The Development of the Caregiving System among women with severe mental illness: preliminary data from the WARM-study

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Introduction: In the attachment literature “the caregiving system” has been described as the parental behavioral system that has the function of “providing protection, comfort, and care for a child”, and it is proposed as a mediating link between the mother´s own attachment status and infant attachment classification (George & Solomon, 2008). Aims of the Study: As little is known on how the caregiving system develops when the mother suffers from severe mental illness (SMI), this presentation will explore the role of maternal psychopathology for the pre- and postnatal development of caregiving representations in the WARM study. The hypothesis is that higher level of psychopathology is associated with higher levels of the caregiving representations: Deactivation, cognitive disconnection and the segregated systems – all dimensions found among mothers with children that show a pattern of insecure or disorganized attachment. Material and Methods: Caregiving Representations are assessed in pregnancy and at 1 and 4 weeks postnatal with the Prenatal Caregiving Experience Questionnaire (PCEQ, Brennan, George, & Solomon, 2013) and at 16 weeks with the Caregiving Experience Quenstionnaire (CEQ, Brennan, George, & Solomon, 2013). The development of psychopathology is assessed in pregnancy and at 4 and 16 weeks with The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS, Kay et al., 1989), The Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS, Montgomery and Asberg, 1979) and The Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Rating Scale (BRMRS, Bech et al, 1979). Results: Preliminary results from the WARM study will be presented. Associations between severity of psychopathology and development of caregiving representations in the transition to motherhood will be explored.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2016
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Event15the World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health: Infant Mental Health in a rapidly changing world: Conflict, adversity, and resilience - Prague, Czech Republic
Duration: 29 May 20162 Jun 2016
Conference number: 15
http://waimh2016.org/

Conference

Conference15the World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health
Number15
CountryCzech Republic
CityPrague
Period29/05/201602/06/2016
Internet address

ID: 165133920