Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis

Background: Parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with heightened parenting stress, but it is unknown whether this relation depends on the timing (childhood or adulthood) and type of trauma (interpersonal or non-interpersonal). In survivors of childhood interpersonal...

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Main Authors: Laurien Meijer, Kathleen Thomaes, Matthijs Blankers, Maja Deković, Molly R. Franz, Rolf Kleber, Elise M. van de Putte, Elisa van Ee, Elena Camisasca, Steffany J. Fredman, Dominik Moser, Larry L. Mullins, Maria Muzik, Mathilde Overbeek, Abigail Palmer Molina, Jessica Riggs, Katherine Rosenblum, Kristin Samuelson, Daniel Schechter, Chiara Suttora, Catrin Finkenauer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:European Journal of Psychotraumatology
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2025.2538907
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author Laurien Meijer
Kathleen Thomaes
Matthijs Blankers
Maja Deković
Molly R. Franz
Rolf Kleber
Elise M. van de Putte
Elisa van Ee
Elena Camisasca
Steffany J. Fredman
Dominik Moser
Larry L. Mullins
Maria Muzik
Mathilde Overbeek
Abigail Palmer Molina
Jessica Riggs
Katherine Rosenblum
Kristin Samuelson
Daniel Schechter
Chiara Suttora
Catrin Finkenauer
author_facet Laurien Meijer
Kathleen Thomaes
Matthijs Blankers
Maja Deković
Molly R. Franz
Rolf Kleber
Elise M. van de Putte
Elisa van Ee
Elena Camisasca
Steffany J. Fredman
Dominik Moser
Larry L. Mullins
Maria Muzik
Mathilde Overbeek
Abigail Palmer Molina
Jessica Riggs
Katherine Rosenblum
Kristin Samuelson
Daniel Schechter
Chiara Suttora
Catrin Finkenauer
author_sort Laurien Meijer
collection DOAJ
description Background: Parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with heightened parenting stress, but it is unknown whether this relation depends on the timing (childhood or adulthood) and type of trauma (interpersonal or non-interpersonal). In survivors of childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD and parenting stress may be more strongly intertwined.Objective: This study examined whether the relation between parental PTSD and parenting stress is moderated by childhood interpersonal trauma. Findings are supplemented with information on the process of performing an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) and lessons learned.Methods: Using one-stage IPDMA, data from published studies and unpublished datasets were synthesized and analysed using multilevel linear regression.Results: Twelve datasets were included (N = 1249: 92.5% female, M age = 32.8 years, 53.8% ethnic minority). Significant and positive main effects of PTSD and childhood interpersonal trauma on parenting stress were consistently found across studies. A moderating effect of childhood interpersonal trauma on the relation between PTSD and parenting stress was not found, but this finding may be impacted by limited data coverage. The proportion of individual-level variance in parenting stress explained by the model with main and interaction effects while controlling for education level was small to medium (R2 = .12, p = .003).Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate relations among parental childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD, and parenting stress across studies using IPDMA methodology. Despite limitations in data coverage, its findings demonstrated that links among childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD, and parenting stress were robust across populations and settings. This implies PTSD symptom reduction may be beneficial in reducing parenting stress, regardless of whether the parent experienced childhood interpersonal trauma. Additionally, lessons learned and suggestions for how IPDMA can bring the field of trauma and PTSD research forward are presented.
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spelling doaj-art-da82717fdb764b4582974bcf43ce3eb02025-08-25T15:17:28ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662025-12-0116110.1080/20008066.2025.2538907Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysisLaurien Meijer0Kathleen Thomaes1Matthijs Blankers2Maja Deković3Molly R. Franz4Rolf Kleber5Elise M. van de Putte6Elisa van Ee7Elena Camisasca8Steffany J. Fredman9Dominik Moser10Larry L. Mullins11Maria Muzik12Mathilde Overbeek13Abigail Palmer Molina14Jessica Riggs15Katherine Rosenblum16Kristin Samuelson17Daniel Schechter18Chiara Suttora19Catrin Finkenauer20Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: Youth Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsSinai Centrum, Amstelveen, The NetherlandsArkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsClinical Child and Family Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USAClinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Division Pediatrics, Utrecht, The NetherlandsBehavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlandse-Campus University, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences (DiSTA), Novedrate CO, ItalyDepartment of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USADepartment of Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Lausanne Hospital, Lausanne, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USAUniversity of Michigan-Michigan Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ann Arbor, MI, USAArq National Psychotrauma Center, Diemen, The NetherlandsSchool of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago Crown Family, Chicago, IL, USAUniversity of Michigan-Michigan Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ann Arbor MI, USAUniversity of Michigan-Michigan Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Ann Arbor, MI, USAIndependent Researcher, New Orleans, LA, USADepartment of Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Service, University of Lausanne Hospital, Lausanne, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyInterdisciplinary Social Sciences: Youth Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The NetherlandsBackground: Parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with heightened parenting stress, but it is unknown whether this relation depends on the timing (childhood or adulthood) and type of trauma (interpersonal or non-interpersonal). In survivors of childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD and parenting stress may be more strongly intertwined.Objective: This study examined whether the relation between parental PTSD and parenting stress is moderated by childhood interpersonal trauma. Findings are supplemented with information on the process of performing an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) and lessons learned.Methods: Using one-stage IPDMA, data from published studies and unpublished datasets were synthesized and analysed using multilevel linear regression.Results: Twelve datasets were included (N = 1249: 92.5% female, M age = 32.8 years, 53.8% ethnic minority). Significant and positive main effects of PTSD and childhood interpersonal trauma on parenting stress were consistently found across studies. A moderating effect of childhood interpersonal trauma on the relation between PTSD and parenting stress was not found, but this finding may be impacted by limited data coverage. The proportion of individual-level variance in parenting stress explained by the model with main and interaction effects while controlling for education level was small to medium (R2 = .12, p = .003).Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate relations among parental childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD, and parenting stress across studies using IPDMA methodology. Despite limitations in data coverage, its findings demonstrated that links among childhood interpersonal trauma, PTSD, and parenting stress were robust across populations and settings. This implies PTSD symptom reduction may be beneficial in reducing parenting stress, regardless of whether the parent experienced childhood interpersonal trauma. Additionally, lessons learned and suggestions for how IPDMA can bring the field of trauma and PTSD research forward are presented.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2025.2538907Post-traumatic stress disordertraumaparenting stressintergenerational transmission of traumachild abuseindividual participant data meta-analysis
spellingShingle Laurien Meijer
Kathleen Thomaes
Matthijs Blankers
Maja Deković
Molly R. Franz
Rolf Kleber
Elise M. van de Putte
Elisa van Ee
Elena Camisasca
Steffany J. Fredman
Dominik Moser
Larry L. Mullins
Maria Muzik
Mathilde Overbeek
Abigail Palmer Molina
Jessica Riggs
Katherine Rosenblum
Kristin Samuelson
Daniel Schechter
Chiara Suttora
Catrin Finkenauer
Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Post-traumatic stress disorder
trauma
parenting stress
intergenerational transmission of trauma
child abuse
individual participant data meta-analysis
title Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
title_full Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
title_fullStr Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
title_short Post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and parenting stress: an individual participant data meta-analysis
title_sort post traumatic stress disorder trauma and parenting stress an individual participant data meta analysis
topic Post-traumatic stress disorder
trauma
parenting stress
intergenerational transmission of trauma
child abuse
individual participant data meta-analysis
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2025.2538907
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