Investigation of the Relationship Between Postpartum-Specific Anxiety and Maternal Attachment and Affecting Factors in a Turkish Sample

Aim: Postpartum-specific anxiety is associated with impaired mother-infant attachment, postpartum depression, reduced probability of breastfeeding, increased risk of infant abuse, and increased probability of anxiety in children and may lead to psychological, cognitive, and psycho-motor disorders in child development. This descriptive and cross-sectional study aims to determine the effect of anxiety level in the postpartum period in women on maternal attachment. Methods: The participants were 384 postpartum women who have a 1-3-month old baby. Data were collected using a personal information form, Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale, and Maternal Attachment Inventory. Results: It was found that the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale in women was at a medium level, while maternal attachment was at a high level. While the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale was at higher levels in those who were younger, unemployed, and had no other children, the younger age of the partner increased the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale score. No statistically significant relationship was found between Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale and maternal attachment. Conclusion: It is seen that to evaluate women in terms of anxiety in the postpartum period and to provide the necessary psychosocial support is necessary. The fact that maternal attachment in women was high may have had a positive effect on her relationship with postpartum anxiety. Keywords: postpartum, anxiety, children, bonding

Maternal Attachment Representations during Pregnancy, Perinatal Maternal Depression, and Parenting Stress: Relations to Child’s Attachment

Background: This paper aimed to explore the associations between maternal representations of attachment evaluated during pregnancy, pre and postnatal maternal depression, parenting stress and child’s attachment at 15 months after childbirth. Methods: Mothers (n = 71), and their infants participated in a longitudinal study of maternal attachment, pre and postnatal depression, parenting stress and child attachment. Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was conducted between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy (Time 1), depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (at Time 1 and 6 months after childbirth, i.e., Time 2), parenting stress was assessed using the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form (PS-SF) (at Time 2) and the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) at child’s 15 months of age (Time 3). Results: Free-autonomous maternal classification of attachment increases the likelihood of secure child classification in her offspring, while decreases that of avoidance and ambivalence. Insecure maternal representation of attachment evaluated during pregnancy and higher levels of parenting stress at six months after childbirth was associated with higher rates of infant insecure attachment at 15 months. Conclusions: Our study validates the importance of considering maternal representations of attachment crucial in determining the quality of the caregiving environment, thereby the healthy development of children, despite the presence of other contextual risk.

The importance of attachment to fathers in Latinx mental health

The impact of attachment to fathers on mental health in Latinx communities is understudied and not fully understood, though extant research focusing on maternal attachment forms a solid base of knowledge regarding the importance of attachment (to mothers) on mental health. The broad aim of this study was to examine the importance of paternal attachment in relation to maternal attachment on mental health in Latinx young adults. The current study used two large, young adult samples: one collected in Latin America ( n = 774) and one collected in the United States ( n = 1084). We hypothesized that paternal attachment would be a significant predictor of internalizing (emotional symptoms), externalizing (hyperactivity, conduct problems), and interpersonal (social problems, prosocial behavior) functioning beyond maternal attachment. Exploratory analyses examined whether paternal communication, trust, or feelings of alienation, three established facets of attachment, differentially related to mental health outcomes. Findings broadly supported hypotheses, as attachment to fathers made a significant, incremental contribution to all outcome variables. Further, paternal alienation emerged as a potent potential risk factor, while paternal trust emerged as a potential protective factor for mental health outcomes in these samples. This study is the first to endeavor to understand the links between paternal attachment and mental health beyond maternal attachment in two distinct samples with varying immigration statuses, countries of residence, and cultural norms and has important implications for working with Latinx populations from a clinical, assessment, and research standpoint.

Maternal attachment representation, the risk of increased depressive symptoms and the influence on children’s mental health during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic

The social distancing measures and the related closure of education institutions have confronted young families, in particular, with various challenges. Additional risk factors such as an insecure or even unresolved maternal attachment representation may affect mental health of mothers and their children in times of increased stress such as during the ongoing pandemic. We aimed to analyze the interplay between maternal attachment representation and mother’s and children’s mental health before and during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. 91 mothers completed a “SARS-CoV-2 pandemic survey” examining the pandemic-related stress of their families including their own depressive symptomology and their children’s mental health. Our mediation analysis demonstrates that the mothers’ depressive symptomology significantly and fully mediated the relationship between maternal attachment representations and children’s mental health during the pandemic. In contrast, the indirect effect of the maternal attachment representation on children’s mental health before the pandemic through the depressive symptoms experienced by the mothers before the pandemic did not reach significance alongside the total and direct effect. The quality of the maternal attachment representation, promoted by childhood maltreatment, seems to be one relevant risk factor for the mothers’ and children’s mental health during a stressful time like a pandemic. The risk for mothers to develop depressive symptoms in times of a pandemic is significantly influenced by their current representation of previous attachment experiences. In addition, the mental well-being of mothers showed a considerable influence on the children’s mental health during a pandemic. The results underline the necessity to consider unique needs of family members and to offer specific support in the current crisis focusing on attachment issues.