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

TY - ABST

T1 - The Development of the Caregiving System among women with severe mental illness

T2 - 15the World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health

AU - Røhder, Katrine

N1 - Conference code: 15

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 29 May 2016 through 2 June 2016

ER -