Having a substance use disorder (SUD) may adversely affect caregiving capacities. Reflective functioning (RF) and executive functioning (EF) are both important capacities for sensitive parenting, and are often impaired in a SUD. Only a few studies have explored the possible association between the two phenomena. In this study, we used a neuropsychological test battery to assess EF, and the Parent Development Interview to assess RF in a sample of mothers with a SUD (N = 43). Although parental RF (PRF) was associated with EF, when controlled for intelligence (IQ) and mental health, there was no significant association between EF and PRF. Mental health, however, showed a significant negative association with PRF. Splitting the group in two based on PRF level, mothers with a negative to low PRF exhibited more severe difficulties in SUD-related aspects, as well as in several EF components, compared to mothers with an adequate to high PRF, highlighting the association between EF and PRF. The results from this study contribute to enhance our understanding of the dynamics underlying vulnerability in PRF that mothers with small children may experience. We suggest EF to be a prerequisite for adequate PRF, and for interventions to be customized accordingly regarding parents with a SUD.

Mothers with a substance use disorder (SUD) are at risk for maladaptive parenting practices, and have heightened likelihood of having experienced childhood adversity themselves. In addition, parental reflective functioning (PRF), a capacity underlying sensitive caregiving, is often low in mothers with SUD. This study examines the relationship between PRF and aversive (emotional, physical, sexual abuse and neglect) and adaptive (safety and competence) experiences, in different developmental phases (early childhood, latency, and adolescence) in mothers with a SUD. A sample of 43 mothers with small children were interviewed with the Parental Developmental Interview to assess PRF, and they completed the Traumatic Antecedents Questionnaire regarding aversive and adaptive experiences. In addition, we used the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-10 to control for mental health status and a battery of neuropsychological tests to control for executive functions. Results indicated that adaptive experiences in early childhood were positively related to PRF, and that experience of emotional abuse was negatively related to PRF. When separating the group of mothers in two sub-groups based on PRF level, results showed that mothers with negative to low PRF had significantly more experiences of adversities in early childhood and latency, and significantly less adaptive experiences in early childhood, latency and adolescence, compared to mothers with moderate to high PRF. In addition, mothers with adequate to high PRF reported experiencing significantly more types of adaptive experiences, and significantly less adversities compared to mothers with negative to low PRF. Results are discussed in relation to developmental trauma, resilience, epistemic trust and mistrust.

In a placebo-controlled experiment comprising 22 healthy men (mean age 27.4 years), we investigated the influence of three breath levels of blood alcohol (BrAC; 0.0%, 0.05% and 0.1%) upon distant visual acuity, stereoacuity, contrast sensitivity, accommodation, resting focus of accommodation and binocular vision. Positive (PRA) and negative accommodation (NRA) and resting focus of accommodation showed no significant changes with increasing BrAC. Compared to the placebo condition, visual acuity and refraction were only significantly affected at a breath alcohol level of 0.1%. Contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity and binocular vision were affected both at BrAC 0.05% and BrAC 0.1%. Only the higher spatial frequencies of contrast sensitivity were affected.

In a placebo-controlled experiment comprising 22 healthy men (mean age 27.4 years), we investigated the influence of three breath levels of blood alcohol (BrAC; 0.0%, 0.05% and 0.1%) upon distant visual acuity, stereoacuity, contrast sensitivity, accommodation, resting focus of accommodation and binocular vision. Positive (PRA) and negative accommodation (NRA) and resting focus of accommodation showed no significant changes with increasing BrAC. Compared to the placebo condition, visual acuity and refraction were only significantly affected at a breath alcohol level of 0.1%. Contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity and binocular vision were affected both at BrAC 0.05% and BrAC 0.1%. Only the higher spatial frequencies of contrast sensitivity were affected.

This study investigates the association between self‐reported somatic complaints (GSCL, Giessen Symptom Check List), medically evaluated global health and coping style (MBHI, Millon Behavior Health Inventory), current emotions (TESI, Tension Effort Stress Inventory), subjective well‐being, and mental absorption (ABS, Tellegen Absorption Scale). The MBHI basic coping scales denoted introversive, sociable, confident, and respectful were negatively correlated with the GSCL, while the inhibited and the sensitive scales were positively correlated with the GSCL. The forceful and the cooperative scales were uncorrelated with symptoms. All the psychogenic attitude scales were firmly positively associated with reported somatic complaints. Mental absorption was weakly positively associated with the GSCL. Current emotions were firmly positively and negatively related to symptom report. Medically assessed health status was almost uncorrelated with the MBHI scales, current mood, well‐being, and absorption. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.