Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Mar;76(3):261-267.
doi: 10.1055/s-0041-111172.

Psychosocial Risk Factors for Child Welfare among Postpartum Mothers with a History of Childhood Maltreatment and Neglect

A M Koenig  1 , K Schury  1 , F Reister  2 , F Köhler-Dauner  3 , M Schauer  4 , M Ruf-Leuschner  4 , H Gündel  5 , U Ziegenhain  3 , J M Fegert  3 , I-T Kolassa  1
Affiliations

Psychosocial Risk Factors for Child Welfare among Postpartum Mothers with a History of Childhood Maltreatment and Neglect

A M Koenig et al. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2016 Mar.

Abstract
in English, German

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) can increase the risk of psychosocial risk factors in adulthood (e. g. intimate partner violence, financial problems, substance abuse or medical problems). The transition to parenthood presents those affected by CM with particular challenges, in addition to usual birth-related stressors. Methods: In this cross-sectional study a total of 240 women were interviewed in the puerperium with respect to CM experiences, using the German version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Current psychosocial risk factors (e. g. financial concerns, maternal mental illness, single parent) were assessed using the Constance Index (KINDEX) for early childhood risk factors. Associations between CM experience and psychosocial risk factors were calculated using simple correlation. Results: The average age of participants was 33 years. On the CTQ 13.8 % of participants reported emotional abuse, 6.7 % physical abuse and 12.5 % sexual abuse, while 32.1 % reported emotional neglect and 7.5 % physical neglect during childhood. With rising severity of CM, more psychosocial risk factors (KINDEX) were present. Conclusions: This study shows a clear association between experiences of maltreatment during childhood and the presence of psychosocial stressors among women in the puerperium. Regular screening for a history of CM and parental psychosocial stressors should be conducted early, i.e. during pregnancy, to avoid negative consequences for the child.

Hintergrund: Missbrauch, Misshandlung und Vernachlässigung (MMV) in der Kindheit können das Risiko für psychosoziale Belastungen im Erwachsenenalter (bspw. partnerschaftliche Gewalt, finanzielle Schwierigkeiten, Substanzkonsum oder medizinische Probleme) erhöhen. Im Übergang von der Schwangerschaft zur Elternschaft sind Betroffene, zusätzlich zu alltäglichen Stressoren rund um die Geburt, vor besondere Herausforderungen gestellt. Methode: Insgesamt 240 Frauen im Wochenbett wurden bez. MMV-Erfahrungen in der Kindheit mit der deutschen Version des Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) und psychosozialer Risiken (bspw. finanzielle Sorgen, psychische Erkrankung der Mutter, alleinerziehend) mit dem Konstanzer Index (KINDEX) für frühkindliche Risiken in einer Querschnittsstudie befragt. Zusammenhänge zwischen MMV-Erfahrungen und psychosozialen Risiken wurden mittels Korrelationen berechnet. Ergebnisse: Von den durchschnittlich 33 Jahre alten Frauen berichteten 13,8 % emotionale und 6,7 % körperliche Misshandlung, 12,5 % sexuellen Missbrauch sowie 32,1 % emotionale und 7,5 % körperliche Vernachlässigung anhand des CTQs in der Kindheit. Je mehr MMV erlebt worden war, desto mehr psychosoziale Risikofaktoren (KINDEX) lagen vor. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Studienergebnisse zeigen einen deutlichen Zusammenhang zwischen MMV-Erfahrungen in der eigenen Kindheit und dem Auftreten psychosozialer Belastungen bei Frauen im Wochenbett. Um negative Auswirkungen dieses Zusammenhangs auf die Kinder zu vermeiden, sollten frühzeitige und regelmäßige Screening-Verfahren nach MMV-Erfahrungen und elterlichen psychosozialen Belastungen bereits während der Schwangerschaft eingesetzt werden.

Keywords: KINDEX; childhood maltreatment; prenatal screening; prevalence; psychosocial risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Iris-Tatjana Kolassa gave a talk in a symposium sponsored by Souvenaid. All other authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study recruitment and withdrawal rates. * Other reasons given for participation refusal include husbands not agreeing to the participation of their wives, that questions were too private, or that women did not want to talk about their childhood.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Estimated linear association between CTQ and KINDEX sum scores. The green area represents the 95 % confidence interval. Possible range of CTQ sum score: [25;125]. Possible range of KINDEX sum score: [0;29].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Deave T, Johnson D, Ingram J. Transition to parenthood: the needs of parents in pregnancy and early parenthood. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2008;8:30. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gilbert R, Widom C S, Browne K. et al.Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries. Lancet. 2009;373:68–81. - PubMed
    1. Vranceanu A M, Hobfoll S E, Johnson R J. Child multi-type maltreatment and associated depression and PTSD symptoms: the role of social support and stress. Child Abuse Negl. 2007;31:71–84. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Malta L A, McDonald S W, Hegadoren K M. et al.Influence of interpersonal violence on maternal anxiety, depression, stress and parenting morale in the early postpartum: a community based pregnancy cohort study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2012;12:153. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Godbout N, Briere J, Sabourin S. et al.Child sexual abuse and subsequent relational and personal functioning: the role of parental support. Child Abuse Negl. 2014;38:317–325. - PubMed