Abstract
Maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are temporally distinct risk factors that negatively impact mothers and their offspring. Risk associated with ACEs and IPV begin during pregnancy, a period of increased physical and psychological demands. The current study examined a person-centered method to empirically identify profiles of pregnant women based on type and severity of ACEs and past-year IPV. Profiles were then differentiated on psychosocial functioning indicators. A primarily Latinx, low socioeconomic sample of women (n = 225) completed measures assessing ACEs and past-year IPV, perceived and experienced stress, emotion regulation, and trauma-related symptoms during their third trimester. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify unique profiles of women based on seven dimensional indicators reflecting threat- and deprivation-based ACEs and IPV. A 4-class solution best fit the data: (1) low probability of ACEs or IPV (64.9%), (2) childhood neglect-only (20.4%), (3) childhood abuse/neglect (10.2%), and (4) polytrauma characterized by a combination of childhood abuse, neglect, and IPV (4.4%). Women with the “childhood abuse/neglect” or “polytrauma” profiles reported more stress and symptoms than women with the “low exposure” profile. Women in the “childhood neglect-only” profile were generally similar to women in the “low exposure” profile, but did report greater difficulties in emotion regulation. These results suggest that childhood abuse and IPV, exposure types involving threat, are potent correlates of stress, emotion regulation, and mental health difficulties during pregnancy. However, exposure characterized by deprivation alone generally did not increase difficulties.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Ms. Victoria Scranton for study coordination and data collection and management, Ms. Meghan Clough for recruitment and data collection, Drs. Joseph Newell, Margaret McLaren, Sandra Motta, Sonia Chaudhry, and the medical staff at Hartford Hospital Labor and Delivery and Postpartum units for their assistance in sample collection. We especially thank Dr. Amy Johnson for her role in overseeing the study at Hartford Hospital and the Women’s Ambulatory Health Services Clinic. Finally, we thank the Hartford Hospital Women’s Ambulatory Health Services clinic for their vital role in supporting recruitment.
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Goldstein, B.L., Briggs-Gowan, M.J. & Grasso, D.J. The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence and a History of Childhood Abuse on Mental Health and Stress during Pregnancy. J Fam Viol 36, 337–346 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00149-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00149-1