| Autor: |
Røhder K; a Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark., Nyström-Hansen M; a Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark., MacBeth A; b School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , Scotland , UK., Davidsen KA; c Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark.; d Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Research Unit, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark , Odense , Denmark., Gumley A; e Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow , Glasgow , Scotland , UK., Brennan J; f Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Delaware , Newark , DE , USA., George C; g Department of Psychology, Mills College , Oakland , California , US., Harder S; a Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen , Denmark. |
| Abstrakt: |
Objective : The study explores predictors of antenatal caregiving representations among mothers with a history of severe mental illness (SMI). Background : Attachment research has demonstrated that multifactorial assessment of antenatal caregiving representations predicts later maternal behaviour and child attachment. However, the field lacks research among clinical groups. Knowledge of factors influencing caregiving representations during pregnancy can contribute to our understanding of caregiving risk among SMI-mothers and inform intervention decisions. Method : The current study is a cross-sectional subsample of the WARM study. Participants were 65 Danish or Scottish pregnant women with a history of either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, moderate-severe depression, or non-clinical controls. Caregiving representations, adverse childhood experiences, social support and current symptom severity were assessed during pregnancy. Results : Symptom severity was associated with more non-optimal caregiving representations expecting less parental enjoyment, more difficulties separating from the child, and more feelings of caregiving helplessness. Lack of social support and adverse childhood experiences served as independent predictors of caregiving representations. Parental mental illness during own childhood predicted role reversed expectations. Conclusion : Antenatal caregiving representations can be assessed with a time-efficient self-report measure that assesses caregiving as a multidimensional construct. Prenatal treatment planning should target individual difficulties in undertaking transformation of the caregiving system. |
