The child as held in the mind of the mother: The influence of prenatal maternal representations on parenting behaviors

Using a longitudinal design, this study examined the relationship of a mother’s prenatal representation of her child and her parenting behavior with that child at one-year-of-age in a sample of women who were either exposed or not exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) (n = 164; mean child age = 1.1 years, sd = .11 years; 52% male). Controlling for prenatal IPV, a MANCOVA analysis revealed that prenatal representational typology was significantly related to parenting behavior one year post-partum. Mothers whose representations were affectively deactivated (disengaged) were more behaviorally controlling with their children. Mothers whose representations were affectively overactivated (distorted) were more hostile with their children. Mothers with balanced representations demonstrated more positive parenting. Exposure to IPV did not moderate this relationship. There was no direct association between pre-natal or post-natal IPV and parenting behavior. These findings suggest that prenatal representations influence postnatal parenting behavior in significant and theoretically consistent ways and that this relationship functions similarly for both abused and non-abused women. Results add to the growing literature that internal representations serve to guide behavior throughout development and suggest that maternal working models may be one important link in the intergenerational transmission of attachment relationships

Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health, and HPA Axis Functioning

Research results are mixed as to whether stress exerts its damaging effects via under- or over-production of diurnal cortisol. Facets of the stressor itself as well as the mental health sequelae that follow have been put forward as important considerations in determining levels of cortisol secretion. We hypothesized that the contradictory findings in the literature were the result of variable-oriented methods masking the presence of distinctive subgroups of individuals. Using person-oriented methods, we explored whether there were classes of women who exhibited unique profiles of cortisol secretion, stress, and mental health by assessing 182 community women, many of whom had experienced intimate partner violence. The best fitting model in a latent profile analysis had 5 groups, each with distinct profiles of intimate partner violence stress (pregnancy and postpartum), cortisol secretion [cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope], and mental health (posttraumatic stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). These were a Physiologically Under-Responsive group, a Healthy group, a Problematic CAR group, a Highest Stress/Normal Diurnal Slope group, and a Moderate Psychopathology/Normal Diurnal Slope group. Except for the Healthy group, the specific patterns of stress, mental health symptoms, and cortisol secretion identified in the literature were not found. The profiles were validated using variables that, in prior research, had shown relationships with the variables used to constitute the profiles—three types of parenting (neglectful, sensitive, and harsh), antisocial behavior, and physical health. We concluded that there is heterogeneity in women’s responses to stress. Current theories focused on the under- or over-production of diurnal cortisol in relation to stress and mental health symptoms are simplistic and fail to account for the significant subgroups of women who show unique biological and psychological responses. best free football betting tips uk oddslot latest football accumulator predictions u

Behavioral Coping Phenotypes and Associated Psychosocial Outcomes of Pregnant and Postpartum Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The impact of COVID-19-related stress on perinatal women is of heightened public health concern given the established intergenerational impact of maternal stress-exposure on infants and fetuses. There is urgent need to characterize the coping styles associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes in perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic to help mitigate the potential for lasting sequelae on both mothers and infants. This study uses a data-driven approach to identify the patterns of behavioral coping strategies that associate with maternal psychosocial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large multicenter sample of pregnant women (N = 2876) and postpartum women (N = 1536). Data was collected from 9 states across the United States from March to October 2020. Women reported behaviors they were engaging in to manage pandemic-related stress, symptoms of depression, anxiety and global psychological distress, as well as changes in energy levels, sleep quality and stress levels. Using latent profile analysis, we identified four behavioral phenotypes of coping strategies. Critically, phenotypes with high levels of passive coping strategies (increased screen time, social media, and intake of comfort foods) were associated with elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and global psychological distress, as well as worsening stress and energy levels, relative to other coping phenotypes. In contrast, phenotypes with high levels of active coping strategies (social support, and self-care) were associated with greater resiliency relative to other phenotypes. The identification of these widespread coping phenotypes reveals novel behavioral patterns associated with risk and resiliency to pandemic-related stress in perinatal women. These findings may contribute to early identification of women at risk for poor long-term outcomes and indicate malleable targets for interventions aimed at mitigating lasting sequelae on women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic

Person-Oriented and Variable-Oriented Research: Concepts, Results, and Development

Variable-oriented empirical research is based on the proposition that populations are homogeneous. Person-oriented research is based on the propositions that (1) distinct subgroups may exist and (2), if they exist, aggregate-level parameters may contradict parameters estimated for groups or individuals. This article first reviews the main tenets of person-oriented research with respect to developmental research. Three criteria of person-oriented research are proposed: (1) data are analyzed under the assumption that they were drawn from more than one population; (2) attempts are made to establish the external validity of groupings; and (3) groupings are interpreted based on theory. Illustrations use sample studies from the literature, for which both variable-oriented and person-oriented results are presented. Two groups of theorems and propositions of personoriented research are presented. The first group is method-centered and posits that parameter estimates can be group-specific. Thus, aggregation can lead to conclusions that describe none of the individuals or groups in a population validly. The second, new group posits that certain data situations are particularly prone to misleading conclusions after aggregation. Finally, the ecological fallacy is discussed as one of the chief reasons why person-oriented research is necessary. Conditions for proper variable- and person-oriented research are outlined

Gender, ethnicity, development, and risk: Mentoring and the consideration of individual differences

Individual differences shape the needs and characteristics of protégés, the processes through which mentoring may influence protégés\u27 developmental trajectories, and the social networks into which the mentors enter. The literature on the influences of gender, ethnicity, and age on mentoring is reviewed and discussed as examples of how mentoring programs may have different influences on, and outcomes for, specific groups of youth. A focus on individual differences will help facilitate the development of mentoring programs that create a close fit between the needs of protégés and the services offered by the programs, as well as greater insight into what are the key elements of program effectiveness. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Exposure to intimate partner violence in utero and infant internalizing behaviors: Moderation by salivary cortisol-alpha amylase asymmetry

Guided by the main tenets of contemporary models of the developmental origins of health and disease, this study evaluated whether individual differences in reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) moderate the effect of prenatal exposure to trauma on internalizing and externalizing behaviors during infancy. Participants were a community sample of 182 mothers (M age=25years, 43% Caucasian, 33% Black/African American, 24% Biracial/Other) and their infants (59% girls; M age=11.8months). Each mother completed questionnaires that assessed IPV experienced during pregnancy and also reported on her infant's behavior problems. Infant saliva samples (later assayed for cortisol and sAA) were collected before and after a frustrating task (i.e., arm restraint). Results revealed that the association between in utero IPV and infant internalizing behaviors was most pronounced for infants with asymmetrical HPA-SNS (i.e., high-cortisol and low-sAA) reactivity to frustration, and least pronounced for infants with symmetrical HPA-SNS (i.e., low-cortisol and low-sAA or high-cortisol and high-sAA) reactivity to frustration. Higher levels of externalizing behavior, in contrast, were associated with higher levels of prenatal IPV but unrelated to either cortisol or sAA reactivity to stress. Findings replicate documented associations between maternal IPV exposure during pregnancy and offspring risk. Moreover, findings advance our understanding of individual differences in the developmental origins of health and disease and provide additional evidence that assessing multiple stress biomarkers contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of individual vulnerability to adversity