal depression and maternal insecure attachment are two established mediating pathways that can explain the link between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development and offer opportunities for intervention.

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U2 - 10.1017/S0033291722001775

DO - 10.1017/S0033291722001775

M3 - Article

SN - 1469-8978

VL - 52

SP - 1817

EP - 1837

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

IS - 10

ER -

Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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