Relationship between Borderline Personality Disorder, Emotional Availability, and Cortisol Output in Mother-Child Dyads

Background: Mothers with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often show altered emotional availability toward their own child and heightened stress vulnerability. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine total cortisol output in saliva during mother-child interaction in mothers with BPD and their children and (2) to test whether maternal nonhostility as a subscale of emotional availability mediates the relationship between maternal BPD and child total cortisol output. Methods: We investigated 16 mothers with BPD and 30 healthy control mothers (HC) and 29 children of mothers with BPD and 33 children of HC mothers. Children were between 5 and 12 years old. Salivary cortisol was collected prior to and twice after an episode of a 21-min standardized play situation between mother and child. Nonhostility was rated using the emotional availability scales. Analyses of covariance were computed to test for group differences in total cortisol output (measured with area under the curve with respect to ground). Pearson's correlation was calculated to test the association between maternal and child total cortisol output. To test the second question, a mediation analysis according to Preacher and Hayes was conducted. Results: Mothers with BPD and their children had lower total cortisol output. Maternal and child total cortisol output was significantly correlated. Contrary to our hypothesis, maternal nonhostility did not mediate the relationship between BPD and child total cortisol output. Conclusion: Results imply that the hormonal stress activity of mothers with BPD and their children is altered, which may reflect modified stress regulation and stress vulnerability in mother and child and may impact on mother-child interaction. The finding of a positive association between mother's and child total cortisol output could indicate an intergenerational transmission of these alterations

The mediating role of attachment and anger: exploring the impact of maternal early-life maltreatment on child abuse potential.

BACKGROUND Maternal early-life maltreatment (ELM) increases the risk of subsequent child maltreatment, but the underlying mechanisms of these intergenerational effects remain largely unknown. Identifying these mechanisms is crucial for developing preventive interventions that can break the cycle of abuse. Notably, previous research has shown that ELM often results in attachment insecurity and altered anger characteristics. Therefore, this study determines whether these characteristics mediate the relationship between maternal history of ELM and child abuse potential. METHODS The study sample included 254 mothers, of whom 149 had experienced ELM to at least a moderate degree. Maternal ELM was assessed using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse (CECA) interview. Attachment insecurity, trait anger and anger expression, and maternal abuse potential were assessed using the Vulnerable Attachment Questionnaire (VASQ), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), and Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI), respectively. RESULTS The severity of maternal ELM predicted higher child abuse potential, with attachment insecurity and anger suppression mediating this effect. Specifically, higher levels of maternal ELM were associated with greater attachment insecurity and increased anger suppression, resulting in a higher child abuse potential. Although higher levels of trait anger were directly associated with higher child abuse potential, this parameter did not mediate the relationship with ELM. In addition, no significant associations were observed between outwardly expressed anger and ELM or child abuse potential. All analyses were adjusted for maternal mental disorders, years of education, and relationship status. DISCUSSION Attachment insecurity and anger suppression may serve as pathways linking the maternal history of ELM to the risk of child abuse, even when considering maternal psychopathology. Overall, our findings indicate that interventions aimed at strengthening attachment and improving anger suppression may be beneficial for all mothers with ELM history and high child abuse potential, not just those who suffer from mental illness

An fMRI study

Background Maternal sensitive behavior depends on recognizing one’s own child’s affective states. The present study investigated distinct and overlapping neural responses of mothers to sad and happy facial expressions of their own child (in comparison to facial expressions of an unfamiliar child). Methods We used functional MRI to measure dissociable and overlapping activation patterns in 27 healthy mothers in response to happy, neutral and sad facial expressions of their own school-aged child and a gender- and age- matched unfamiliar child. To investigate differential activation to sad compared to happy faces of one’s own child, we used interaction contrasts. During the scan, mothers had to indicate the affect of the presented face. After scanning, they were asked to rate the perceived emotional arousal and valence levels for each face using a 7-point Likert-scale (adapted SAM version). Results While viewing their own child’s sad faces, mothers showed activation in the amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex whereas happy facial expressions of the own child elicited activation in the hippocampus. Conjoint activation in response to one’s own child happy and sad expressions was found in the insula and the superior temporal gyrus. Conclusions Maternal brain activations differed depending on the child’s affective state. Sad faces of the own child activated areas commonly associated with a threat detection network, whereas happy faces activated reward related brain areas. Overlapping activation was found in empathy related networks. These distinct neural activation patterns might facilitate sensitive maternal behavior

