Offending mothers of maltreated children were compared twice, one year apart, with nonoffending mothers of maltreated children on measures of social support, self-worth, and depressive symptoms. Offending mothers generally did not differ from nonoffending mothers on perceived social support or self-worth. The two groups did not differ on depressive symptoms at the first interview (Time 1), but depressive symptoms decreased more over time for nonoffending mothers than for offending mothers.
Perceptions of low social support from family and friends were the strongest predictors of more negative perceptions of self-worth and greater depressive symptomatology at Time 1. At Time 2, support from friends remained a significant independent predictor of self-worth and depressive symptoms, but support from family was no longer significant. Mothers whose children experienced a repetitive pattern of maltreatment and mothers who were not offenders had more depressive symptoms at Time 1. Single mothers experienced more depressive symptoms at Time 1, while lower education was associated with increased depressive symptoms at Time 2. The findings have important implications for planning interventions with maltreating families.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aneshensel, C. S.
, & Huba, G. J. (1984). An integrative causal model of the antecedents and consequences of depression over one year. In J. R. Greenley (Ed.), Research in community and mental health (pp. 35-72). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
2.
Brown, G. W.
(1988). Causal paths, chains, and strands. In M. Rutter (Ed.), Studies of psychosocial risk: The power of longitudinal data (pp. 285-314). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3.
Brown, G. W.
, Andrews, B., Harris, T., Alder, Z., & Bridge, L. (1986). Social support, self-esteem and depression. Psychological Medicine, 16, 813-831.
4.
Christensen, M. J.
, Brayden, R. M., Dietrich, M. S., McLaughlin, F.J., & Sherrod, K. B. (1994). The prospective assessment of self-concept in neglectful and physically abusive low income mothers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18(3), 225-232.
5.
Cochran, M.
(1990). Environmental factors constraining network development. In M. Cochran, M. Larner, D. Riley, L. Gunnarsson, & C. R. Henderson, Jr. (Eds.), Extending families: The social networks of parents and their children (pp. 277-296). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6.
Cohen, S.
, & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357.
7.
Corse, S. J.
, Schmid, K., & Trickett, P. K. (1990). Social network characteristics of mothers in abusing and nonabusing families and their relationships to parenting beliefs. Journal of Community Psychology, 18(1), 44-59.
8.
Culp, R. E.
, Culp, A. M., Soulis, J., & Letts, D. (1989). Self-esteem and depression in abusive, neglecting, and nonmaltreating mothers. Infant Mental Health Journal, 10(4), 243-251.
9.
Dean, A.
, & Ensel, W. M. (1983). Socially structured depression in men and women. In J. R. Greenley & R. G. Simmons (Eds.), Research in community and mental health (pp. 113-139). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
10.
Deblinger, E.
, Hathaway, C. R., Lippmann, J., & Steer, R. (1993). Psychosocial characteristics and correlates of symptom distress in nonoffending mothers of sexually abused children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8(2), 155-168.
11.
Dew, M. A.
, & Bromet, E. J. (1991). Effects of depression on social support in a community sample of women. In J. Eckenrode (Ed.), The social context of coping (pp. 189-211). New York: Plenum.
12.
Flannery, R. B.
, & Wieman, D. (1989). Social support, life stress, and psychological distress: An empirical assessment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45(6), 867-872.
13.
Hall, L. A.
, Williams, C. A., & Greenberg, R. (1985). Supports, stressors, and depressive symptoms in low-income mothers of young children. American Journal of Public Health, 75(5), 518-522.
14.
Hamm, S. (1986). Competence and social support as correlates of adult self-worth: Further application of the Adult Self-Perception Profile. Doctoral dissertation, University of Denver.
15.
Herrenkohl, E. C.
, Herrenkohl, R. C., & Toedter, L. J. (1983). Perspectives on the intergenerational transmission of abuse. In D. Finklehor, R. J. Gelles, G. T. Hotaling, & M. A. Straus (Eds.), The dark side of families: Current family violence research (pp. 305-316). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
16.
Hirschfeld, R.M.A.
, & Cross, C. K. (1982). Epidemiology of affective disorders: Psychosocial risk factors. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39(1), 35-46.
17.
Kaplan, S. J.
, Pelcovitz, D., Salzinger, S., & Ganeles, D. (1983). Psychopathology of parents of abused and neglected children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22, 238-244.
18.
Kaplan, S. J.
