21 research outputs found
Parental reflective functioning: Theory, research, and clinical applications
This paper reviews recent theoretical, empirical, and clinical work related to parental reflective functioning (PRF) or parental mentalizing. PRF refers to the capacity of the parent to envision his/her child as being motivated by internal mental states such as feelings, wishes, and desires, and to be able to reflect upon his/her own internal mental experiences and how they are shaped and changed by interactions with the child. This paper first briefly discuss the historical and theoretical background of this concept and its purported role in child development, with a focus on the development of child attachment, affect regulation, and mentalizing. It then reviews recent thinking and research in four areas: (a) the neurobiology underlying PRF, (b) the multidimensionality of PRF, (c) the relationship between PRF and trauma, and (d) the broader relevance of attention to internal mental states for the development of epistemic trust as the basis of an evolutionary inbuilt capacity for learning from and within social communication. It closes with a brief review of the background of and empirical evidence supporting interventions rooted in theoretical considerations concerning the importance of PRF, as well as suggesting directions for future research and clinical practice
Attachment and psychological distress: The mediator role of Negative Mood Regulation Expectancies
Does secure base script knowledge mediate associations between observed parental caregiving during childhood and adult romantic relationship quality and health?
The Placement History Chart: A tool for understanding the longitudinal pattern of foster children's placements
Attachment Orientations Moderate the Self-Amplifying Cycle of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Negative CognitionsâA Seven-Year Longitudinal Study
Mediating role of depressive symptoms linking insecure attachment and disordered eating in adolescents: A multiwave longitudinal study
Ideal Parent Figure method in the treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood trauma: a pilot study
Insecure Attachment as a Risk Factor for the Development of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in a Sample of Mexican Adults
Attachment styles and complex PTSD
The relationship between the attachment style of patients and psychological treatment is important, because changes in attachment style are assumed to have an influence on underlying mechanisms for effective treatment. This ex-plorative study aimed to examine the attachment style in patients with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and changes in attachment style, PTSD-complaints and dissociative symptoms after the first phase of treatment: the stabilization course. The participants completed measures of attachment style, PTSD symptoms and dissociative symptoms before and after the stabilization course. The results show that patients with complex PTSD were not securely attached and that no change in attachment style had taken place after following the first phase of treatment. Furthermore, there was no significant and clinical relevant reduction in PTSD symptoms and dissociative symptoms after the stabilization phase. This study is relevant for the actual discussion about the importance of phase based treatment in complex PTSD