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The present study examined developmental pathways beginning in pregnancy and extending into early childhood that contribute to child emotion regulation (ER). Leveraging data from a sample of 157 mixed-sex couples, who largely identified as White and non-Hispanic/Latino, and their typically developing children (50.3% female), we examined whether parental emotion-related socialization behaviors (ERSBs; i.e., general emotion talk, specific supportive and nonsupportive responses to children's negative emotions) at preschool age (child age 3) mediated the link between parental trauma-related distress spanning pregnancy to toddler age (2-years postpartum) and child maladaptive ER at the transition to formal schooling (age 5). Chronic elevations in maternal trauma-related distress contributed directly and indirectly to child maladaptive ER at age 5, and maternal nonsupportive responses emerged as a potential pathway driving the intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation. In contrast, paternal trauma-related distress neither undermined ERSBs nor contributed to child maladaptive ER. Instead, chronic elevations in paternal trauma-related distress predicted more supportive responses to children's negative emotions. Results highlight the utility of repeated screening for trauma-related distress and prevention and early intervention efforts targeting parental trauma-related distress and nonsupportive responses to children's negative emotions. These strategies may help promote adaptive ER at school entry and reduce risk for later psychopathology.
Laifer et al. (Mon,) studied this question.