(Converted as ePoster, See Poster Gallery) Maltreatment Status, Dissociative Symptoms, and Suicidality of Youth Born to Mothers with a History of Betrayal Trauma

Background and Purpose: The developmental consequences of child maltreatment can persist across generations, as a parental history of childhood adversity can negatively impact their own child’s mental health. Betrayal trauma theory posits that familial maltreatment can amplify negative mental health outcomes when compared to child abuse perpetrated by someone who is not as interpersonally connected. Betrayal trauma has been specifically associated with elevated levels of dissociation, which, in turn, increases one’s acquired capacity for suicide and has been linked to increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Previous research demonstrates associations between a mother’s history of betrayal trauma and intergenerational patterns of maltreatment and dissociation among their children. However, these findings have not been extended to examine connections to suicide. The purpose of this study was to explore the betrayal trauma among mothers as a contributing mechanism of their own child’s experiences of maltreatment, symptoms of dissociation, and reported suicidal ideation during adolescence.

Methods: Our study utilized secondary data obtained from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN; N = 1,354; 51.48% female, 53.29% Black). Mothers’ past betrayal trauma was assessed at baseline, and youth self-reported their dissociative symptoms via the Trauma Symptom Checklist at ages 8, 12, and 16. Adolescents at age 16 self-reported on past-year suicidal ideation and attempts, which were coded dichotomously. Presence of child maltreatment from birth to age 8 was coded based on administrative data from child welfare agencies. To test study hypotheses, we used conditional growth curve modeling with Mplus 8.4. A robust weighted least squares estimator was used to account for categorical outcomes. We assessed indirect effects via bootstrapped confidence intervals. Control variables included gender, race, and socioeconomic risk.

Results: The final model fit the data well, CFI = .95, RMSEA = .05. Mothers’ betrayal trauma was significantly associated with their children’s maltreatment status, β= .19, SE = .03, p < .001. In turn, maltreatment predicted the intercept of dissociative symptoms from age 8 to age 16, β = .28, SE = .08, p < .01. The intercept of dissociative symptoms was predictive of suicidal ideation at age 16, β = .54, SE = .11, p <.001, and suicide attempts at age 16, β = .32, SE = .14, p < .05. There was a significant indirect effect, p = .038, from mothers’ history of betrayal trauma to adolescents’ suicidal ideation through maltreatment exposure and dissociative symptoms. Overall, the model accounted for 42% of the variance in suicidal ideation and 36% of the variance in suicide attempts at age 16.

Conclusions and Implications: To our knowledge, this study was the first to establish relationships between a maternal history of betrayal trauma and children’s maltreatment experiences, dissociative symptoms, and adolescent suicidal ideation. This is consistent with prior literature highlighting the intergenerational consequences of child maltreatment occurring among families. A strengths-based, trauma-responsive approach to working with parents that identifies and addresses a history of betrayal trauma should be incorporated into prevention efforts meant to enhance mental health and well-being among children and families.