Intergenerational Pathways Between Parental ACEs and Child Mental Health: Partner Relationships as Intervention Points

This study examined intergenerational pathways between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to child mental health and the potential moderating role of partner relationships with the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology (DMAP). Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze longitudinal data from 537 caregivers (Mage = 37.3, SDage = 6.3) and their children (Mage = 6.8, SDage = 1.4). Threat-related ACEs were positively associated with lower parent mental health for caregivers with low relationship quality (LR: β = 0.21, p < .001) but not for those with high relationship quality (HR). Low parent mental health was negatively associated with positive parenting (LR: β = -0.21; HR: β = -0.20, p < .001), which was subsequently associated with child externalizing problems (LR: β = -0.32; HR: β = -0.34, p < .001). Parent mental health was directly positively associated with child internalizing problems (LR: β = 0.23; HR: β = 0.29, p < .001). Deprivation-related ACEs were a direct risk factor for child internalizing problems for LR caregivers only (β = 0.18, p < .001), bypassing the mediation process included in the model. These findings suggest threat- and deprivation-related ACEs may operate through different intergenerational transmission pathways. Partner relationships may serve as a potential moderator buffering the negative effects of both types of parent ACEs in the transmission process, which should receive greater attention as potential intervention points.