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Trajectories of maternal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder predict long-term mental health of children following the Wenchuan earthquake in China : A 10-year follow-up study

Chen, Xiao Yan ; Chen, Jieling ; Shi, Xuliang ; Jiang, Min ; Li, Yuanyuan ; Zhou, Ya ; Ran, Maosheng ; Lai, Yuan ; Wang, Tong and Fan, Fang , et al. (2020) In Journal of Affective Disorders 266. p.201-206
Abstract

Background: Maternal psychopathology can be an important factor associated with psychological adjustment of children. However, there is limited research on long-term impacts of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on children's mental health. This study examined how PTSD trajectories of women exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China predicted their children's mental health symptoms 10 years after the earthquake. Methods: 410 dyads of mothers and their adolescent children who exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake were investigated at 12 and 18 months post-earthquake. While the mothers completed measures of earthquake exposure and PTSD symptoms, the children completed measures of earthquake exposure, PTSD, depression and... (More)

Background: Maternal psychopathology can be an important factor associated with psychological adjustment of children. However, there is limited research on long-term impacts of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on children's mental health. This study examined how PTSD trajectories of women exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China predicted their children's mental health symptoms 10 years after the earthquake. Methods: 410 dyads of mothers and their adolescent children who exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake were investigated at 12 and 18 months post-earthquake. While the mothers completed measures of earthquake exposure and PTSD symptoms, the children completed measures of earthquake exposure, PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms. In the 10-year follow up, 257 out of the 410 children completed measures of PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Results: Four trajectories of maternal PTSD symptoms were identified: (a) chronic (9.5%); (b) resilient (66.3%); (c) delayed (7.6%); and (d) recovery (16.6%); More importantly, the findings demonstrated that children whose mothers experienced chronic PTSD reported higher level of PTSD and anxiety symptoms 10 years after the earthquake. Limitations: : Only two waves of maternal PTSD were collected, self-reported tools other than clinical reviews were used to collect data, and a significant proportion of participants did not respond at the 10-year follow-up. Conclusions: This study identified maternal PTSD trajectories following the Wenchuan earthquake. Chronic PTSD symptoms in mothers were associated with increased risk of children's PTSD and anxiety 10 years after the earthquake.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Children mental health, Earthquake, Longitudinal cohort, Maternal PTSD trajectories, Mother-child dyad
in
Journal of Affective Disorders
volume
266
pages
6 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:32056877
  • scopus:85078668316
ISSN
0165-0327
DOI
10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.084
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
211e61a0-2865-4eef-a968-330dac0b87bd
date added to LUP
2020-02-11 11:24:22
date last changed
2024-03-20 04:34:36
@article{211e61a0-2865-4eef-a968-330dac0b87bd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Maternal psychopathology can be an important factor associated with psychological adjustment of children. However, there is limited research on long-term impacts of maternal posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on children's mental health. This study examined how PTSD trajectories of women exposed to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China predicted their children's mental health symptoms 10 years after the earthquake. Methods: 410 dyads of mothers and their adolescent children who exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake were investigated at 12 and 18 months post-earthquake. While the mothers completed measures of earthquake exposure and PTSD symptoms, the children completed measures of earthquake exposure, PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms. In the 10-year follow up, 257 out of the 410 children completed measures of PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms. Data were analyzed using linear regression. Results: Four trajectories of maternal PTSD symptoms were identified: (a) chronic (9.5%); (b) resilient (66.3%); (c) delayed (7.6%); and (d) recovery (16.6%); More importantly, the findings demonstrated that children whose mothers experienced chronic PTSD reported higher level of PTSD and anxiety symptoms 10 years after the earthquake. Limitations: : Only two waves of maternal PTSD were collected, self-reported tools other than clinical reviews were used to collect data, and a significant proportion of participants did not respond at the 10-year follow-up. Conclusions: This study identified maternal PTSD trajectories following the Wenchuan earthquake. Chronic PTSD symptoms in mothers were associated with increased risk of children's PTSD and anxiety 10 years after the earthquake.</p>}},
  author       = {{Chen, Xiao Yan and Chen, Jieling and Shi, Xuliang and Jiang, Min and Li, Yuanyuan and Zhou, Ya and Ran, Maosheng and Lai, Yuan and Wang, Tong and Fan, Fang and Liu, Xianchen and Chan, Cecilia Lai Wan}},
  issn         = {{0165-0327}},
  keywords     = {{Children mental health; Earthquake; Longitudinal cohort; Maternal PTSD trajectories; Mother-child dyad}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  pages        = {{201--206}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Affective Disorders}},
  title        = {{Trajectories of maternal symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder predict long-term mental health of children following the Wenchuan earthquake in China : A 10-year follow-up study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.084}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.084}},
  volume       = {{266}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}