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Intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure threatens healthy child development by compromising outcomes across a range of domains including academic functioning. However, research suggests variability in the strength and nature of the association between IPV exposure and academic functioning, and the extent to which it varies by different academic outcomes and co-occurring risk factors (e.g., child maltreatment). This systematic review seeks to clarify the relation between IPV exposure and academic functioning by distilling overall outcome trends and critically assessing the existing literature's strengths and limitations. Seven databases were searched to identify relevant articles published through August 2020. Studies were included if (a) at least 80% of the sample were from birth to 18 years of age; (b) valid tools were used to measure outcome variables, and (c) outcomes of children exposed to IPV were compared with children who experienced other forms of violence and/or no violence exposure. After screening, the review yielded 13 articles examining academic functioning. The majority (76.9%, n = 10) of the studies found a negative association between IPV exposure and academic functioning, but results varied among subdomains of academic functioning (subjective performance, objective performance, and conduct). Findings from several studies indicate that the combined experience of IPV exposure and maltreatment negatively affects academic functioning. Results highlight the need for: 1) additional research examining IPV exposure and academic functioning 2) early detection of IPV-exposed children, and 3) the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions to support academic functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both in the United States and across the world, intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread social problem. It often occurs in households with children, and IPV exposure during childhood is associated with negative sequelae across developmental domains. This systematic review synthesizes the literature on the effects of IPV exposure on social-emotional competence (i.e., social competence, empathy, emotion regulation) from infancy through late adolescence. Seven bibliographic software databases were searched for relevant citations up to August 2020, and a total of 15,354 citations were identified after deduplication. Following a screening process by two research assistants, 381 citations were included in a broader Evidence and Gap Map. Data extraction was completed for included citations, and all were coded into child outcome categories and subcategories. Twenty-six studies examined social-emotional competence. Across studies examining social competence, a majority found that IPV-exposed children demonstrated lower levels of social competence and emotional regulation than a comparison group. Limited evidence was found to indicate that IPV-exposed children also exhibited fewer empathic skills compared with non-exposed peers. Social-emotional competence was additionally identified to significantly mediate and/or moderate the association between IPV exposure and other outcomes (e.g., aggressive behaviors, psychological distress), underscoring that social-emotional competence may be a malleable factor that could promote resilience among children exposed to IPV. These findings highlight the need to further explore the associations between social-emotional competence and other child adjustment outcomes, and develop and implement programming to foster social-emotional competence among IPV-exposed children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psychosocial factors and life stressors have an impact on long-term health effects on mothers and their children. Recent studies examining maternal mental health have predominantly focused on identifying maternal experiences with depression; however, there has been minimal research investigating maternal experiences with psychosocial risk factors and its relationship with child well-being. Methods: Secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. The study sample includes 2396 adolescents and their biological mothers. Adolescents were between the ages of 14 and 19. We examined primary outcomes regarding mental health (depression and anxiety), life-satisfaction, and substance usage (alcohol and drugs). Results: The association between maternal psychosocial factors an adolescent depression was significant, F(26) = 5.29, p <.01. Mothers educational attainment and poverty level significantly predicted adolescent depression; with completion of some college (B = −0.411, p 0.025), a college degree (B = −0.540, p = 0.018), and living at the 300% poverty level (B = −0.725, p = 0.002) predicting lower levels of adolescent depression. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that there was a positive relationship between maternal mental health and adolescent mental health. Further, this study demonstrated that maternal mental health and social determinants of health are predictors of adolescent mental health and social functioning, thus indicating an inextricable connection to child well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual victimization is associated with worse mental health outcomes among LGBQ + adolescents and adults; however, limited work has focused on these relations among emerging adults in college and has not tested mechanisms that might explain these associations. Thus, the current study tested the associations between sexual victimization and mental health outcomes (i.e., anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) and examined social support and trauma-related drinking as mediators of these associations among diverse LGBQ + college student emerging adults. Additionally, we tested whether findings varied among Students of Color and White Students. Participants included 179 LGBQ + college students (M = 19.48, SD = 0.74) who completed measures of sexual victimization, social support, trauma-related drinking, and mental health. Trauma-related drinking was a significant mediator, such that sexual victimization was associated with greater trauma-related drinking and, in turn, greater anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Although social support was not a significant mediator, social support was associated with less anxiety symptoms and less depressive symptoms. Findings did not vary by ethnicity/race. Findings have research and intervention implications by highlighting the ways in which sexual victimization, social support, and trauma-related drinking affect LGBQ + college students’ mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]