Moderated-mediation links between mothers’ ACEs, anxiety, humor style, and coparenting and their children’s behavior

Abstract A growing body of evidence indicates that mothers' adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased likelihood of behavioral problems in their children, suggesting a potential transgenerational effect. While research indicates indirect associations between mothers’ ACEs and child behavior problems, further investigation is needed to better understand these complex associations. Additionally, not all children of mothers with ACEs exhibit behavior problems, underscoring the importance of investigating protective factors. We examined the mediating role of maternal anxiety and coparenting relationships in the association between mothers' ACEs and their children's behavior. Furthermore, we investigated the moderating effect of the mothers’ positive humor style on this indirect association. A total of 148 mothers of children aged 6–12 years (53.3% girls) completed self-report questionnaires. Using a moderated-mediation model, we found that the association between the mother’s ACEs and her child’s externalizing behavior was sequentially mediated by maternal anxiety and negative aspects of the coparenting relationship at low and medium levels of positive maternal humor, but not at high levels. Maternal anxiety was the sole mediator for children’s internalizing behavior. The study’s findings highlight the mediating role of maternal anxiety and coparenting in the association between maternal ACEs and children's behavior problems. Furthermore, positive maternal humor emerged as a potential source of resilience and a contributor to family dynamics. Healthcare providers are advised to assess mothers’ anxiety, particularly in cases of maternal childhood trauma, work to enhance coparenting, and foster the use of positive humor.