Intergenerational transmission of attachment in abused and neglected mothers: the role of trauma‐specific reflective functioning

This study examined the contributions of reflective function concerning general attachment relationships, and specifically concerning trauma, as well as those of maternal attachment states of mind to the prediction of infant attachment disorganization in a sample of mothers with CA&N and their infants, using a 20‐month follow‐up design. Attachment and reflective functioning were assessed during pregnancy with the Adult Attachment Interview. Infant attachment was evaluated with the Strange Situation Procedure. The majority (83%) of infants of abused and neglected mothers were classified as insecure, and a significant proportion (44%) manifested attachment disorganization. There was a strong concordance between mother and child attachment, indicative of intergenerational transmission of attachment in parents with CA&N and their infants. Both unresolved trauma and trauma‐specific reflective function made significant contributions to explaining variance in infant attachment disorganization. The findings of this study highlight the importance of trauma‐specific mentalization in the intergenerational transmission of attachment by mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment, and provide new evidence of the importance of the absence of mentalization regarding trauma for infant attachment. RESUMEN Aún existen importantes vacíos en nuestro conocimiento sobre la transmisión intergeneracional de la afectividad de madre a niño, sobre todo en las madres con histor...
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: ARTICLE Source Type: research