Maternal insecure attachment representation as a long-term risk factor for disrupted mother-child-interaction and child mental health.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Read More Add to Saved list
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101627676 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2050-7283 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20507283 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Psychol Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2013]-
    • Subject Terms:
      Mother-Child Relations*/psychology ; Object Attachment* ; Mental Health*; Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Longitudinal Studies ; Child ; Mothers/psychology ; Child, Preschool ; Child Abuse/psychology ; Child Abuse/statistics & numerical data
    • Abstract:
      Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) represents an important factor in the transmission of trauma that may lead to impaired child mental health. Apart from childhood maltreatment insecure attachment has been identified as a risk factor for insensitive caregiving behavior, which may affect child's mental health. The aim of this study is to identify the working mechanisms in the relationship between maternal CM and child mental health, considering maternal attachment representation, mother-child-interaction und maternal helplessness and fear. N = 103 mother-child-dyads from a longitudinal cohort study were examined at four different measuring points. Data was assessed using self and external report questionnaires as well as the AMBIANCE scales during the Strange Situation Procedure and the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). Maternal CM experience did not predict an insecure attachment representation (OR = 2.46 [0.98, 6.53], p = .060). Maternal insecure attachment was associated with higher AMBIANCE scores (F(8, 94) = 11.46, p < .001), which indicates more disrupted communication between mother and child. AMBIANCE scores in turn predicted higher self-perceived helplessness (F(9, 93) = 8.62, p < .001) and fear (F(9, 93) = 7.40, p < .001) in mothers. Helplessness and fear both were associated with higher SDQ-scores, indicating more mental health problems in children (F(10, 92) = 3.98, p < .001; F(10, 92) = 3.87, p < .001). The results of this study highlight how even insecure attachment in a low-risk sample has a long-term impact on parenting behavior and child mental health, therefore underlining the need of early intervention programs in affected and at-risk families.
      (© 2024. The Author(s).)
    • References:
      Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2012 Feb;62(2):47-51. (PMID: 22203470)
      Child Abuse Negl. 2019 Oct;96:104082. (PMID: 31374447)
      J Clin Nurs. 2016 Aug;25(15-16):2357-66. (PMID: 27161944)
      Infant Ment Health J. 2011 May 1;32(3):277-285. (PMID: 24855326)
      Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2021 Jun 16;15(1):31. (PMID: 34134733)
      Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Aug;8(8):3287-98. (PMID: 21909307)
      Gesundheitswesen. 2002 Dec;64 Suppl 1:S119-24. (PMID: 12870226)
      BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2012 Dec 15;12:153. (PMID: 23241428)
      Dev Psychopathol. 2019 Feb;31(1):9-21. (PMID: 30757988)
      Infant Ment Health J. 2016 May;37(3):208-21. (PMID: 27079544)
      Child Abuse Negl. 2021 Nov;121:105228. (PMID: 34399093)
      Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018 May;27(5):615-624. (PMID: 29110074)
      Child Abuse Negl. 2018 Feb;76:533-545. (PMID: 28522128)
      J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2021 Aug 17;15(2):307-317. (PMID: 35600526)
      Dev Child Welf. 2021 Jun;3(2):71-84. (PMID: 34435173)
      Infant Ment Health J. 2017 May;38(3):343-350. (PMID: 28467640)
      Dev Psychopathol. 2019 Feb;31(1):23-51. (PMID: 30757994)
      Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2011 Oct 12;5:32. (PMID: 21992589)
      Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2020 Mar;34(2):204-213. (PMID: 32003026)
      J Health Soc Behav. 1983 Dec;24(4):385-96. (PMID: 6668417)
      Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Jul 18;16:890262. (PMID: 35923749)
      Br J Nutr. 2008 May;99(5):1127-32. (PMID: 18294424)
      Fam Relat. 2020 Apr;69(2):233-246. (PMID: 33897080)
      J Child Fam Stud. 2023 Mar;32(3):876-891. (PMID: 37859978)
      J Marriage Fam. 2015 Apr;77(2):388-406. (PMID: 26778852)
      J Child Fam Stud. 2022;31(2):392-408. (PMID: 34803359)
      Front Psychol. 2018 Oct 23;9:1987. (PMID: 30405481)
      Arch Womens Ment Health. 2017 Oct;20(5):663-672. (PMID: 28634716)
      Front Pediatr. 2022 Nov 01;10:939538. (PMID: 36389380)
      Early Hum Dev. 2013 Apr;89(4):249-56. (PMID: 23398731)
      Child Abuse Negl. 2020 Apr;102:104361. (PMID: 32062423)
      Cent Eur J Public Health. 2012 Jun;20(2):104-9. (PMID: 22966732)
      Behav Res Methods. 2007 Nov;39(4):709-22. (PMID: 18183883)
    • Grant Information:
      01KR1304A Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; 01KR1304A Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; 01KR1304A Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung; 01KR1304A Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: CM experience; Child mental health; Maternal attachment; Maternal helplessness; Mother–child-interaction
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240709 Date Completed: 20240710 Latest Revision: 20240712
    • Publication Date:
      20240712
    • Accession Number:
      PMC11234699
    • Accession Number:
      10.1186/s40359-024-01874-8
    • Accession Number:
      38982522