Guide to Navigating this Research Archive
Here you will find research articles published by IDHP researchers that are related to our primary scientific foci: the interconnected mental health of children and their caregivers, the intergenerational impact of stressful experiences on mental and physical health, and interventions and other buffers that support family wellness.
In the right sidebar, you can search this archive by research topic, as well as by research study (you can read about each study on the Current Projects page). Each archive entry has a simple summary, the full scientific abstract, and a link to the full article. Most of the articles in this research archive are available open access (i.e., you can access it without a subscription). If you are trying to access an article and aren't able to see the full version, please email us at [email protected], and we would be happy to assist.
August 14, 2024
Biomarkers
Caregiving behaviors
Childhood adversity
CTRP-Health Study
Intervention effects
Protective factors
SEED Study
This study explored whether a psychosocial treatment to promote safe and responsive parenting in trauma-affected families could reduce epigenetic age acceleration, a health-risk biomarker. Before the treatment, both the intervention and community comparison groups had similar age acceleration levels. After the treatment, the intervention group showed lower age acceleration, suggesting that interventions designed to promote better parent-child relationships may reduce children's biological stress and improve future health.
February 6, 2024
Biomarkers
Caregiving behaviors
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
Intervention effects
Protective factors
This paper reviews the impacts of psychological dyadic (parent-child) interventions on biomarkers of child health, across multiple biological systems. Overall, published findings to date suggest that dyadic interventions have positive impacts on child biomarkers, especially for families exposed to adversity. While more research is needed, these results suggest that investment in programs and policies that nurture caregiving bonds are meaningful for healthy child development.
September 21, 2023
Biomarkers
Caregiving behaviors
Childhood adversity
Intervention effects
Protective factors
This study looked at whether parenting improvements would lead to slower biological aging in children exposed to adversity. Results showed that, indeed, children exposed to more adversity displayed lower biological aging when parents increased positive and decreased negative parenting practices. These findings underscore the powerful role of parenting in children's resilience when facing adversity. It's a reminder that positive parenting practices (like praising), and using fewer negative practices, can act as a shield against effects of early-life hardships.
July 5, 2023
CANDLE Study
Child physical health
Childhood adversity
Stress during pregnancy
This study investigated how women's exposure to different types of violence during childhood and pregnancy can affect their children's body mass index (BMI) over time. Findings showed that children whose mothers experienced more intimate partner violence during pregnancy, or lived in higher crime neighborhoods, were more likely to have a high-rising trajectory of BMI from birth to 8 years old. The results emphasize the intergenerational transmission of social adversity and its impact on children's physical health.
May 30, 2023
Child mental & behavioral health
Child physical health
Childhood adversity
ECHO-wide Study
This study examined the connection between mothers who experienced childhood maltreatment and the physical and mental health problems in their children. The researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from 69 cohorts (4,337 families) across the USA. They found that children of mothers who experienced childhood maltreatment were more likely to have internalizing problems, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and asthma. Female offspring of maltreated mothers also had a higher prevalence of obesity. The study highlights the importance of addressing the intergenerational transmission of adversity and implementing policies to break this cycle.
February 3, 2023
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
ECHO PATHWAYS Study
Stress during pregnancy
This study looked at how a mother's exposure to stressful events in childhood and during pregnancy can affect her child's mental health. The researchers studied over 1,900 mother-child pairs and found that mothers who had experienced more childhood trauma and pregnancy stress had children with more mental health problems. The study highlights the importance of preventing and treating childhood trauma and stress during pregnancy to improve the well-being of both mothers and their children.
December 3, 2022
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
ECHO PATHWAYS Study
Stress during pregnancy
This study explored how women's experiences of childhood adversity and stressful events during pregnancy can impact their children's anxiety and depression symptoms. Researchers found that stress exposures during pregnancy had a positive association with children's anxiety and depression symptoms, while no significant link was observed with maternal childhood traumatic events. This suggests that policies and programs aimed at preventing childhood internalizing symptoms should consider prenatal origins and the potential impact of pregnancy stress prevention and intervention on the next generation.
June 1, 2022
Biomarkers
Childhood adversity
This article discusses the potential benefits and risks of using new tools to assess how children's bodies are responding to stress to inform their pediatric care. This biological approach may help providers understand what kind of interventions each child needs and whether their treatment is working. However, such biological measures are still under development, and, before implementation, it is critical for researchers, pediatricians, and communities to work together to determine how to most ethically utilize such an approach.
May 7, 2022
CANDLE Study
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
Maternal mental health
This study looked at how women's exposure to childhood trauma impacts their own mental health and their child's adaptive behaviors (ability to perform developmentally appropriate activities completely and independently). The study found that mothers with higher levels of mental health problems during and after pregnancy were more likely to have children with lower levels of adaptive functioning at 12 and 24 months old, and experiencing childhood trauma increased mothers' risk for mental health problems.
April 13, 2022
CANDLE Study
Child mental & behavioral health
Childhood adversity
Maternal mental health
This study examined how childhood trauma experienced by mothers can affect their own mental health and the mental health of their children. The researchers found that mothers who experienced childhood trauma had higher levels of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth, and this was associated with their children's internalizing problems between 36 and 48-60 months of age. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing the impact of maternal childhood trauma and addressing its effects to protect both caregivers and their children.