Maternal Controlling Parenting and Child-Perceived Mother-Child Attachment Mediate the Association between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Behavioural Difficulties

Background Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are risk factors for increased mental health difficulties. However, the intergenerational transmission mechanisms between maternal ACEs and adolescent behavioural difficulties are poorly understood. The current study modelled the mediating effects of maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment on the association between maternal ACEs and behavioural difficulties. Methods Data were obtained from Growing Up in Scotland, a nationally representative prospective probability cohort study of Scottish adolescents ( N = 2223), followed up at 14-15 years of age. Hierarchical multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the strength of predictors (maternal ACEs, maternal controlling parenting, child-perceived mother-child attachment) on levels of adolescent behavioural difficulties. Mediation analyses were used to examine the serial mediating effects of maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment. Results Regression analysis results indicated maternal ACEs were associated with adolescent behavioural difficulties. Serial mediation results indicated a significant indirect effect of maternal ACEs on adolescent mental health outcomes, through maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment. Conclusion The study indicates that maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment are mechanisms mediating the effect of maternal ACEs on adolescent behavioural difficulties. Consequently, attending to the impact of both maternal and children’s factors may improve policy programming to ameliorate the intergenerational impact of maternal ACEs on adolescent young peoples’ mental health. Key points Research suggests maternal adverse childhood experiences have intergenerational impacts on children. Maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment potentially mediate the intergenerational link between maternal ACEs and behavioural difficulties of young people. There is a lack of research examining these mechanisms in adolescence. Maternal controlling parenting and child-perceived mother-child attachment mediate the link between maternal ACEs and adolescent internalizing behaviours, externalizing behaviours, and anxiety; with a small but significant serial mediating path through these two mediators. Policy programming should incorporate both consideration of maternal and child factors in adolescent mental health.