The effect of a maternal history of childhood abuse on adrenocortical attunement in mothers and their toddlers

• Verfasst von: Fuchs, Anna [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Möhler, Eva [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Resch, Franz [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Kaess, Michael [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: The effect of a maternal history of childhood abuse on adrenocortical attunement in mothers and their toddlers
• Verf.angabe: Anna Fuchs, Eva Moehler, Franz Resch, Michael Kaess
• Umfang: 14 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 28.05.2018
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Developmental psychobiology
• Jahr Quelle: 2017
• Band/Heft Quelle: 59(2017), 5, S. 639-652
• ISSN Quelle: 1098-2302
• DOI: doi:10.1002/dev.21531
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 1575822431

Abstract

We investigated circadian mother-child adrenocortical attunement in the context of a maternal history of childhood abuse (HoA). Mothers were screened after birth using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Women reporting moderate or severe abuse formed the HoA group (n = 37; HoAG) and were compared with a non-maltreated comparison group (n = 45; CG). Three years later, cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope (DSL) were assessed. Mother-child interaction was coded using the Emotional Availability Scales at 12 months of age. For the CAR, we found adrenocortical attunement only in the HoAG (2-way interaction: p = .004), particularly if mothers scored low on structuring (3-way interaction: p = .042) and children scored low on responsiveness (3-way interaction: p = .044). DSL-attunement was dependent on maternal sensitivity (3-way interaction: p = .012) and child involvement (3-way interaction: p = .012). In the context of a maternal HoA, it seems possible for mother-child-dyads to show less optimal interactional quality but be stronger attuned to each other biologically.