From parental-fetal attachment to a parent-infant relationship: a systematic review about prenatal protective and risk factors

Developing an attachment to an unborn child is considered a milestone in the future parents’ developmental trajectory. Furthermore, the quality of the parent-fetus relationship is related to the quality of the postnatal parent-infant relationship. We have aimed to provide an overview of the recent findings highlighting factors that can influence parental prenatal attachment and the postpartum parent-child relationship. PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically explored looking for longitudinal studies, published from 2005 to 2016, reporting clearly the prenatal attachment measures used. We found 28 studies heterogeneous for sampling techniques, sample size and periods of assessment. Studies considered a broad range of individual, relational and contextual variables as potential risk or protective factors, but no one has of yet evaluated the interaction between them. The main focus remains on mothers. From these studies emerged conflicting and difficult to generalize results, and this does not facilitate the understanding of the phenomenon investigated. The current literature needs to be integrated with more longitudinal studies using comparable tools and periods of observation, at either a normal or at risk sample. There is also need for additional studies focused on fathers and couples, and considering the effects of the fetal behavior on the development of prenatal attachment

Parental prenatal attachment: the role of individual and relational variables

Mothers and fathers interact differently with the developing fetus but evidence for these differences is contradictory (Ustunsoz et al, 2010). It’s important to recognise the factors influencing Parental Fetal Attachment because of the effects on the development of the infant. We aimed to shed light on the role of key individual and relational variables on the development of maternal (MFA) compared to paternal fetal-attachment (PFA). 80 couples (16-37 weeks of gestation) participated in the study: 97.5% common-law spouses/married; 89% expecting their first child. The average age was: 34,54 years (SD=4.36) for women, 36.78 years (SD=4.95) for men. Each partner completed a battery comprising socio-demographic information and measures of prenatal attachment (MAAS/ PAAS, Condon, 1993; PAI, Müller, 1993), romantic attachment (ECR–R, Fraley et al, 2000), dyadic adjustment (DAS, Spanier, 1976), parental caregiving (PBI, Parker et al, 1979), social support (MSPSS, Zimet et al, 1988). MFA>PFA (t=4.46, df=153, p=.00). Nulliparous women scored significantly higher (F=5.22, p=.02) than multiparous counterparts in prenatal attachment. MFA and PFA scores decreased with increasing age of expecting parents (r=-.27 and r=-.30; p<.05, respectively). PFA increased with increasing of care in paternal caregiving style (r=.25; p=.05) and dyadic adjustment (r=.35; p=.01), while decreased with increasing attachment-related avoidance (r=-.24; p=.05). MFA increased with increasing of social support (r=.35; p=.01). Romantic attachment style influenced dyadic adjustment for both women and men: the DAS scores of Secure individuals were significantly higher than those of Insicure individuals (women: t=2.16, df=74, p=.03; men: t=3.81, df=74, p=.00). These results emphasise the importance of evaluating the pregnant woman and her partner together when assessing attachment to the fetus for the psychosocial development of the child and to increase the harmony of the couple

Modello di attaccamento dei genitori e rappresentazione del bambino in un gruppo di nati immaturi e di nati a termine

La prematurità è un evento stressante e potenzialmente traumatico che può compromettere sia l’acquisizione delle funzioni genitoriali sia lo sviluppo dei bambini. I nati prematuri, rispetto ai nati a termine, hanno maggiori difficoltà nella regolazione dei propri stati interni; in tal senso sono più dipendenti dalle figure genitoriali (Coppola, Cassiba, 2004; Trombini et al., 2008). La ricerca recente sulle coppie con bambini prematuri, all’interno della cornice teorica dell’attaccamento, ha messo in luce come il modello di attaccamento dei genitori giochi un ruolo importante nella costruzione di una rappresentazione positiva del bambino aumentando la responsività genitoriale: ciò favorisce lo sviluppo psicomotorio di questi bambini. Di particolare importanza, in tale situazione critica, assume la figura del padre come funzione di “base sicura” verso la diade madre-bambino (Baldoni et al, 2010). Questo lavoro ha l’obiettivo di indagare l’influenza dei Modelli Operativi Interni dei genitori sulla costruzione della rappresentazione del bambino nella transizione alla genitorialità in un gruppo di nati immaturi e in un gruppo di nati a termine. Metodo. Il campione è costituito da 14 neogenitori (10 madri; 4 padri) di nati immaturi (peso medio alla nascita < 1500 gr) e 36 neogenitori (18 madri; 18 padri) di nati a termine. A ciascun genitore sono stati somministrati l’Adult Attachment Interview (Main et al, 2002) e la Scala di Valutazione Comportamentale a 3 mesi di vita del bambino (3 m di età corretta per gli immaturi) (Laicardi, 1998). I risultati preliminari evidenziano che il gruppo degli immaturi si caratterizza per: un minor coinvolgimento del padre, una maggiore prevalenza di MOI insicuri tra i genitori e differenti punteggi alla scala di valutazione del comportamento del bambino a 3 mesi. La complessità dei dati verrà discussa alla luce dei costrutti teorici di riferimento sottolineandone le implicazioni cliniche e di ricerca

