Maternità a rischio, interazioni precoci e attaccamento infantile

Studied the effects of maternal depression and psychosocial risk factors on emotional relational development in infants. Subjects included 23 female adults (aged 17-44 yrs) at risk for depression, 19 female adults (aged 17-44 yrs) with psychosocial risk factors, and 27 normal female adults (aged 17-44 yrs; controls). Subjects were evaluated during the 5th mo of pregnancy, and a 1, 3, 6, and 12 mo after birth of their children. The Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression Scale (L. S. Radloff, 1977), the Maternal Representations during Pregnancy Interview (M. Ammaniti et al, 1995), the Adult Attachment Interview (C. George, 1984), the SCL-90, and the Strange Situation Procedure (M. D. Ainsworth et al, 1978) were used. The results indicate comorbid psychiatric symptoms associated with depression and insecure mental representations associated with psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy and a higher prevalence of insecure attachment patterns in children of mothers at risk of depression or with psychosocial risk factors compared to children of control mothers. The results are discussed in relation to functional, dysfunctional, and developmental aspects of mother-child attachment patterns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)