Perinatal intimate partner violence among teen mothers and children's attachment disorders in Rwanda: potential mediating factors

Background: The alarming prevalence of teen mothers' exposure to perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV, 8.3-67%) and attachment disorders (ADs) among their children is a global concern, especially in sub-Saharan Africa with high teenage pregnancy rates. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the link between teen IPV and AD in their offspring. We sought also to explore the mediating roles of postpartum depression symptoms, maternal sensitivity, parenting stress, and perceived social support in the relationship between perinatal IPV and children's ADs.Method: This cross-sectional study selected a random sample of 309 teen mothers from Nyanza district. This sample size was determined using Yamane's formula, with random sampling. Various instruments were used for data collection, including questionnaires on intimate partner violence, social support, maternal sensitivity, postpartum depression symptoms and parenting stress and early trauma-related disorders. The data was analysed using SPSS, with mediation analyses performed using the PROCESS macro (version 4.1).Results: IPV was found to be significantly associated with attachment disorders. Simple mediation models showed that parenting stress completely mediated these relationships, while postpartum depression, perceived social support, and maternal sensitivity partially mediated the relationship between IPV and children's ADs. In parallel mediation model, the combined roles of all mediators fully mediated the associations between IPV and ADs.Conclusion: These findings offer valuable insights in designing or strengthening the appropriate interventions to prevent and mitigate the perinatal intimate partner violence and its detrimental impact on children's attachment disorders. Combating intimate partner violence in post-conflict situations is challenging in teen mothers, however, our results suggest that efforts to address maternal mental health and parenting practices may protect children from attachment disorders. Parenting stress was identified as a significant mediator, fully mediating the relationship between perinatal IPV and children's attachment disorders.Postpartum depression, perceived social support, and maternal sensitivity partially mediated the link between perinatal IPV and children's attachment disorders.The study underscores the necessity for multifaceted support programmes for adolescent mothers to address IPV, alleviate parenting stress, and enhance maternal mental health and social support, promoting better attachment outcomes for their children. Antecedentes: La alarmante prevalencia de la exposici & oacute;n de las madres adolescentes a la violencia de pareja perinatal (VPP, 8,3-67%) y a los trastornos del apego (TA) entre sus hijos es una preocupaci & oacute;n mundial, especialmente en el & Aacute;frica subsahariana, con altas tasas de embarazo adolescente. Por lo tanto, este estudio tuvo como objetivo examinar el v & iacute;nculo entre la VPP adolescente y el TA en su descendencia. Tambi & eacute;n buscamos explorar los roles mediadores de los s & iacute;ntomas de depresi & oacute;n posparto, la sensibilidad materna, el estr & eacute;s parental y el apoyo social percibido en la relaci & oacute;n entre la VPP y los TA de los ni & ntilde;os.M & eacute;todo: Este estudio transversal seleccion & oacute; una muestra aleatoria de 309 madres adolescentes del distrito de Nyanza. Este tama & ntilde;o de muestra se determin & oacute; utilizando la f & oacute;rmula de Yamane, con muestreo aleatorio. Se utilizaron varios instrumentos para la recopilaci & oacute;n de datos, incluidos cuestionarios sobre violencia de pareja, apoyo social, sensibilidad materna, s & iacute;ntomas de depresi & oacute;n posparto y estr & eacute;s parental y trastornos relacionados con traumas tempranos. Los datos se analizaron utilizando SPSS, con an & aacute;lisis de mediaci & oacute;n realizados utilizando la macro PROCESS (versi & oacute;n 4.1).Resultados: Se encontr & oacute; que la violencia de pareja estaba significativamente asociada con los trastornos del apego. Los modelos de mediaci & oacute;n simples mostraron que el estr & eacute;s parental mediaba completamente estas relaciones, mientras que la depresi & oacute;n posparto, el apoyo social percibido y la sensibilidad materna mediaban parcialmente la relaci & oacute;n entre la VPP y los TA de los ni & ntilde;os. En el modelo de mediaci & oacute;n paralela, los roles combinados de todos los mediadores mediaban completamente las asociaciones entre la VPP y los TA.Conclusi & oacute;n: Estos hallazgos ofrecen informaci & oacute;n valiosa para dise & ntilde;ar o fortalecer las intervenciones adecuadas para prevenir y mitigar la violencia de pareja & iacute;ntima perinatal y su impacto perjudicial en los trastornos del apego de los ni & ntilde;os. Combatir la violencia de pareja en situaciones posteriores a conflictos es un desaf & iacute;o para las madres adolescentes, sin embargo, nuestros resultados sugieren que los esfuerzos para abordar la salud mental materna y las pr & aacute;cticas de crianza pueden proteger a los ni & ntilde;os de los trastornos del apego.