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Papers of the Week


Papers: 20 Apr 2019 - 26 Apr 2019

RESEARCH TYPE:
Psychology


Human Studies


2019 Oct


J Pain


20


10

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Mothers with Chronic Pain and Intergenerational Impact on Children.

Authors

Dennis CH, Clohessy DS, Stone AL, Darnall BD, Wilson AC
J Pain. 2019 Oct; 20(10):1209-1217.
PMID: 31005595.

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; e.g., parental divorce, physical or sexual abuse) are more prevalent in individuals with chronic pain compared to the general population. Both increased maternal ACEs and chronic pain have been associated with poor physical and emotional functioning in offspring. However, the mechanisms driving these associations are poorly understood. Thus, this cross-sectional study evaluated the relation between maternal ACEs, mothers' current functioning, and children's physical and emotional functioning in a sample of mothers with chronic pain and their 8-12 year-old children. Results indicated a higher prevalence of at least 1 ACE in this sample of mothers with chronic pain (84%) compared to normative data from a community sample of women. Higher maternal ACE scores corresponded with lower physical and social functioning, greater anxiety and depressive symptoms, greater fatigue and sleep disturbances, and greater pain intensity and pain interference in mothers. Higher maternal ACE scores significantly correlated with higher child self-reported depressive symptoms, but not somatic symptoms or functional impairment. A path model indicated that maternal depressive symptoms accounted for the relation between higher maternal ACE scores and children's depressive symptoms. Intervening on maternal depression among mothers with chronic pain may reduce the impact of intergenerational ACE transmission. Perspective: This article presents evidence regarding the intergenerational impact of adverse childhood experiences in a large sample of mothers with chronic pain and their school-aged children. Maternal depressive symptoms accounted for the relation between maternal ACEs and children's depressive symptoms providing evidence regarding targets for preventive interventions.