Childhood experiences of abuse, later substance use, and parenting outcomes among low-income mothers.

Relationships among childhood abuse, subsequent adult functioning (with a focus on severity of substance abuse), and child placement were explored in an urban sample of low-income, African-American mothers. Childhood sexual trauma and age were found to be correlated with severity of later drug use; history of physical or sexual abuse was significantly related to psychological distress in adulthood; and addiction was highly correlated with child placement. Implications of the findings are discussed, with particular reference to collaborations between child welfare and substance abuse treatment.

Developmental trajectories of disruptive behavior problems in preschool children of adolescent mothers.

Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we analyzed individual developmental trajectories of disruptive behavior problems between ages 3.5 to 6.0 years for 183 children of adolescent mothers. We examined how the level of problem behavior (intercept) and the rate of change over time (slope) are influenced by child's sex, mother's depression/anxiety symptoms, and mother's use of negative control for regulating child behavior. On average, disruptive behavior decreased from age 3.5 to 6.0. Child sex and maternal depression/anxiety related to the level of behavior problems but not to the rate of change. Boys and children of more depressed/anxious mothers exhibited higher levels of disruptive behavior. Maternal negative control was associated with both level of disruptive behavior and rate of change, and negative control mediated the effects of maternal depression/anxiety. Greater negative control corresponded to higher levels of behavior problems and no reduction in their display over time. Child race moderated effects of negative control.