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Depression / Salud Mental Materna / Maternal Mental Health · Journal article
European Journal of Psychotraumatology · August 18, 2026
Encouraging direction, but not yet definitive.
This cross-sectional survey in 305 pregnant women from a German-speaking population identifies specific associations between types of childhood maltreatment and health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy. Emotional abuse and neglect predicted perceived stress, antenatal depression, relationship quality and psychiatric symptoms; sexual abuse predicted sleep problems. The findings are suggestive but cannot establish causation and rely entirely on retrospective self-report.
Cross-sectional observational study. Pregnant women in their second or third trimester, drawn from the general German-speaking population. Intervention: Childhood maltreatment exposure (types: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect) assessed retrospectively. n = 305. German-speaking population (setting not further specified).
Emotional abuse/neglect combined predicted perceived stress, antenatal depression, relationship quality, and psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy Sexual abuse specifically predicted sleep problems during pregnancy Emotional abuse as a separate predictor was significant for perceived stress, antenatal depression, and psychiatric symptoms
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These findings suggest that routine screening for childhood maltreatment, particularly emotional abuse and neglect, during prenatal care may identify women at elevated risk for antenatal depression and stress who could benefit from early intervention. However, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and replication is needed before implementing screening or intervention protocols.
A cross-sectional survey of moderate size showing specific associations between maternal childhood maltreatment types and pregnancy-related risk factors, with clear statistical design but reliant on self-report and cross-sectional data that cannot establish causation.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
These findings suggest that routine screening for childhood maltreatment, particularly emotional abuse and neglect, during prenatal care may identify women at elevated risk for antenatal depression and stress who could benefit from early intervention. However, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and replication is needed before implementing screening or intervention protocols.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background: The experience of childhood maltreatment of women has been identified as an important predictor for the occurrence of health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy that might increase the risk for mental health problems in offspring. Little is known yet about how different types of maternal childhood maltreatment contribute to the occurrence of these health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate how specific types of childhood maltreatment (emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) relate to the occurrence of health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy.Method: A sample of N = 305 pregnant women in their second or third trimester, drawn from the general German-speaking population, completed an online survey assessing childhood maltreatment and a range of health-related (e.g. medical complications) and psychosocial (e.g. maternal antenatal depression) factors. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the specific predictive effect of each type of childhood maltreatment on different health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy.Results: The regression analyses indicated that the combined predictor emotional abuse/neglect predicted health-related and psychosocial factors during pregnancy, including perceived stress, antenatal depression, relationship quality and psychiatric symptoms. Sleep problems were predicted by sexual abuse. Sensitivity analyses with emotional abuse and emotional neglect as separate predictors revealed emotional abuse as the only significant predictor of perceived stress, antenatal depression and psychiatric symptoms.Conclusions: Future research should focus on the underlying mechanisms linking emotional abuse and neglect to health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy. Routine screening for childhood maltreatment and early interventions for women who experienced emotional abuse and neglect in childhood may substantially reduce the occurrence of health-related and psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy that might affect children's mental health, thereby promoting healthy psychological development in offspring.
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