TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of Maternal Postmigration Living Difficulties in Intergenerational Trauma Transmission Among Asylum-Seeker Mother–Child Dyads
T2 - Exploring Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Mechanism
AU - Bachem, Rahel
AU - Levin, Yafit
AU - Yuval, Kim
AU - Maercker, Andreas
AU - Solomon, Zahava
AU - Bernstein, Amit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Psychological Association
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Objective: Among forcibly displaced people, maternal trauma and stress have been implicated in poor child socioemotional outcomes via intergenerational trauma transmission. This study explored the role of maternal postmigration living difficulties (PMLD) in the pathway linking maternal trauma, trauma-related psychopathology, and child socioemotional outcomes among mother–child dyads seeking asylum in a highrisk urban setting. Method: Participants were East African (Eritrean) mothers (N = 127) of preschool-aged children seeking asylum in Israel. Using moderated mediation analysis, we tested whether and how PMLD may moderate the mediating role of current maternal International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision (ICD-11) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder disturbances in selforganization (DSO) symptoms between past maternal trauma exposure and current postdisplacement child internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Children’s direct exposure to adverse life experiences was controlled for. Results: Maternal PTSD symptoms mediated the association between past maternal trauma exposure and child internalizing difficulties, but not externalizing difficulties, across all levels of current maternal PMLD. However, maternal DSO symptoms mediated internalizing and externalizing child outcomes, but only among mothers reporting high levels of current PMLD. Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence that PMLD may amplify the toxicity of past maternal trauma exposure for poor child socioemotional outcomes via ICD-11 DSO symptoms. The intergenerational transmission pathway via the narrower fear-based ICD-11 PTSD, however, is independent of the degree of maternal PMLD. Findings suggest that policies designed to buffer intergenerational trauma transmission among forcibly displaced people may need to consider the toxicity of PMLD as well as enable mothers to heal from PTSD.
AB - Objective: Among forcibly displaced people, maternal trauma and stress have been implicated in poor child socioemotional outcomes via intergenerational trauma transmission. This study explored the role of maternal postmigration living difficulties (PMLD) in the pathway linking maternal trauma, trauma-related psychopathology, and child socioemotional outcomes among mother–child dyads seeking asylum in a highrisk urban setting. Method: Participants were East African (Eritrean) mothers (N = 127) of preschool-aged children seeking asylum in Israel. Using moderated mediation analysis, we tested whether and how PMLD may moderate the mediating role of current maternal International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision (ICD-11) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder disturbances in selforganization (DSO) symptoms between past maternal trauma exposure and current postdisplacement child internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Children’s direct exposure to adverse life experiences was controlled for. Results: Maternal PTSD symptoms mediated the association between past maternal trauma exposure and child internalizing difficulties, but not externalizing difficulties, across all levels of current maternal PMLD. However, maternal DSO symptoms mediated internalizing and externalizing child outcomes, but only among mothers reporting high levels of current PMLD. Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence that PMLD may amplify the toxicity of past maternal trauma exposure for poor child socioemotional outcomes via ICD-11 DSO symptoms. The intergenerational transmission pathway via the narrower fear-based ICD-11 PTSD, however, is independent of the degree of maternal PMLD. Findings suggest that policies designed to buffer intergenerational trauma transmission among forcibly displaced people may need to consider the toxicity of PMLD as well as enable mothers to heal from PTSD.
KW - complex posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - disturbances in self-organization
KW - intergenerational trauma transmission
KW - postmigration living difficulties
KW - refugees and asylumseekers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205371998&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/tra0001767
DO - 10.1037/tra0001767
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C2 - 39250247
AN - SCOPUS:85205371998
SN - 1942-9681
JO - Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
JF - Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
ER -