Reactivity and Regulation in the Intergenerational Transmission of PTSD

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project Summary: The purpose of this Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) is to enable the candidate to become an independent investigator conducting integrative research on the impact of maternal PTSD on parenting, child reactivity and regulation, and the intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress. The long-term goal of this award is to prepare the candidate to inform and design intervention programs that mitigate the negative impact of maternal PTSD on children and interrupt the integenerational transmission of PTSD. To accomplish these goals, the candidate will complete a career development plan focused on promoting competence in the administration and interpretation of multiple measures of psychobiological functioning relevant to reactivity and regulation; methodology in the field of traumatic stress, with a particular emphasis on understanding the effects of maternal PTSD on child outcome and potential mechanisms involved in the intergenerational transmission of PTSD; and longitudinal data collection and statistical analysis techniques. Training will be accomplished via coursework, tutorials and consultation with experts, and specific research projects. The research development plan is focused on testing a specific model of the impact of maternal PTSD on parenting, child reactivity, and the development of self-regulation as potential mediators in the intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress. The research program consists of two studies: 1) a prospective examination of associations among maternal PTSD, parenting, and infant reactivity and regulatory abilities in the first year; and 2) a prospective analysis of the role of pre- trauma regulation abilities in the development of PTSD following trauma exposure. Training obtained via this award will prepare the candidate to submit an R01 application for a longitudinal study of the role of maternal PTSD on child outcome and potential underlying mechanisms of effects. Relevance: This work will help inform intervention efforts to mitigate the negative impact of maternal PTSD on children, prevent the intergenerational transmission of traumatic stress, specify developmental models of risk and resilience in the etiology of PTSD, and identify and treat at-risk traumatized children. This work will also have more general implications for understanding the development of self-regulatory abilities across multiple systems in typical and atypical populations and for intervening with populations at risk for regulatory difficulties.