%0 Journal Article
%T The enduring importance of parenting: caregiving quality and fear-potentiated startle in emerging adults with a child maltreatment history
%J Child maltreatment
%D 2021
%A Sullivan, Alexandra D. W.
%A Brier, Zoe M. F.
%A Legrand, Alison C.
%A van Stolk-Cooke, Katherine
%A Jovanovic, Tanja
%A Norrholm, Seth D.
%A Garavan, Hugh
%A Forehand, Rex
%A Price, Matthew
%V ePub
%N ePub
%P ePub-ePub
%X BACKGROUND: The transition to adulthood is a period of increased risk for emergent psychopathology; emerging adults with a childhood maltreatment history are at risk for poor outcomes. <br><br>METHOD: Using a multi-measure, transdisciplinary, cross-sectional design, this study tested whether participant-reported positive parenting, a potential resilience-promoting factor, moderated the association between clinician-rated PTSD symptom severity and a transdiagnostic maladjustment biomarker, fear-potentiated startle (FPS), in a sample of 66 emerging adults (M(years) = 18.83, SD = 0.89) with a maltreatment history. We hypothesized that characteristics of effective parenting would moderate the relation between PTSD symptoms and FPS. <br><br>RESULTS: Results indicated that elevated PTSD, as measured by the CAPS, was associated with a more severe startle reaction. The magnitude of the increase in startle reactivity was moderated by parenting such that those with more positive parenting (Accepting [relative to rejecting]: b = -0.42, p <.001; Psychologically-controlling [relative to autonomy-promoting]: b = 2.96, p =.004) had significantly less reactivity across the task at higher levels of PTSD symptoms. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Emerging adults with childhood maltreatment histories, high levels of PTSD symptoms, and who perceive present-day high-quality caregiver support may cope better with novel stressors relative to youth lacking that support, potentially translating to better psychological outcomes.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I SAGE Publishing
%@ 1077-5595
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10775595211060050