TY - JOUR
T1 - Parental childhood maltreatment and the later-life relationship with parents
AU - Kong, Jooyoung
AU - Martire, Lynn M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2019/11
Y1 - 2019/11
N2 - The aims of the current study were to examine the long-term effects of childhood maltreatment on current relationships with parents and whether the quality of current relationships with parents mediates the associations between childhood maltreatment and psychological health in late adulthood. Using 2 decades of longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, multilevel structural equation modeling was employed to examine the associations between reports of childhood maltreatment, aspects of current relationships with parents (i.e., perceived closeness, contact frequency, and exchange of social support), and psychological well-being/distress of adult children. Key results indicated that reports of maternal childhood abuse and neglect predicted lower levels of perceived closeness with aging mothers, which were subsequently associated with reduced psychological well-being of adult children. We did not find evidence of mediation between reports of paternal childhood abuse/neglect, current relationships with fathers, and psychological outcomes. Our findings suggest a significant linkage between childhood and later-life intergenerational relationships. Adults who were maltreated by their mother as children may continue to experience challenges in this relationship. Further research is needed to examine how these past and current relational dynamics affect caregiving experiences and outcomes. In addition, when intervening with adults with a history of childhood maltreatment, practitioners should evaluate contemporary relationship quality with the abusive mother and help address any unresolved emotional issues with the parent.
AB - The aims of the current study were to examine the long-term effects of childhood maltreatment on current relationships with parents and whether the quality of current relationships with parents mediates the associations between childhood maltreatment and psychological health in late adulthood. Using 2 decades of longitudinal data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, multilevel structural equation modeling was employed to examine the associations between reports of childhood maltreatment, aspects of current relationships with parents (i.e., perceived closeness, contact frequency, and exchange of social support), and psychological well-being/distress of adult children. Key results indicated that reports of maternal childhood abuse and neglect predicted lower levels of perceived closeness with aging mothers, which were subsequently associated with reduced psychological well-being of adult children. We did not find evidence of mediation between reports of paternal childhood abuse/neglect, current relationships with fathers, and psychological outcomes. Our findings suggest a significant linkage between childhood and later-life intergenerational relationships. Adults who were maltreated by their mother as children may continue to experience challenges in this relationship. Further research is needed to examine how these past and current relational dynamics affect caregiving experiences and outcomes. In addition, when intervening with adults with a history of childhood maltreatment, practitioners should evaluate contemporary relationship quality with the abusive mother and help address any unresolved emotional issues with the parent.
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U2 - 10.1037/pag0000388
DO - 10.1037/pag0000388
M3 - Article
C2 - 31478703
AN - SCOPUS:85072078310
SN - 0882-7974
VL - 34
SP - 900
EP - 911
JO - Psychology and aging
JF - Psychology and aging
IS - 7
ER -