Adverse childhood experiences, emotional distress and dissatisfaction with motherhood among first-time mothers: Mediations and child differences.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Akintunde, Tosin Yinka Chen, Shaojun Isangha, Stanley Oloji Di, Qi
Copyright Year	2024
Abstract	Despite the challenges associated with motherhood, studies have not consistently identified factors contributing to first-time mothers’ dissatisfaction with motherhood in resource-limited regions. To fill this research gap, this study investigates how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) result in first-time mothers’ dissatisfaction with motherhood through emotional distress in Nigeria. Results from the partial least square structural equation model suggests that ACEs are associated with dissatisfaction with motherhood ( = 0.092; p < 0.01) and emotional distress ( = 0.367; p < 0.001). There is also a significant association between emotional distress and dissatisfaction with motherhood ( = 0.728; p < 0.001). Indirect path from first-time mothers’ ACEs to dissatisfaction with motherhood through emotional distress shows significance ( = 0.267; 95% CI (0.213, 0.323); p < 0.001). In addition, the indirect path from first-time mothers’ ACEs to dissatisfaction with motherhood through child emotional closeness showed significant dampening effects ( = 0.044; 95% CI (0.025, 0.066); p < 0.001). No serial impact of emotional distress and child emotional closeness was found in the study. The findings based on child gender indicated that only among first-time mothers of female children are ACEs predictors of dissatisfaction with motherhood. Trauma-informed interventions should be introduced in primary care settings to screen for ACEs and emotional dysfunctions among first-time mothers.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC10897492&blobtype=pdf
Page Count	12
Volume Number	11
DOI	10.1017/gmh.2024.15
PubMed Central reference number	PMC10897492
PubMed reference number	38414725
Journal	Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health [Glob Ment Health (Camb)]
e-ISSN	20544251
Language	English
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Publisher Date	2024-02-08
Publisher Place	Cambridge, UK
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that no alterations are made and the original article is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained prior to any commercial use and/or adaptation of the article. © The Author(s) 2024
Subject Keyword	adverse childhood experiences becoming a mother dissatisfaction with motherhood emotional distress child emotional closeness first-time mothers Nigeria
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Psychiatry and Mental Health