title: Partner Abuse of Mothers Compromises Children's Behavioral Functioning Through Maternal Mental Health Dysfunction: Analysis of 300 Mother-Child Pairs.
abstract: Partner violence is associated with numerous negative consequences for victims, especially poor mental health. Children who are exposed to partner violence are more likely to have behavior problems. Nevertheless, research on the relationship between severity of abuse, maternal mental health functioning following partner violence, and child behavior problems is limited. We explored the direct and indirect effects on the child's behavioral functioning of severity of maternal abuse and maternal mental health functioning following abuse. A sample of 300 mothers was recruited when they sought assistance for abuse for the first time at shelters for abused women or at the district attorney's office. Severity of abuse, mothers' mental health functioning, and child behavioral functioning were measured by maternal self-report at entry into the study and 4 months later. In SEM analysis, at both entry and 4 months, severity of abuse had a direct effect on maternal mental health functioning, which in turn had a direct effect on child behavioral functioning. The path from severity of abuse to child behavioral functioning also was significant but became non- significant once maternal mental health functioning was added to the equation, indicating that the path from severity of abuse to child behavioral functioning was indirect and occurred as a result of the mother's mental health functioning, which remained directly linked to child behavioral problems. Intergenerational interventions are needed to address both maternal mental health and child behavioral functioning when a mother reports partner violence and is experiencing mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maddoux
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, 1216 Oakland St., Denton, TX, 76204-5498.
authors.forename: Fuqin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Symes
authors.affiliation: Parry Chair in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.affiliation: Senior Statistical Consulting Director Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paulson
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Brenda K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Binder
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fredland
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nava
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gilroy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D057189:Checklist; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: PTSD; child behavior; externalizing; internalizing; intimate partner violence; maternal mental health; severity of abuse