Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40044920›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Effects of childhood maltreatment on mothers' empathy and parenting styles in intergenerational transmission.

Yuko Kawaguchi, Sawa Kurata, Natasha Y S Kawata, Akiko Yao, Shota Nishitani, Takashi X Fujisawa, Akemi Tomoda

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Yuko KawaguchiDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
Sawa KurataDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan.
Natasha Y S KawataResearch Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji- cho, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan.
Akiko YaoResearch Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji- cho, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan.
Shota NishitaniDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
Takashi X FujisawaDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. tfuji@u-fukui.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3720-0394
Akemi TomodaDivision of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. atomoda@u-fukui.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6558-5017

Funding

AMED 20gk0110052, AT and SNJSPS KAKENHI Scientific Research (A) 19H00617 and 22H00492, AT, (C) 22K02432 (SK and SN)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Understanding the intergenerational transmission of childhood maltreatment (CM) is crucial to prevent its perpetuation to future generations. The literature has revealed parental empathy to be a pivotal factor in this process. Parental empathy is the ability to comprehend and empathetically respond to the emotions and mental states of children; therefore, its impairment may result in challenges in parenting, ultimately contributing to CM. In this study, we explored the factors that undermine empathy and how they alter parenting practices, to uncover the process of intergenerational transmission of CM. To investigate actual instances of CM, a comparative study was conducted between 13 mothers with a history of social interventions owing to CM and 42 mothers in the control group. Path analysis was performed to examine the trajectory from adverse childhood experiences to maltreatment and explore their correlations with variables including affective and cognitive empathy, depressive symptoms, and parenting styles. The results showed that experiences of CM specifically enhanced empathy in the emotional domain in the maltreatment group. Furthermore, heightened empathy in the maltreatment group influenced parenting style mediated by depressive symptoms. These results provide important insights into the intergenerational transmission process in the context of parental empathy.

Indexed as

Adult Survivors of Child AbuseChild AbuseEmpathyIntergenerational RelationsMothersParentingAdultChildDepressionEmotionsFemaleHumansMaleMother-Child RelationsChildhood maltreatmentEarly childhood developmentEmotionsParental empathyParentingPath analysis

Identifiers

PMID40044920
PMCPMC11882814

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.