scholarly journals Maternal Alexithymic Traits Are Related to Lower Maternal Sensitivity and Higher Hostility in Maternal Caregiving Behavior—The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Ahrnberg ◽  
Riikka Korja ◽  
Noora M. Scheinin ◽  
Saara Nolvi ◽  
Eeva-Leena Kataja ◽  
...  

Background: The quality of parental caregiving behavior with their child plays a key role in optimal mother–infant interaction and in supporting child adaptive development. Sensitive caregiving behavior, in turn, requires the ability to identify and understand emotions. Maternal alexithymia, with difficulties in identifying and describing feelings or emotions, as well as a concrete way of thinking, could potentially complicate the quality of caregiving. In this study, we aim to explore the possible association between maternal alexithymic traits and the quality of maternal caregiving behavior.Methods: The study sample consisted of 158 mother–infant dyads within the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study population with an available report of maternal alexithymic traits at 6 months postpartum and observational data on maternal caregiving behavior at 8 months postpartum. Alexithymia was measured using the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) including three alexithymia dimensions—Difficulty Identifying Feelings, Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF), and Externally Oriented Thinking (EOT). Maternal caregiving behavior was assessed using the Emotional Availability Scale and in this study, all four parent dimensions (Sensitivity, Structuring, Non-intrusiveness and Non-hostility) were included. Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms at 6 months postpartum were controlled for as potential confounders. In addition, background factors of mother's age and gestational weeks at the time of child birth, maternal educational level, monthly income and parity, as well as relationship status and the gender of the baby were assessed.Results: Maternal TAS-20 total score correlated negatively with Sensitivity (r = −0.169, p = 0.034) and with non-intrusiveness (r = −0.182, p = 0.022). In addition, maternal DDF correlated negatively with Sensitivity (r = −0.168, p = 0.035) and EOT with Non-hostility (r = −0.159, p = 0.047). Furthermore, in regression analyses with controlling for the associated background factors, maternal total score of alexithymic traits (p = 0.034, η2p = 0.029) and higher DDF (p = 0.044, η2p = 0.026) remained significantly associated with lower Sensitivity and higher EOT remained significantly associated with lower Non-hostility (p = 0.030, η2p = 0.030).Conclusions: In this explorative study we found preliminary evidence for the hypothesis that higher maternal alexithymic traits associate with lower maternal sensitivity and more hostile maternal caregiving behavior. Further studies are needed to explore these hypotheses and to investigate their possible implications for child development.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 2039-2050
Author(s):  
Tuija M. Mikkola ◽  
Hannu Kautiainen ◽  
Mikaela B. von Bonsdorff ◽  
Minna K. Salonen ◽  
Niko Wasenius ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1697-1702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanuel Alemu Abajobir ◽  
Steve Kisely ◽  
Gail Williams ◽  
Lane Strathearn ◽  
Alexandra Clavarino ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
For-Wey Lung ◽  
Bih-Ching Shu ◽  
Tung-Liang Chiang ◽  
Shio-Jean Lin

Abstract Background: Many studies have shown that parents express higher stress when taking care of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, cultural context should be taken into consideration when investigating children's diagnosis and parental quality of life (QOL). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the pathway relationship among parental QOL, child development, ASD and developmental delay (DD) risk at 3 years of age, and ASD or DD diagnosis 2.5 years later.Methods: A birth cohort study database collected at age 3 and 5.5 years was used (N=1618). The Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers, Taiwan Birth Cohort Study Developmental Instrument, and the Short Form-36 was used to assess ASD risk, developmental condition (DD risk), and parental QOL, respectively.Results: By structural equation modeling, an indirect influence was found between children's diagnosis and maternal health QOL. Mothers of children diagnosed with ASD perceived more family support, and those who perceived more family support had better health QOL. Conversely, mothers of children diagnosed with DD perceived higher childcare pressure, and mothers who perceived higher childcare pressure had worse health QOL.Conclusions: The differences in mother's experience when their children are diagnosed with DD and ASD can only be found in pathway analysis, showing the importance of structural equation models. Healthcare personnel should take into consideration the cultural context of the families we encounter, and the vital role family support plays should be taken into consideration when interacting with families from collectivism cultures.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 613-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Bell ◽  
L. H. Rubin ◽  
J. M. Davis ◽  
J. Golding ◽  
O. A. Adejumo ◽  
...  

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