This longitudinal study within the Generation R cohort (n = 1,085) examined how maternal, child, and contextual factors relate to maternal sensitivity across childhood. Maternal sensitivity was observed at child ages 1, 3, 4, and 10 using the Ainsworth and Erickson scales. Predictors included maternal history of childhood maltreatment, family functioning, prenatal psychopathology, child temperament, genetic predisposition to psychopathology, marital status, and education. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that no maternal, child, or contextual characteristics predicted baseline levels or linear changes in maternal sensitivity from ages 1 to 10 after correcting for multiple testing. However, post-hoc analysis identified a nonlinear decline in sensitivity, ocurring primarily during the child's first four years. Sensitivity analyses for ages 1 to 4 similarly showed no significant predictors, except child sex: mothers exhibted higher sensitivity toward daughters. Overall, maternal sensitivity appears largely independent of these background factors, highlighting the need for further replication beyond infancy.
Child maltreatment is a major public health concern in Iran, driven by complex socioeconomic and cultural factors. This quasi-experimental study examined whether a culturally adapted maternal sensitivity training program-inspired by the Video-Feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD)-could improve sensitivity and reduce maltreatment risk among 60 Iranian mothers of children aged 0-5 years. Participants from urban and rural health centers were assigned to four groups: urban/rural experimental (n=15 each) and urban/rural control (n=15 each). The intervention included eight weekly group sessions with video feedback. Using the Persian Maternal Behavior Q-Sort and Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, with depression and SES as covariates, repeated-measures ANCOVAs revealed significant improvements in sensitivity (partial η2=.72) and reduced maltreatment risk (partial η2=.66) for experimental groups, with stronger urban effects maintained at 3-month follow-up. Location moderated outcomes. Findings suggest program promise for promoting protective parenting, though non-randomization, small samples, and short follow-up limit causality; larger randomized trials are needed.
This study examines the possibility that the association between young motherhood and child aggressive behavior is mediated by maternal sensitivity and attachment security. Adolescent (n = 83) and adult (n = 44) mother-infant dyads were met at home when infants were 6-, 10-, 15- and 18-months-old. Sensitivity (6 and 10 months) and attachment security (15 and 18 months) were assessed based on two sets of 120-minute home observations. Child aggressiveness was reported by mothers at 18 months. Young motherhood was linked to lower levels of sensitivity and attachment security, and greater levels of aggressive behaviors. Sequential mediation analysis revealed mediation by attachment processes, after controlling for infant irritability (6- and 10-months). Discussion focuses on the way results support important postulates of attachment theory and argue in favor of attachment-based intervention and other strategies that addresses other challenges faced by young mothers.
Black youth face racial inequities in their communities that translate to more severe consequences for their displays of negative emotions than their White counterparts. Researchers propose that a balanced approach to emotion socialization, combining emotional support and suppression of youth's displays of negative emotions, engenders Black teens' confidence in their caregivers' availability to provide comfort, connection, and protection in times of need (i.e., perceptions of mother as a secure base). We examined associations among mothers' responses to Black teens' distress, teens' perceptions of their mothers as a secure base, and teens' emotional functioning. Participants were 79 Black adolescents (Mage = 13.10, SDage = .98; 51% female) and their mothers. Results indicated that the combination of mothers' high support and moderate suppression in response to teens' negative emotions predicted adolescents' perceptions of their mother as a secure base and, in turn, lower emotional reactivity. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Adolescents in residential care often experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and attachment difficulties that may affect relationships with professional caregivers ("mentors"). This study examined predictors of adolescent - mentor relationship quality from both adolescent and mentor perspectives. Participants were 35 adolescents and 25 mentors from eight residential facilities. Adolescents completed the ACE-IQ and adolescent Friends and Family Interview (FFI); mentors completed the mentor Adult Attachment Interview (AAI); both completed adolescent- and mentor-reported Psychological Availability and Reliance on Adult (PARA). Linear mixed-effects models showed that adolescent FFI attachment representations were associated with adolescent- and mentor-reported PARA scores. Higher adolescent FFI secure-autonomous attachment and narrative coherence predicted higher adolescent-rated relationship quality, whereas higher adolescent FFI insecure-dismissing scores predicted lower affectional bond. Mentor AAI attachment showed limited associations. Findings highlight the relevance of adolescent attachment representations for relationship quality with professional caregivers.
