# Examining Interpersonal Traumas Across Low Income Latinx Mother-Youth Dyads: Associations Between Maternal Child Abuse Exposure and Racial Discrimination with Mother and Youth Psychopathology

## TL;DR

This study explores how maternal child abuse and racial discrimination affect mental health in low-income Latinx families, showing intergenerational impacts.

## Contribution

The study uniquely examines how racial discrimination moderates the effects of maternal child abuse on youth mental health in Latinx families.

## Key findings

- Maternal child abuse exposure was positively linked to maternal depression and anxiety.
- Interactions between abuse and racial discrimination were significant for youth depression and anxiety.
- Findings emphasize the complex interplay of trauma and discrimination in Latinx families.

## Abstract

Child abuse has intergenerational consequences for psychopathology, however, there remains a paucity of research regarding how these experiences affect Latinx families, particularly those at risk for additional negative life events, such as racial discrimination. This study aims to contribute to this gap in the literature by examining the impact maternal child abuse exposure has on youth and maternal psychopathology, as well as whether these associations are moderated by racial discrimination, in a sample of 224 Latinx mother-youth dyads. Hierarchical regressions revealed small but significant maternal child abuse exposure x racial discrimination interactions for youth depression and anxiety, but not maternal depression or anxiety, which were solely positively associated with maternal child abuse exposure. Findings highlight the multifarious, and at times convergent, nature of trauma and oppression among Latinx families, as well as the impact across generations. Future work is needed to further elucidate developmental pathways of intergenerational trauma in understudied populations.