MATERNAL TRAUMA AFFECTS PRENATAL MENTAL HEALTH AND INFANT STRESS REGULATION AMONG PALESTINIAN DYADS

Abstract

We examined how diverse and cumulated traumatic experiences predicted maternal prenatal mental health and infant stress regulation in war conditions and whether maternal mental health mediated the association between trauma and infant stress regulation. Participants were 511 Palestinian mothers from the Gaza Strip who reported exposure to current war trauma (WT), past childhood emotional (CEA) and physical abuse, socioeconomic status (SES), prenatal mental health problems (posttraumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms), and perceived stress during their secondtrimester of pregnancy as well as infant stress regulation at 4 months. While all trauma types were associated with high levels of prenatal symptoms, CEA had the most wide-ranging effects and was uniquely associated with depression symptoms. Concerning infant stress regulation, mothers' CEA predicted negative affectivity, but only among mothers with low WT. Against hypothesis, the effects of maternal trauma on infant stress regulation were not mediated by mental health symptoms. Mothers' higher SES was associated with better infant stress regulation whereas infant prematurity and male sex predisposed for difficulties. Our findings suggest that maternal childhood abuse, especially CEA, should be a central treatment target among war-exposed families. Cumulated psychosocial stressors might increase the risk for transgenerational problems.

Keywords: Kriegstrauma; Missbrauch im Kindesalter; Palestinian; Palestinienne; Palästinenser/in; Stressregulation des Säuglings; abuso en la niñez; childhood abuse; infant stress regulation; maltraitance durant l'enfance; palestinas; prenatal mental health; pränatale psychische Gesundheit; regulación de estrés del infante; régulation du stress du bébé; salud mental prenatal; santé mentale prénatale; trauma de guerra; traumatisme de guerre; war trauma; الصحة النفسية ما قبل الولادة; امتهان الطفولة; تنظيم ضغط الرضيع; صدمة الحرب; فلسطيني; パレスチナ人; 乳児のストレス調節; 児童期の虐待; 出産前のメンタルヘルス; 嬰兒壓力調節; 巴勒斯坦人; 戦争の外傷; 戰爭創傷; 產前心理健康; 童年虐待.