Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role
Abstract Childhood maltreatment has profound and long-lasting effects, not only on the victims but also on their offspring when they become parents later in life. This study aimed to investigate the role of two key mediating factors—parental reflective functioning and perceived social support—in the...
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2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02627-x |
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| author | Zobeydeh Dehghan Manshadi Mehdi Reza Sarafraz |
| author_facet | Zobeydeh Dehghan Manshadi Mehdi Reza Sarafraz |
| author_sort | Zobeydeh Dehghan Manshadi |
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| description | Abstract Childhood maltreatment has profound and long-lasting effects, not only on the victims but also on their offspring when they become parents later in life. This study aimed to investigate the role of two key mediating factors—parental reflective functioning and perceived social support—in the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment and children's emotional and behavioral problems. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Iran from March to June 2024. Mothers of preschool children (4–6 years old) with emotional or behavioral problems (N = 222; Mean age = 34.06 ± 4.2 years) completed measures of Childhood maltreatment Questionnaire (CTQ), Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ), Perceived Social Support (PSS), and children's emotional and behavioral outcomes, as assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ includes subscales for emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the conceptual model. The results revealed that childhood maltreatment had no direct association with children’s emotional and behavioral problems. However, childhood maltreatment was positively and indirectly related to children’s emotional and behavioral problems (including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems) and negatively and indirectly related to children’s prosocial behavior. These associations were mediated through pre-mentalizing modes of parental reflective functioning. Additionally, the analysis revealed no significant mediating role of perceived social support in this relationship. The findings highlight the significant indirect association between childhood maltreatment and various aspects of children’s emotional and behavioral problems through pre-mentalizing modes of parental reflective functioning. This underscores the critical role of enhancing parental reflective abilities to mitigate the adverse outcomes of childhood maltreatment on children’s emotional regulation and behavioral adjustment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7acf25b1171e403ba9465bf72320aa8b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7acf25b1171e403ba9465bf72320aa8b2025-08-20T03:03:20ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-04-0113111810.1186/s40359-025-02627-xRelationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s roleZobeydeh Dehghan Manshadi0Mehdi Reza Sarafraz1University of IsfahanDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Shiraz UniversityAbstract Childhood maltreatment has profound and long-lasting effects, not only on the victims but also on their offspring when they become parents later in life. This study aimed to investigate the role of two key mediating factors—parental reflective functioning and perceived social support—in the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment and children's emotional and behavioral problems. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Iran from March to June 2024. Mothers of preschool children (4–6 years old) with emotional or behavioral problems (N = 222; Mean age = 34.06 ± 4.2 years) completed measures of Childhood maltreatment Questionnaire (CTQ), Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ), Perceived Social Support (PSS), and children's emotional and behavioral outcomes, as assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ includes subscales for emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the conceptual model. The results revealed that childhood maltreatment had no direct association with children’s emotional and behavioral problems. However, childhood maltreatment was positively and indirectly related to children’s emotional and behavioral problems (including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems) and negatively and indirectly related to children’s prosocial behavior. These associations were mediated through pre-mentalizing modes of parental reflective functioning. Additionally, the analysis revealed no significant mediating role of perceived social support in this relationship. The findings highlight the significant indirect association between childhood maltreatment and various aspects of children’s emotional and behavioral problems through pre-mentalizing modes of parental reflective functioning. This underscores the critical role of enhancing parental reflective abilities to mitigate the adverse outcomes of childhood maltreatment on children’s emotional regulation and behavioral adjustment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02627-xChildhood traumaChildren's emotional problemsChildren's behavioral problemsMentalizationPerceived social support |
| spellingShingle | Zobeydeh Dehghan Manshadi Mehdi Reza Sarafraz Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role BMC Psychology Childhood trauma Children's emotional problems Children's behavioral problems Mentalization Perceived social support |
| title | Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role |
| title_full | Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role |
| title_fullStr | Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role |
| title_short | Relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children’s emotional-behavioral problems: parental reflection functioning and social support’s role |
| title_sort | relationship of maternal childhood maltreatment and children s emotional behavioral problems parental reflection functioning and social support s role |
| topic | Childhood trauma Children's emotional problems Children's behavioral problems Mentalization Perceived social support |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02627-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zobeydehdehghanmanshadi relationshipofmaternalchildhoodmaltreatmentandchildrensemotionalbehavioralproblemsparentalreflectionfunctioningandsocialsupportsrole AT mehdirezasarafraz relationshipofmaternalchildhoodmaltreatmentandchildrensemotionalbehavioralproblemsparentalreflectionfunctioningandsocialsupportsrole |