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Teen childbearing and offspring internalizing symptoms: The mediating role of child maltreatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2020

Justin Russotti Open the ORCID record for Justin Russotti [Opens in a new window] ,
Fred A. Rogosch ,
Elizabeth D. Handley ,
Kathryn Z. Douthit ,
Andre Marquis  and
Dante Cicchetti
Justin Russotti*
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, New York, NY, USA
Fred A. Rogosch
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, New York, NY, USA
Elizabeth D. Handley
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, New York, NY, USA
Kathryn Z. Douthit
Affiliation:
Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
Andre Marquis
Affiliation:
Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
Dante Cicchetti
Affiliation:
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, New York, NY, USA Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Justin Russotti, Mt. Hope Family Center, 187 Edinburgh Street, Rochester, NY14608, USA; E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Teenage childbearing (age 15–19 years) represents a significant public health issue that can generate considerable deleterious, multigenerational consequences for teen-childbearing mothers and their offspring. However, few studies have examined the potential mediating mechanisms that may explain if and how teen childbearing is associated with the development of offspring psychopathology. The current study used a developmental model to test the mediating role of chronic child maltreatment in the relationship between teen childbearing and offspring internalizing symptoms in childhood and emerging adulthood. The study participants were 384 individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged, ethnically diverse backgrounds, assessed across two longitudinal waves of data (i.e., ages 10–12 and 18–20). The sample included maltreated and nonmaltreated children, all of whom were comparable in terms of family income. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test direct and indirect pathways from teen childbearing to offspring psychopathology. A multigenerational developmental cascade was found such that individuals born to mothers who began their childbearing in adolescence were more likely to experience chronic maltreatment during childhood, which in turn predicted greater internalizing symptoms throughout childhood and emerging adulthood. Using a developmental psychopathology framework, the results are discussed with regard to implications for prevention and early intervention.

Keywords

child maltreatmentinternalizingoffspring psychopathologyteen childbearingteen pregnancy
Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , October 2021 , pp. 1184 - 1196
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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