Protective Factors That Buffer Against the Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma from Mothers to Young Children: A Replication Study of Angels in the Nursery
Abstract
This replication study examined protective effects of positive childhood memories with caregivers ("angels in the nursery") against lifespan and intergenerational transmission of trauma. More positive, elaborated angel memories were hypothesized to buffer associations between mothers' childhood maltreatment and their adulthood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms, comorbid psychopathology, and children's trauma exposure. Participants were 185 mothers (M age = 30.67 years, SD = 6.44, range = 17-46 years, 54.6% Latina, 17.8% White, 10.3% African American, 17.3% other; 24% Spanish speaking) and children (M age = 42.51 months; SD = 15.95, range = 3-72 months; 51.4% male). Mothers completed the Angels in the Nursery Interview (Van Horn, Lieberman, & Harris, 2008), and assessments of childhood maltreatment, adulthood psychopathology, children's trauma exposure, and demographics. Angel memories significantly moderated associations between maltreatment and PTSD (but not depression) symptoms, comorbid psychopathology, and children's trauma exposure. For mothers with less positive, elaborated angel memories, higher levels of maltreatment predicted higher levels of psychopathology and children's trauma exposure. For mothers with more positive, elaborated memories, however, predictive associations were not significant, reflecting protective effects. Furthermore, protective effects against children's trauma exposure were significant only for female children, suggesting that angel memories may specifically buffer against intergenerational trauma from mothers to daughters.
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Maintaining good memories of childhood moderates the transgenerational transmission of abuse.
“a recent study [20] showed that maintaining good memories of childhood moderates the transgenerational transmission of abuse.”
From Psychoanalytic Interventions with Abusive Parents: An Opportunity for Children’s Mental Health (2022) · cites this paper as [20]
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“Already Selma Fraiberg [13] had observed that the possibility of experiencing pain from one’s childhood history is a crucial deterrent against repeating abuse toward one’s children, and a recent study [20] showed that maintaining good memories of childhood moderates the transgenerational transmission of abuse.”
Background
- Authors
- Narayan, A. J., Ippen, C. G., Harris, W. W., & Lieberman, A. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Denver (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Corresponding author
- Narayan, Angela J.
- Venue
- Development and Psychopathology
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2019-02
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 173-187
- ISSN
- 0954-5794 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2198
- OpenAlex
- W2911362813
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 8.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Development and Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- intergenerational trauma, child abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, comorbid psychopathology, maternal mental health, protective factors, gender differences, mother and daughter, replication
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Child, Preschool, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Middle Aged, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Mental Recall, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Comorbidity, Parenting, Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, Young Adult, Protective Factors
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