The development of syllogistic reasoning A manual including measurement procedures and descriptive analyses; study 'Individual development and social structure', data handbook part 3

Die Daten des vorliegenden Handbuchs sind Teil der Laengsschnittstudie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur', die zwischen 1976 und 1992 in acht Wellen die sozialen Kognitionen und die Persoenlichkeitsentwicklung von islaendischen Kindern und Jugendlichen zwischen 7 und 22 Jahren auf dem Hintergrund einer sich rapide modernisierenden Gesellschaft untersuchte. In Anlehnung an die Entwicklungspsychologie von Jean Piaget wurde die Entwicklung formalen Operationen im Denken von Kindern und Jugendlichen hinsichtlich der vier 'klassischen' Konzepte - multiple Kompensation, syllogistisches Argumentieren, Pendel-Aufgaben, Isolation von Variablen - erfasst. Das vorliegende Datenhandbuch spezifiziert die Konzepte, Daten und Messinstrumente zur Erfassung des syllogistischen Denkens. (ICA)German title: Die Entwicklung syllogistischen Denkens: ein Handbuch der Messinstrumente und deskriptiven Analysen; Studie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur'; Datenhandbuecher Teil 3Available from UuStB Koeln(38)-20000106254 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Elevated inflammatory markers in women with remitted major depressive disorder and the role of early life maltreatment

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been linked to elevated inflammation markers. It remains unclear whether the elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are not only observable in acute MDD but also in patients after remission. MDD is a common sequela of early life maltreatment (ELM), which has also been associated with elevated inflammation markers. While the majority of studies investigated (acute) MDD and ELM as isolated predictors of inflammation, a few studies found inflammation levels to be more pronounced in patients with MDD that were exposed to ELM. This investigation included both ELM and MDD in one study and aimed at distinguishing between the effects of MDD in remission (rMDD) and ELM and investigating potential accumulative effects on the inflammatory markers CRP and IL-6 in a population of N = 126 women (n = 122 for CRP and n = 66 for IL-6). We further investigated how disorder characteristics (course and severity) and specific types of ELM affect levels of CRP and IL-6. We found that rMDD predicted levels of CRP and IL-6 and physical abuse predicted levels of CRP when considering both predictors simultaneously, while other types of ELM did not. A later onset of MDD and a shorter time interval since the last episode were associated with higher levels of IL-6. Our findings contribute to the existing literature on the association between MDD and inflammation, suggesting that elevated levels of inflammation markers may persist even after remission of MDD. Our findings on physical abuse as a specific predictor of CRP in the presence of rMDD suggest that different types of ELM could result in distinct inflammation profiles

Proportional, combinatorial, and correlational reasoning A manual including measurement procedures and descriptive analyses; study 'Individual development and social structure', data handbooks part 4

Das vorliegende Handbuch ist Teil der Laengsschnittstudie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur', die in acht Wellen von 1976 bis 1992 in Island die kognitive Entwicklung von Schuelern und Jugendlichen zwischen 7 und 22 Jahren untersuchte. Gesamtziel der Studie war es, die Determinanten der Persoenlichkeitsentwicklung in einer sich beschleunigt modernisierenden Gesellschaft zu erfassen. Das vorliegende Handbuch enthaelt Konzepte, Messinstrumente und Daten zur Untersuchung des formalen Denkens in drei Auspraegungen, wobei den Untersuchungsergebnissen jeweils eine kurze Beschreibung der Versuchsanordnung vorangestellt ist. (ICE)German title: Proportionales, kombinatorisches und korrelierendes Denken: ein Handbuch der Messinstrumente und deskriptiven Analysen; Studie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur'; Daten-Handbuecher Teil 4Available from UuStB Koeln(38)-20000106295 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

