The inter-generational transmission of parental adverse childhood experiences on children's depression and anxiety symptoms: The mediating effect of parenting factors.

BACKGROUND

Previous evidence supports the intergenerational links between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and offspring emotional problems. However, the mediating mechanism remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether parenting stress and parenting styles (warmth, rejection, overprotection) mediate the associations between parental ACEs and adolescents' anxiety and depression, controlling for parental mental health.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

2249 parent-adolescent dyads from high schools in China's Greater Bay Area (Parent Mean age = 41.16 years; adolescents Mean age = 14.18 years).

METHODS

At baseline, parents reported ACEs, parenting stress, and mental health; adolescents reported parenting styles. One year later, adolescents reported anxiety and depression symptoms. Structural equation modelling tested mediation.

RESULTS

Parental ACEs predicted greater parental rejection and parenting stress. Rejection predicted higher, and warmth predicted lower, adolescent anxiety and depression. Overall, parenting factors significantly mediated the ACE-outcomes link, with a notable pathway via rejection. These mediating pathways were stronger for fathers and male adolescents.

CONCLUSION

Parenting factors, especially parental rejection, mediate the intergenerational transmission of ACEs to adolescent internalizing symptoms. Parenting interventions should target these factors while considering gender differences.