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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Childhood maltreatment is often associated with low adulthood romantic relationship quality, which may sustain effects of maltreatment on psychopathology symptoms during pregnancy. The current study assessed whether low romantic relationship quality mediates the link between higher levels of childhood maltreatment and elevated prenatal psychopathology symptoms.
METHOD: This cross-sectional study sampled 101 low-income, ethnically diverse pregnant women (Mage = 29.10 years, SDage = 6.56, rangeage = 18-44; 37% Latina, 22% African American, 20% White, 21% biracial/multiracial/other; 70% living below the federal poverty line). Participants responded to questionnaires on childhood maltreatment and current depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. The participants also completed the Five-Minute Speech Sample, later coded for romantic relationship quality by trained raters.
RESULTS: Higher levels of childhood maltreatment were associated with greater prenatal depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, mediated by lower romantic relationship quality. Exploratory analyses revealed that both childhood maltreatment subtypes of abuse and neglect were associated with romantic relationship conflict, but only childhood neglect was associated with romantic partner support. All analyses covaried for language (English or Spanish) and poverty status.
CONCLUSION: Romantic relationship quality may represent an important target for clinical interventions to reduce prenatal psychopathology symptoms and improve family well-being, especially when pregnant women have histories of childhood maltreatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Language: en |