The development of formal thought A manual including measurement procedures and descriptive analyses; study 'Individual development and social structure', data handbook part 2

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Determinanten der (sozialen) Kognition hinsichtlich der Persoenlichkeitsentwicklung von islaendischen Schuelern und Jugendlichen im Alter von sieben bis 22 Jahren. Die Laengsschnittstudie von acht Wellen zwischen 1976 und 1992 spezifiziert die psychologischen und sozialen Dimensionen nach (1) dem Geschlecht der Kinder; (2) dem sozialen Status der Eltern als Indikator fuer die Lebenswelt der Kinder und die Bedingungen einer guenstigen und unguenstigen Sozialisation und (3) den Lehrerbeurteilungen ueber den tatsaechlichen und wahrscheinlichen Schulerfolg der Kinder. Das vorliegende Handbuch enthaelt die Daten und Messinstrumente zur Erfassung formaler Operationen im Denken im Denken von Kindern in Anlehnung an Piagets Entwicklungspsychologie. (ICA)German title: Die Entwicklung des formalen Denkens: ein Handbuch der Messinstrumente und deskriptiven Analysen; Studie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur'; Datenhandbuecher Teil 2Available from UuStB Koeln(38)-20000106253 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

The development of concrete thought A manual including measurement procedures and descriptive analyses; study 'Individual development and social structure', data handbooks part 1

Das vorliegende Handbuch ist Teil der Laengsschnittstudie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur', die in acht Wellen von 1976 bis 1992 in Island die kognitive Entwicklung von Schuelern und Jugendlichen zwischen 7 und 22 Jahren untersuchte. Gesamtziel der Studie war es, die Determinanten der Persoenlichkeitsentwicklung in einer sich beschleunigt modernisierenden Gesellschaft zu erfassen. Das vorliegende Handbuch enthaelt die Konzepte, Messinstrumente und Daten zur Untersuchung des 'konkreten' Denkens im Sinne der Piagetschen Entwicklungspsychologie. Operationalisiert und erfasst wurde das Konzept der Invarianz, d.h. der Konstanz der Objektwahrnehmung bei Veraenderungen der Eigenschaften des Objekts in der Zeit. (ICA)German title: Die Entwicklung des konkreten Denkens: ein Handbuch der Messinstrumente und deskriptiven Analysen; Studie 'Individuelle Entwicklung und Sozialstruktur'; Daten-Handbuecher Teil 1SIGLEAvailable from UuStB Koeln(38)-20000106252 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Alterations of empathy in mothers with a history of early life maltreatment, depression, and borderline personality disorder and their effects on child psychopathology

BACKGROUND: Early life maltreatment (ELM), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been associated with empathy deficits in different domains. Lack of maternal empathy has also been related to child behavioral problems. As ELM, BPD, and MDD often co-occur, we aimed to identify dissociable effects on empathy due to these three factors. In addition, we aimed to investigate their indirect effects via empathy on child psychopathology. METHODS: We included 251 mothers with and without MDD (in remission), BPD and ELM and their children, aged 5-12. We used the Interpersonal Reactivity Index as a measure of empathy on four different dimensions (personal distress, empathic concern, perspective taking, and fantasy) and the Child Behavior Checklist as a measure of child psychopathology. RESULTS: Having included all three factors (ELM, MDD, BPD) in one analysis, we found elevated personal distress in MDD and BPD, and lower levels of perspective-taking in BPD, but no effects from ELM on any empathy subscales. Furthermore, we found indirect effects from maternal BPD and MDD on child psychopathology, via maternal personal distress. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the dissociable effects of maternal ELM, MDD, and BPD on empathy. Elevated personal distress in mothers with BPD and MDD may lead to higher levels of child psychopathology