Starting University at the Time of COVID-19: Psychoemotional Adjustment of a Group of Italian Students

The transition from school to university typically occurs during emerging adulthood; this coming together of multiple challenging development tasks at the same time may be stressful for some students. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and above all the health measures implemented to deal with it, may have been an additional factor contributing to the difficult adaptation of first-year students to academic life. This study evaluated the role played by emotional processing and differentiation of self for psychological well-being in a sample of 218 Italian students (78.4% women) who began their 1st year of college during the pandemic. The results showed that higher levels of differentiation of self, combined with fewer signs of unprocessed emotions, predicted lower psychological distress. The data support the importance of these variables as protective factors in promoting psychological well-being along with the transition to adulthood and adaptation to new life challenges. These findings draw attention to the relevance of support services aimed at university students and of emerging adults in general in considering and promoting the role of self-differentiation and the style of emotional processing for addressing well-being and mental health during the transition to adult life

Anxiety Disorders and Differentiation of Self.

Introduction.– Kerr and Bowen (1988) argued that individuals with a less differentiated self were more likely to experience anxiety, function less effectively in stressful situations, and suffer from physiological and relational psychological symptoms in social situations. In the recent years, these suggestions have been the focus of a great empirical research. These studies revealed that well differentiated individuals enjoy good physical and psychological health (e.g. Skowron, Stanley &amp; Shapiro, 2009; Lampis, Cataudella, Busonera &amp; Skowron, 2017) and are less anxious (e.g. Skowron &amp; Dendy, 2004; Peleg &amp; Yitzhak, 2011). Objectives.– Starting from these premises, the main objective of our investigation was to compare a normative sample (n = 69, control group) and two samples of adults seeking therapeutic services for couple relationship problems (n = 41) and for anxiety and panic (n = 47), to analyze differences on the levels of differentiation of self. Method.– The various components of differentiation of self (emotional reactivity, emotional cut-off, emotional fusion and Iposition) and the levels of anxiety were investigated using the Differentiation of Self Inventory Revised (DSI-R) and the Symptom Check List Revised (SCL-90-R). Results.– We found that participants of the clinical sample of adults seeking therapeutic services for anxiety and panic had significantly higher scores in the Emotional cut-off scale and significantly lower scores in the I-position scale. Conclusion.– The research revealed the importance of differentiation of self-processes to achieving an understanding of anxiety and panic disorders in research and clinical practice. Disclosure of interest.– The authors have not supplied a conflict of interest statement

The Role of Differentiation of Self and Dyadic Adjustment in Predicting Codependency

Working within the framework of the Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and using data from 318 non-clinical participants, the present study assessed a model in which codependent behaviors were predicted by dyadic adjustment in couple relationships and differentiation of self. Results indicated that the dimensions of differentiation of self (I-position, emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, fusion with others) were more important in explaining the codependent behavior compared to the dimensions of dyadic adjustment (dyadic satisfaction, cohesion, consensus, affective expression). These results suggest the importance of considering the dynamics and outcomes of the process of differentiation of self both in research and in counselling and clinical practice with individuals, couples, and families

Il formarsi dell’esperienza genitoriale: dall’attaccamento prenatale alla relazione genitori-bambino

La transizione alla genitorialità richiede l’accomodamento della relazione di coppia per includervi gli aspetti parentali. Tale processo è facilitato dallo sviluppo, nei futuri genitori, di un particolare investimento affettivo verso il nascituro, denominato attaccamento prenatale (Cranley, 1981). In un nostro precedente studio (Cataudella et al., 2013), lo sviluppo dell’attaccamento materno-fetale risultava influenzato dalla coesione diadica e dalla percezione del supporto ricevuto dal partner. Il lavoro qui presentato si propone di superare il principale limite della nostra ricerca precedente, ossia l’assenza di dati relativi al post-nascita. Abbiamo valutato la relazione tra: 1) funzionamento della coppia in fase prenatale e attaccamento madre-bambino dopo la nascita; 2) attaccamento materno-fetale e attaccamento madre-bambino (Studio 1). In una fase successiva, la ricerca è stata estesa ai futuri padri, con l’obiettivo di indagare l’associazione tra variabili relazionali paterne, sviluppo dell’attaccamento prenatale (paterno e materno) e qualità della relazione genitori-bambino (Studio 2). Lo Studio 1 ha coinvolto un campione di sole gestanti, mentre lo Studio 2 ha coinvolto un campione di coppie in attesa di un figlio. I partecipanti sono stati reclutati presso corsi di accompagnamento alla nascita. Lo studio ha un disegno longitudinale, con un prima fase in gravidanza (T1) e una ai tre mesi di vita del bambino (T2). Strumenti (T1): PAI (Muller, 1993), DAS (Spanier, 1976), ECR-R (Fraley et al., 2000), PBI (Parker, 1979), MSPSS (Zimet et al., 1988), CES-D (Radloff, 1977); (T2): MPAS (Condon & Corkindale, 1998), PBQ (Brockington et al., 2001), DAS, CES-D, SVC-24 (Laicardi, 1998). I risultati saranno discussi insieme alle possibili implicazioni per la messa a punto di programmi di accompagnamento alla gravidanza e alla genitorialità