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Parent–child relationship quality buffers the association between mothers' adverse childhood experiences and physiological synchrony.

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Title: Parent–child relationship quality buffers the association between mothers' adverse childhood experiences and physiological synchrony.
Authors: Gray, Sarah A.O., Miller, Jonas G., Glackin, Erin B., Hatch, Virginia, Drury, Stacy S.
Source: Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry. Jul2025, Vol. 66 Issue 7, p956-966. 11p.
Subjects: Research funding, Children of parents with disabilities, Socioeconomic factors, Path analysis (Statistics), Chi-squared test, Descriptive statistics, Heart beat, Psychology of mothers, Child Behavior Checklist, Mother-child relationship, Data analysis software, Adverse childhood experiences, Psychosocial factors
Abstract: Background: Family environment plays a critical role in shaping stress response systems. Concordance between mothers' and children's physiological states, specifically their Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), reflects dyadic co‐regulation. Negative or weakened RSA synchrony during interactions is linked to various psychosocial risks, but existing research has focused on risks in the mother or child as opposed to the dyad. This study examined the association between maternal‐child RSA synchrony and maternal ACEs, given documented associations with offspring RSA, as well as more proximal documented risks, including maternal psychopathology and children's early adversity and psychopathology. Given that sensitive parent–child relationships are a powerful source of resilience, we tested whether parent–child relationship quality buffered associations between maternal ACEs and RSA synchrony. Methods: In a community sample of mother–child dyads experiencing high sociodemographic risk and oversampled for exposure to adversity, mothers (n = 123) reported on their ACEs (43.1% ≥4), their 3–5‐year‐old children's exposure to violence, and psychological symptoms. Dyads completed a puzzle task while EKG was recorded, from which maternal and child RSA was derived; parent–child relationship quality during interactions was coded observationally. Multilevel models examined within‐dyad mother–child RSA synchrony across the interaction and between‐dyad predictors of synchrony. Results: Parent–child relationship quality and maternal ACEs co‐contributed to offspring and dyadic physiology. Maternal ACEs predicted dampened RSA in the child and dampened RSA synchrony in the dyad, only among dyads with low observer‐rated parent–child relationship quality during the interaction. In other words, high‐quality parent–child relationship quality buffered the association between maternal ACEs and dampened offspring and dyadic physiology. Conclusions: Results suggest that mothers' early adversity may disrupt physiological regulation at both the individual child and dyadic level. High‐quality parent–child relationships mitigated this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Parent–child relationship quality buffers the association between mothers' adverse childhood experiences and physiological synchrony.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gray%2C+Sarah+A%2EO%2E%22">Gray, Sarah A.O.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Miller%2C+Jonas+G%2E%22">Miller, Jonas G.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Glackin%2C+Erin+B%2E%22">Glackin, Erin B.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hatch%2C+Virginia%22">Hatch, Virginia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Drury%2C+Stacy+S%2E%22">Drury, Stacy S.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Child+Psychology+%26+Psychiatry%22">Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry</searchLink>. Jul2025, Vol. 66 Issue 7, p956-966. 11p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children+of+parents+with+disabilities%22">Children of parents with disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Socioeconomic+factors%22">Socioeconomic factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Path+analysis+%28Statistics%29%22">Path analysis (Statistics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chi-squared+test%22">Chi-squared test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Heart+beat%22">Heart beat</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+mothers%22">Psychology of mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior+Checklist%22">Child Behavior Checklist</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mother-child+relationship%22">Mother-child relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adverse+childhood+experiences%22">Adverse childhood experiences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Family environment plays a critical role in shaping stress response systems. Concordance between mothers' and children's physiological states, specifically their Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), reflects dyadic co‐regulation. Negative or weakened RSA synchrony during interactions is linked to various psychosocial risks, but existing research has focused on risks in the mother or child as opposed to the dyad. This study examined the association between maternal‐child RSA synchrony and maternal ACEs, given documented associations with offspring RSA, as well as more proximal documented risks, including maternal psychopathology and children's early adversity and psychopathology. Given that sensitive parent–child relationships are a powerful source of resilience, we tested whether parent–child relationship quality buffered associations between maternal ACEs and RSA synchrony. Methods: In a community sample of mother–child dyads experiencing high sociodemographic risk and oversampled for exposure to adversity, mothers (n = 123) reported on their ACEs (43.1% ≥4), their 3–5‐year‐old children's exposure to violence, and psychological symptoms. Dyads completed a puzzle task while EKG was recorded, from which maternal and child RSA was derived; parent–child relationship quality during interactions was coded observationally. Multilevel models examined within‐dyad mother–child RSA synchrony across the interaction and between‐dyad predictors of synchrony. Results: Parent–child relationship quality and maternal ACEs co‐contributed to offspring and dyadic physiology. Maternal ACEs predicted dampened RSA in the child and dampened RSA synchrony in the dyad, only among dyads with low observer‐rated parent–child relationship quality during the interaction. In other words, high‐quality parent–child relationship quality buffered the association between maternal ACEs and dampened offspring and dyadic physiology. Conclusions: Results suggest that mothers' early adversity may disrupt physiological regulation at both the individual child and dyadic level. High‐quality parent–child relationships mitigated this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/jcpp.14108
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 956
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children of parents with disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Path analysis (Statistics)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chi-squared test
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Heart beat
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior Checklist
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mother-child relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adverse childhood experiences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Parent–child relationship quality buffers the association between mothers' adverse childhood experiences and physiological synchrony.
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            NameFull: Glackin, Erin B.
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            NameFull: Hatch, Virginia
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              M: 07
              Text: Jul2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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