Prenatal family adversity and maternal mental health and vulnerability to peer victimisation at school
- PMID: 23121554
- DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12012
Prenatal family adversity and maternal mental health and vulnerability to peer victimisation at school
Abstract
Background: Prenatal stress has been shown to predict persistent behavioural abnormalities in offspring. Unknown is whether prenatal stress makes children more vulnerable to peer victimisation.
Methods: The current study is based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective community-based study. Family adversity, maternal anxiety and depression were assessed at repeated intervals in pregnancy and the postnatal period. Parenting, partner conflict and temperament were measured at preschool age. Peer victimisation was assessed using multiple informants (child, parent, teacher) at primary school age (between ages 7 and 10).
Results: Prenatal severe family adversity and maternal mental health directly increased the risk of victimisation at school even when controlled for postnatal family adversity and maternal mental health, parenting, partner conflict and temperament. Effects were found to be independent of sources of information of peer victimisation. Partner conflict and maladaptive parenting also independently increased the risk of peer victimisation.
Conclusions: Experiences in pregnancy may affect the developing foetus and increase vulnerability to be victimised by peers. Conflict between parents and their parenting further increase the risk of being victimised by peers at school.
© 2012 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2012 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Similar articles
-
Families, Parenting and Aggressive Preschoolers: A Scoping Review of Studies Examining Family Variables Related to Preschool Aggression.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 23;19(23):15556. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315556. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022. PMID: 36497629 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Peer victimisation during adolescence and its impact on depression in early adulthood: prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom.BMJ. 2015 Jun 2;350:h2469. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h2469. BMJ. 2015. PMID: 26037951 Free PMC article.
-
Prospective associations between prenatal adversities and borderline personality disorder at 11-12 years.Psychol Med. 2015 Apr;45(5):1025-37. doi: 10.1017/S0033291714002128. Epub 2014 Aug 29. Psychol Med. 2015. PMID: 25171495
-
Bullied by peers in childhood and borderline personality symptoms at 11 years of age: a prospective study.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2012 Aug;53(8):846-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02542.x. Epub 2012 Mar 2. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2012. PMID: 22380520
-
[Vulnerability to depression in children and adolescents: update and perspectives].Encephale. 2002 May-Jun;28(3 Pt 1):234-40. Encephale. 2002. PMID: 12091784 Review. French.
Cited by
-
Effect of Pre- and Perinatal Factors and Infant Nutrition on the Intestinal Microbiota.Nutrients. 2023 Sep 14;15(18):3977. doi: 10.3390/nu15183977. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 37764760 Free PMC article.
-
Pilot study of relationship between prenatal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and social-emotional development of 12-month-old children: the mediation effects of home environment.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Jun;33(6):1895-1905. doi: 10.1007/s00787-023-02292-8. Epub 2023 Sep 5. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 37668698
-
Childhood trauma, peer victimization, and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: a latent variable mediation analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Jun 15;23(1):436. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04848-z. BMC Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37322505 Free PMC article.
-
Characteristics and related factors of family functioning in Chinese families during early pregnancy.Front Psychol. 2023 Feb 15;14:1102796. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1102796. eCollection 2023. Front Psychol. 2023. PMID: 36874800 Free PMC article.
-
Perspective: Gestational Tryptophan Fluctuation Altering Neuroembryogenesis and Psychosocial Development.Cells. 2022 Apr 8;11(8):1270. doi: 10.3390/cells11081270. Cells. 2022. PMID: 35455949 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical