Attachment Representations and Early Interactions in Drug Addicted Mothers: A Case Study of Four Women with Distinct Adult Attachment Interview Classifications

Abstract

Drug addiction is considered a major risk factor that can influence maternal functioning at multiple levels, leading to less optimal parental qualities and less positive interactive exchanges in mother-child dyads. Moreover, drug abusers often report negative or traumatic attachment representations regarding their own childhood. These representations might affect, to some extent, later relational and developmental outcomes of their children. This study explored whether the development of dyadic interactions in addicted women differed based on attachment status. The longitudinal ongoing of mother-child emotional exchanges was assessed among four mothers with four different attachment statuses (F-autonomous, E-preoccupied, Ds-dismissing, and U-unresolved/with losses). Attachment representations were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (George et al., 1985), while mother-child interactions were evaluated longitudinally during videotaped play sessions, through the Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, 2008). As expected, the dyad with the autonomous mother showed better interactive functioning during play despite the condition of drug-abuse; the mother proved to be more affectively positive, sensitive, and responsive, while her baby showed a better organization of affects and behaviors. On the other side, insecure mothers seemed to experience more difficulties when interacting with their children showing inconsistency in the ability to perceive and respond to their babies' signals. Finally, children of insecure mothers showed less clear affects and signals. While differences between secure and insecure dyads appeared clear, differences between insecure patterns where less linear, suggesting a possible mediating role played by other factors. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Mother-Toddler Play Interaction in Extremely, Very Low Birth Weight, and Full-Term Children: A Longitudinal Study

“…In line with literature and the EAS guidelines (Biringen, 2008 ), mother-child interactions in our study were videotaped for 10–20 min, yet it is possible that this length of time was not enough to observe a stressful situation in a low-risk sample, such as the one examined. As shown in other studies, high levels of maternal hostility are often associated with high-risk contexts, such as disadvantaged communities, previous histories of abuse and maltreatment, or of substance abuse (Little and Carter, 2005 ; Bornstein et al, 2006 ; Moehler et al, 2007 ; Stack et al, 2012 ; Porreca et al, 2016 ). Our sample was mostly composed of middle-class women, living or cohabiting with their child's father, and without any diagnosed psychiatric disorder or major health issue.…”

Emotional Availability Scale Among Three U.S. Race/Ethnic Groups

“…The concept of EA is based on principles of child development and attachment theory, which emphasize that healthy child development (Biringen, 2000; Bowlby, 1969; Sorce & Emde, 1981) is a function of the mother’s available emotional presence and the response of her child (Porreca, De Palo, Simonelli, & Capra, 2016). EA is operationalized as observed interactive behaviors of the maternal-child relationship which occur in any context or culture (Saunders et al, 2015).…”

Attachment Theory and Maternal Drug Addiction: The Contribution to Parenting Interventions

“…An insecure and unresolved attachment style in adulthood is associated to poor reflective abilities, which can interfere with parent’s ability to consider their child’s behaviors and feelings in terms of mental states ( 112 ). This seems to be the case with substance-using women ( 113 – 115 ) who are characterized by low reflective function abilities, which constitute a risk factor for the adult attachment state of mind, the mother–infant bond itself, and children’s psychosocial development ( 116 ). Unable to establish deep contact with their internal states, these women could not be capable, as a consequence, of becoming empathically attuned to their infants’ emotional experience, as a way of regulating their affective interaction ( 35 ) and of activating sensitive parenting behaviors ( 117 ).…”