Mentalisierung und Bindungstransmission

Abstract

The present study was investigating the predictive role of maternal mentalizing and general as well as depressive symptom burden for attachment security at the end of the first year on a sample of 44 mother-child-dyads from a low-risk community study. Maternal mentalizing was assessed in a multidimensional way as Reflective Functioning (off-line) and Mind-Mindedness (on-line). The design was longitudinal measuring maternal Mind-Mindedness from a videotaped mother-child-play-interaction at the age of three months. General and depressive symptom burden was assessed using the SCL-90-R when the children were nine months old. Maternal attachment and Reflective-Functioning, using the Adult-Attachment-Interview, as well as children's attachment behavior, using the Strange-Situation-Test, were investigated at the age of twelve months. Secure maternal attachment was associated with higher Reflective Functioning, higher frequency of Mind-Mindedness and lower general and depressive symptom burden. A moderation-analysis showed a statistical trend (p = .08) that the interaction of the frequency of mind-related comments, general symptom severity and maternal attachment has a predictive value for infantile attachment security. Results can be tentatively interpreted that mothers with insecure attachment who had a lower general symptom burden and who related to their three-months old babies with a high frequency of mind-related-comments were more likely to have securely attached children. Thus, results may serve as a groundwork for projects aiming to prevent the transmission of insecure attachment by strengthening maternal Mind-Mindedness and working on the reduction of maternal general symptom burden.

The impact of attachment distress on affect-centered mentalization: An experimental study in psychosomatic patients and healthy adults

“…Caregivers vary in their attachment security and ability for affect-centered mentalization, and thus in their ability to correctly interpret, mirror, and adequately or “contingently” respond to an infant’s affective signals and needs [ 50 ]. This has been shown to affect infant attachment [ 51 – 56 ], implicating consequences for the development of affect-centered mentalizing as well. Attachment relationships characterized by traumatic experiences such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are assumed to have particularly far-reaching consequences concerning the development of emotional self-awareness and affect regulation: in such cases, the caregiver, needed as a psychological safe haven, is a source of danger at the same time, creating a so-called “fright without solution” situation for the child [ 57 ].…”

Longitudinal associations between parental reflective functioning and maternal mind-mindedness.

“…Several other studies report no associations between PRF or RF and MM. Böhmann et al (2014) found no significant associations between MM assessed with mothers and infants at 3 months of age and later RF (assessed with the AAI) at about 12 months of age. Finally, Dollberg (2022) recently reported no significant associations between PRF and MM in a sample of mothers and their 3-month-old infants.…”

“…While a handful of studies have examined associations between PRF and MM at varying time points (e.g., Arnott & Meins, 2007; Böhmann et al, 2014; Colbeck, 2014), the present study appears to be one of the first to examine concurrent and longitudinal cross-lagged associations between PRF and MM. Specifically, PRF at the initial assessment predicted greater appropriate MM and less nonattuned MM at T2, although there were no other significant cross-lagged associations at other time points.…”