, Pelcovitz, D., Salzinger, S., & Ganeles, D. (1988). Psychopathology of nonviolent women in violent families. In E. J. Anthony & C. Chiland (Eds.), The child in his family: Perilous development: Child raising and identity formation under stress (pp. 503-514). New York: Wiley.
19.
Kendler, K. S.
, Neale, M. C., Kessler, R. C., Heath, A. C., & Eaves, L. J. (1992). Childhood parental loss and adult psychopathology in women: A twin study perspective. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49(2), 109-116.
20.
Kinard, E. M.
(1982). Child abuse and depression: Cause or consequence?Child Welfare, 61(7), 403-413.
21.
Kinard, E. M.
(1995). Perceived social support and competence in abused children: A longitudinal perspective. Journal of Family Violence, 10(1), 73-98.
22.
Kinard, E. M.
(in press). Social support, competence, and depression in mothers of abused children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
23.
Koeske, G. F.
, & Koeske, R. D. (1990). The buffering effect of social support on parental stress. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60(3), 440-451.
24.
Lawson, K. A.
, & Hays, J. R. (1989). Self-esteem and stress as factors in abuse of children. Psychological Reports, 65(3, Pt. 2), 1259-1265.
25.
Lin, N.
, Ensel, W. M., & Dean, A. (1986). The age structure and the stress process. In N. Lin, A. Dean, & W. M. Ensel (Eds.), Social support, life events, and depression (pp. 213-230). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
26.
McLeod, J. D.
, & Kessler, R. C. (1990). Socioeconomic status differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 31, 162-172.
27.
Messer, B.
, & Harter, S. (1986). Manual for the Adult Self-Perception Profile. Denver, CO: University of Denver.
28.
Milner, J. S.
, & Chilamkurti, C. (1991). Physical child abuse perpetrator characteristics: A review of the literature. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 6(3), 345-366.
29.
Oates, R. K.
, Davis, A. A., Ryan, M. G., & Stewart, L. F. (1980). Risk factors associated with child abuse. In C. H. Kempe, A. W. Franklin, & C. Cooper (Eds.), The abused child in the family and in the community (pp. 547-553). Oxford: Pergamon.
30.
Oates, R. K.
, & Forrest, D. (1985). Self-esteem and early background of abusive mothers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 9(1), 89-93.
31.
Olson, S. L.
, Kieschnick, E., Banyard, V., & Ceballo, R. (1994). Socioenvironmental and individual correlates of psychological adjustment in low-income single mothers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 64(2), 317-331.
32.
Perry, M. A.
, Wells, E. A., & Doran, L. D. (1983). Parent characteristics in abusing and nonabusing families. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 12(3), 329-336.
33.
Polansky, N. A.
, Gaudin, J. M., Jr., Ammons, P. W., & Davis, K. B. (1985). The psychological ecology of the neglectful mother. Child Abuse & Neglect, 9(2), 265-275.
34.
Radloff, L. S.
(1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3), 385-401.
35.
Radloff, L. S.
, & Rae, D. S. (1981). Components of the sex difference in depression. In R. G. Simmons (Ed.), Research in community and mental health (pp. 111-137). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
36.
Reese, M. F.
(1982). Growing up: The impact of loss and change. In D. Belle (Ed.), Lives in stress: Women and depression (pp. 65-80). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
37.
Rosenberg, M.
, Schooler, C., Schoenbach, C., & Rosenberg, F. (1995). Global self-esteem and specific self-esteem: Different concepts, different outcomes. American Sociological Review, 60(1), 141-156.
38.
Salzinger, S.
, Kaplan, S., & Artemyeff, C. (1983). Mothers' personal social networks and child maltreatment. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92(1), 68-76.
39.
Starr, R. H., Jr.
(1988). Physical abuse of children. In V. B. Van Hasselt, R. L. Morrison, A. S. Bellack, & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of family violence (pp. 119-155). New York: Plenum.
40.
Taylor, C. G.
, Norman, D. K., Murphy, J. M., Jellinek, M., Quinn, D., Poitrast, F. G., & Goshko, M. (1991). Diagnosed intellectual and emotional impairment among parents who seriously mistreat their children: Prevalence, type, and outcome in a court sample. Child Abuse & Neglect, 15(4), 389-401.
41.
Turner, R. J.
, Wheaton, B., & Lloyd, D. A. (1995). The epidemiology of social stress. American Sociological Review, 60(1), 104-125.
42.
Wagner, W. G.
(1991). Depression in mothers of sexually abused vs. mothers of nonabused children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 15(1-2), 99-104.
43.
Wolfe, D. A.
(1987). Child abuse: Implications for child development and psychopathology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
