Maternal representations in psychosocial and depressive risk parenting: A pilot study on early mother-infant feeding interactions.

TAMBELLI R;ODORISIO F;LUCARELLI, LOREDANA

2012-01-01

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Abstract

Maternal representations in psychosocial and depressive risk parenting: A pilot study on early mother-infant feeding interactions Tambelli R. (Italy), Odorisio F. (Italy), Lucarelli L. (Italy) Developmental research has expanded its focus to include parental representations into the study of early socioemotional development. From an attachment perspective, parental representations are thought to be based on the parent’s past attachment experiences and determine access to thoughts and feelings in relation to the child, which, in turn, guide the parent’s caregiving behavior. It is argued that parental representations are shaped by parent’s past childhood experiences as well as by his or her daily encounters with the child. Thus, parental representations are theorized to be child specific, and need to be assessed in the context of an ongoing relationship. This approach led to the development of several interviews, such as the Interview of Maternal Representations During Pregnancy (IRMAG-R; Ammaniti, & Tambelli, 2010) and the Interview of Maternal Representations After the Birth (IRMAN; Ammaniti et al., 1999). The present study examined the parent–child relationship in psychosocial and depressive risk parenting at the observed level, assessing specific maternal and infant behavior patterns during early interactions, as well as at the representational level, by focusing on mothers’ representations during pregnancy and after birth of their relationship with their children. Mothers were contacted by health services when they were in the second trimester of pregnancy. Mothers were interviewed on psychosocial risk factors and completed a questionnaire on depressive symptoms, the CES-D (Radloff, 1977). The sample consisted of 167 women divided in: 41 women with one or no psychosocial risk factor and low levels of depressive symptoms, 40 women at psychosocial risk, 40 women at depressive risk and 46 women at psychosocial and depressive risk. The mothers’ ages ranged from 20 to 43 years (M=32.6, SD=4.29) (children= 81 girls, 86 boys). All women were interviewed during pregnancy through the IRMAG-R to explore mental representations of themselves as mothers and of their unborn infants. When the infant was 3 months old, the IRMAN was administered to the woman and mother-infant feeding interactions were assessed through the Feeding Scale, in the Italian version (Lucarelli et al., 2002). Results pointed out a higher frequency of Ambivalent Representations during pregnancy and after birth in the depressive and psychosocial risk mothers. Moreover, at the observed level, these mothers showed lower positive affects, higher intrusiveness and provide less adequate emotional support during early feeding interactions with their infants. These findings provide empirical support for theoretical and clinical perspectives suggesting a reciprocal link between maternal dysfunctional representations, in depressive and psychosocial risk parenting, and mother and child’s maladaptive interactions in the context of early socio-emotional development of the child.