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Abstract
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Background
Parents with childhood maltreatment (CM) have a higher risk to transmit their experiences. It has been found that adults with CM show a incidence of psychological problems.
Objective
Parental attachment representations (AR) have been considered as a possible mediator of the relationship between CM and mental health (MH). Additionally, insecure especially unresolved attachment and CM are associated with more impaired parenting behaviors.
Participants and setting
271 mothers were investigated for CM, MN as well as parental load.
Methods
AR was assessed, which distinguishes between four different ARs.
Results
Four-way classified ARs partially mediated the association between the presence vs. absence of CM and MH problems. Both the total effect and the direct effect were significant (path c; B = 11.67, p <.001, path c′; B = 9.91, p <.001, 95 %-CI [5.51, 14.13], path a; B = 0.51, p <.001, 95 %-CI [0.29, 0.73], path b; B = 3.45, p =.011, 95 %-CI [0.83, 7.17]). MH problems significantly predicted the parental load in a multiple linear regression beyond the impact of CM experiences and ARs.
Conclusion
AR seems to be an important prerequisite for a certain stress resilience in dealing with the child and the parental role.
Language: en |