Table 5 Mediation analysis for the relationship between maternal exposure to cumulative childhood trauma and offspring depressive symptoms in the overall sample, male and female adolescent subgroups

Overall population

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EA → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.0768

(− 0.0836, 0.2393)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EN → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1427

(0.0272, 0.2529)

Direct path: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1927

(− 0.1952,0.5807)

Males(n = 1807)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EA → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1898

(− 0.0116, 0.3984)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring PA → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.0287

(− 0.0090, 0.0805)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EN → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.3509

(0.1621,0.5506)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring PN → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.0812

(0.0011,0.1758)

Direct path: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.2314

(− 0.2902,0.7530)

Females(n = 1865)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EA → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1907

(− 0.0318, 0.4255)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring SA → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.0255

(− 0.0062,0.0944)

Indirect paths: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring EN → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1977

(0.0332, 0.3648)

Direct path: Maternal exposure to cumulative CT → Offspring depressive symptoms

0.1459

(− 0.4247, 0.7165)