Parsing the construct of maternal insensitivity: distinct longitudinal pathways associated with early maternal withdrawal

Abstract

The current paper expands on Ainsworth’s seminal construct of maternal sensitivity by exploring the developmental pathways associated with one particular form of insensitivity, maternal withdrawal. Drawing on longitudinal data from infancy to age 20 in a high-risk cohort, we highlight how maternal withdrawal over the first eight years of life is associated with child caregiving behavior and with maternal role confusion, as well as with features of borderline and antisocial personality disorders. We also present evidence for the specificity of this pathway in relation to other aspects of maternal insensitivity and other aspects of child adaptation. To illuminate these pathways we both review recent published work and report new findings on the middle childhood and adolescent components of these trajectories. Finally, we consider the implications for assessment of maternal behavior in high-risk samples and indicate directions for productive future work.

Reflective Functioning and Personality Organization: Associations With Negative Maternal Behaviors

“…However, in contrast to our findings regarding IAMB which were associated with lower RF and more difficulties in PO, we failed to find a similarly clear account of WNMB. This may partly explain why the risk factors associated with these behaviors have remained somewhat elusive, although the negative implications of WNMB have been well‐documented (Lyons‐Ruth et al., ). While it may be assumed that depression and dissociation would underlie WNMB, this was not found to be the case in an earlier report using the same sample (Rousseau, ).…”

“…In addition, what has been referred to as atypical or disconnected maternal behaviors (DMB), including frightened or frightening parental behavior, dissociation, role reversal, and disrupted communication, have been shown to contribute to infant attachment disorganization (Lyons-Ruth, Bronfman, & Atwood, 1999;Main & Hesse, 1999;Out et al, 2009). Furthermore, Lyons-Ruth et al (2013) showed that withdrawn maternal behavior was the best predictor of a range of psychological difficulties in the transition to adulthood. However, more insight is needed regarding the personal characteristics and psychological processes associated with different types of insensitive and DMB, as this has potential implications for improving interventions tailor-made for parents manifesting specific types of difficulties (Sadler, Slade, & Mayes, 2006;Suchman, DeCoste, Leigh, & Borelli, 2010).…”

“…Furthermore, Lyons‐Ruth et al. () showed that withdrawn maternal behavior was the best predictor of a range of psychological difficulties in the transition to adulthood. However, more insight is needed regarding the personal characteristics and psychological processes associated with different types of insensitive and DMB, as this has potential implications for improving interventions tailor‐made for parents manifesting specific types of difficulties (Sadler, Slade, & Mayes, ; Suchman, DeCoste, Leigh, & Borelli, ).…”

Disorganized attachment in infancy: a review of the phenomenon and its implications for clinicians and policy-makers

“…An important spur for such work are findings suggesting diversity among children placed within the disorganized classification in terms of their antecedents and implications for development, and therefore their potential risk (see e.g. Lyons-Ruth et al, 2013; Waters & Valenzuela 1999). In a recent landmark study, Padrón et al (2014) found evidence that some forms of disorganization (indices I–V) may be more associated with genetic or individual factors, and others (indices VI–VII) might be more associated with an infant’s adverse experiences with the caregiver.…”

The importance of the first 1 000 days of life

“…This has shown that early maternal withdrawal contributes toward adolescent borderline and antisocial pathologies (Lyons-Ruth et al, 2013). This is an unexpected finding, as maternal intrusiveness had been thought to be the most damaging in terms of caregiving disturbance.…”