Mother’s childhood trauma linked to emotional and behavioral issues in her children, study finds

A new longitudinal study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry provides compelling evidence that a mother’s exposure to adversity in childhood can influence the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development of her own children. The research found that these early experiences are not only linked to a child’s outcomes, but also shape the environment in which a child is raised—by affecting socioeconomic status, maternal mental health, relationship conflict, and caregiving behavior.

Researchers undertook this study to better understand how adversity experienced during a mother’s early years can ripple forward into the next generation. While previous studies have found that childhood adversity is associated with a range of negative outcomes in adulthood, much less is known about how these effects play out in parenting and early child development. The study aimed to test an intergenerational model of risk by examining both direct and indirect pathways from maternal childhood adversity to child outcomes during the preschool years.

The researchers followed 501 families from the time children were 2 months old until they reached 5 years of age. Participants were recruited in the Toronto area between 2006 and 2008. Mothers reported on their own adverse childhood experiences (including physical and sexual abuse, household substance use, mental illness, parental separation, and exposure to violence), as well as their current socioeconomic conditions, relationship conflict, and symptoms of depression. Fathers contributed information on their own childhood conduct problems, and trained observers assessed parenting behaviors. Children’s emotional and behavioral issues were rated by both parents, and cognitive abilities were measured through standardized testing.

The results showed that a mother’s history of childhood adversity was linked to her child’s emotional and behavioral problems, as well as cognitive performance. However, these associations were not straightforward. Instead, the effects were often indirect, operating through a network of interconnected family and contextual factors.

For example, mothers who had experienced more adversity in childhood were more likely to live in lower socioeconomic conditions as adults. This, in turn, was related to lower maternal sensitivity—how attuned and responsive mothers were to their children during interactions—and also linked to greater marital conflict and maternal depression. These factors shaped children’s outcomes in specific ways.

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Children’s emotional problems, such as anxiety and sadness, were primarily linked to maternal depression. Mothers with more childhood adversity were more likely to experience depression, and this was a key predictor of emotional difficulties in their children. Fathers’ histories of conduct problems also contributed indirectly to maternal depression, strengthening this link.

For conduct problems in children—such as aggression and rule-breaking—multiple pathways emerged. One involved fathers’ own histories of behavior problems, which were directly associated with children’s behavior. Another pathway went through the couple’s relationship: maternal childhood adversity predicted more marital conflict, which was in turn linked to conduct issues in children. Lower maternal sensitivity also played a role in this association.

Cognitive outcomes followed a different pathway. Here, maternal sensitivity emerged as a key influence. Mothers with more childhood adversity tended to have lower socioeconomic status, which was associated with less sensitive caregiving. In turn, children in these environments showed poorer performance on measures of vocabulary and early math ability. Interestingly, maternal adversity showed a small direct link to higher child cognitive scores, but this was likely a statistical artifact. Once indirect pathways were considered, the overall effect of adversity on cognition was negative.

These findings support an “interactionist model” of development. In this model, a mother’s early adversity can influence her adult socioeconomic status and the characteristics of her romantic partner, which then affect her mental health and caregiving behavior. These, in turn, shape her child’s development. The model highlights how early life experiences can create cascades of risk that accumulate over time and generations.

While the study cannot prove causation, its design strengthens confidence in the findings. By including multiple informants (mothers, fathers, and trained observers) and multiple measurement methods (questionnaires, behavioral observations, and standardized tests), the researchers were able to paint a more complete picture than many earlier studies that relied solely on maternal self-reports. The longitudinal design, spanning several years of a child’s early development, also allowed the researchers to track how these effects unfolded over time.

One limitation of the study is its focus on mothers. While the researchers did incorporate paternal conduct history, they did not collect data on fathers’ own childhood adversity. Future studies could explore whether fathers’ early experiences also shape intergenerational risk in similar or distinct ways. Another limitation is that the adversity measures did not include some potentially important forms of early trauma, such as community violence or discrimination. Also, maternal ACEs, mental health, and relationship conflict were all self-reported, which may introduce bias.

Despite these limitations, the study has significant implications for public policy and early intervention. The findings suggest that childhood adversity is not just an individual problem but one that can affect future generations. Policies that aim to reduce childhood trauma or mitigate its effects could have broad, long-lasting benefits. For example, programs that support young families with financial resources, mental health services, and parenting support may help break the cycle of adversity.

Screening tools for adverse childhood experiences are relatively easy to administer and could be incorporated into pediatric and maternal healthcare settings. Identifying families at risk could allow for early, targeted support. Moreover, addressing multiple factors at once—such as economic hardship, caregiver mental health, and parenting quality—may be more effective than focusing on any single issue in isolation.

The study also supports the potential value of broader social policies, such as cash transfer programs, to alleviate economic stress. Preliminary research has found that unconditional financial support to families can lead to improved cognitive and behavioral outcomes in children. High-quality, affordable childcare may also help buffer the effects of family stress on young children’s development.

The study, “The long reach of adversity: Intermediary pathways from maternal adverse childhood experiences to child socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes,” was authored by Sheri Madigan, Andre Plamondon, and Jennifer M. Jenkins.