Attachment & Child Health (ATTACH) pilot trials: Effect of parental reflective function intervention for families affected by toxic stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-462
Author(s):  
Nicole Letourneau ◽  
Lubna Anis ◽  
Henry Ntanda ◽  
Jason Novick ◽  
Miriam Steele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Reflective Function ◽  
Toxic Stress ◽  
Pilot Trials ◽  
Parental Reflective Function

scholarly journals Peri-partum psychosis: How does parental reflective function affect the quality of mother-infant interaction?

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juane Voges ◽  
Astrid Berg ◽  
Daniel J.H. Niehaus
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Sensitivity ◽  
Reflective Functioning ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Reflective Function ◽  
Parental Reflective Functioning ◽  
Play Interaction ◽  
Attachment Difficulties ◽  
Parental Reflective Function

Introduction: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the impact of peri-partum psychosis on parental reflective function and quality of mother-infant interaction in a South African sample at high risk of developing attachment difficulties. Besides the effects of physical separation, attachment difficulties may arise from other maternal factors, such as a lack of reflective capacity or negative symptoms affecting the warmth with which a mother interacts with her child. This study examined the quality of mother-infant interaction to determine how the presence of psychotic symptoms during pregnancy or shortly after delivery affects aspects like maternal sensitivity, child social involvement and dyadic engagement. Ultimately, the study aimed to investigate the association between psychosis, parental reflective functioning and quality of parent-infant interaction.Methods: The study followed a descriptive, observational design. Mothers were recruited if they experienced psychotic symptoms during pregnancy or within the first 6 months postpartum. Demographic information and psychiatric history were collected. Parental reflective function was assessed by the Parent Development Interview (PDI), and the quality of mother-infant interaction in an unstructured play interaction was coded using the Coding Interactive Behaviour (CIB).Results: Eight participants aged between 22 and 44 years, with diagnoses of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and MDD with psychosis, were recruited. Parental reflective functioning showed significant variation with scores approaching and exceeding ordinary reflective functioning, typically found in non-clinical populations. At the time of the play interaction, infants were aged between 6 and 10 months. Play interactions were mostly parent-led, with some surprising findings, such as a lower than anticipated frequency of parental negative affect, moderate maternal sensitivity and wide variation in scores for infant withdrawal.Conclusion: The results found in this small sample of mothers with peri-partum psychosis have presented unexpected results, both in terms of higher than anticipated capacity for parental reflective functioning and aspects of the quality of interaction with their infants. Possible implications for future interventions will be discussed.

scholarly journals “Do You Wanna Breathe or Eat?”: Parent Perspectives on Child Health Consequences of Food Insecurity, Trade-Offs, and Toxic Stress

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Knowles ◽  
Jenny Rabinowich ◽  
Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba ◽  
Diana Becker Cutts ◽  
Mariana Chilton
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Toxic Stress ◽  
Parent Perspectives ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Trade Offs

The Relationship Between Parental Reflective Function, Attachment and Development of Child Psychopathology

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Magdalina Koycheva
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Reflective Functioning ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Internal Working Models ◽  
Reflective Function ◽  
Working Models ◽  
Internal Working ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Parental Reflective Function

This article presents a theoretical overview of the relationship between parental reflective function, attachment style and the development of child psychopathology. The concept of parental reflective function was developed by Peter Fonaghi and his colleagues. Reflexive functioning is defined as the ability to imagine our mental states, emotions and desires, as well as those of others. The ability to interpret and integrate past relational experience is seen as a high capacity for parental reflection. Central constructs in the theory of attachment are: the sensitive response of the mother, the internal working models and representations, the quality of attachment and the sense of security. In the process of developing attachment, the child builds Internal working models, which are formed on the basis of real relationships and participate in building representations of relationships. Arieta Slade and her colleagues believe that higher levels of reflective functioning are associated with secure attachment in children and conversely lower levels of reflective functioning are associated with insecure attachment in children, such as mothers of children who resist and are disorganized, they have the lowest levels of reflective functioning. Low levels of reflective functioning allow the baby's adaptive mechanisms to be distorted and to develop the pathological ways of interaction with the parent.

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