TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Distorted Maternal Mental Representations and Atypical Behavior in a Clinical Sample of Violence-Exposed Mothers and Their Toddlers
JO  - Journal of trauma and dissociation
A1  - Schechter, Daniel S.
A1  - Coates, Susan W.
A1  - Kaminer, Tammy
A1  - Coots, Tammy
A1  - Zeanah, Charles H.
A1  - Davies, Michelle
A1  - Schonfeld, I. S.
A1  - Marshall, Randall D.
A1  - Liebowitz, Michael R.
A1  - Trabka, Kimberly A.
A1  - McCaw, Jaime E.
A1  - Myers, Michael M.
SP  - 123
EP  - 147
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether maternal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reflective functioning (RF), and/or quality of mental representations of her child predict maternal behavior within a referred sample of interpersonal violence-exposed mothers and their children (ages 8-50 months). METHOD: Forty-one dyads completed two videotaped visits including measures of maternal mental representations and behavior. RESULTS: Negative and distorted maternal mental representations predicted atypical behavior (Cohen's d>1.0). While maternal PTSD and RF impacted mental representations, no significant relationships were found between PTSD, RF, and overall atypical caregiving behavior. Severity of maternal PTSD was however positively correlated with the avoidant caregiving behavior subscale. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal mental representations of her child are useful risk-indicators that mark dysregulation of trauma-associated emotions in the caregiver.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1529-9732
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15299730802045666
ID  - ref1
ER  -