Intergenerational transmission of trauma: unpacking the effects of parental adverse childhood experiences

Background: Existing research documented the connection between individuals’ childhood trauma exposure and adverse health and behavioural health outcomes. However, less attention has been paid to understanding trauma in an intergenerational context. Objective: This study aims to fill this research gap by (1) exploring the association between parents’ trauma histories and child behavioural outcomes; (2) unpacking the effects of different types of parental trauma on child behavioural outcomes; (3) examining whether these associations vary by parental roles. Participants and Setting: This study recruited 202 parents from an online data collection platform–Amazon Mechanical Turk. Methods: We conducted regression analyses to examine the associations between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their child’s behavioural problems and functioning. Results: Findings showed that only parental childhood maltreatment ACEs, but not family dysfunction ACEs, were significantly associated with child behavioural problems and functioning. The impact of parental child maltreatment ACEs on child behavioural problems was equally significant between fathers and mothers. In contrast, mothers’ childhood maltreatment ACEs exerted a more potent effect on child functioning. Conclusion: Study findings highlighted the need for child behavioural health services to incorporate the screening and treatment of parental ACEs in treatment programmes to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.