Parents’ reflective functioning and stress: The associations with preschoolers’ social understanding
Infant Mental Health Journal,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Jan. 22, 2025
Abstract
Social
understanding
competence
develops
in
sensitive
and
co‐regulating
caregiver
interactions.
Parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF)
parenting
stress
can
affect
children's
social
understanding.
This
study
investigated
if
was
associated
with
PRF
stress.
Parents
of
305
Italian
children
aged
from
24
to
72
months
(
M
=
48.2,
SD
13.9;
47.9%
girls)
completed
an
online
survey.
the
following
questionnaire:
The
Parenting
Stress
Index—Short
Form
,
Reflective
Functioning
Questionnaire
Children's
Understanding
Scale
.
Results
showed
that
predicted
by
lower
stress,
b
.002,
p
.017,
parent's
interest
curiosity
about
child's
mental
states,
.07,
.013.
Findings
confirm
high
levels
low
constitute
unfavorable
conditions
for
preschoolers’
socio‐cognitive
development.
Thus,
present
have
implication
interventions
aimed
at
improving
should
focus
on
reducing
enhancing
parental
mentalizing.
Language: Английский
Maternal Depression, Parental Reflective Functioning, and Emotional Responses to Infant Crying: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Mental Health Science,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
3(2)
Published: April 23, 2025
ABSTRACT
Maternal
depressive
symptoms
are
highly
prevalent
postpartum
and
have
been
shown
to
negatively
impact
maternal
caregiving.
The
emotional
response
infant
crying
has
predict
individual
differences
in
the
quality
of
caregiving
behavior.
Parental
reflective
functioning,
that
is,
ability
understand
reflect
on
infant's
mental
states,
may
aid
understanding
distress
signals
thereby
also
regulating
negative
emotions
crying.
Therefore,
first
aim
current
study
was
investigate
responses
parental
functioning
mothers
with
clinically
relevant
depression
compared
without
second
test
whether
an
association
between
is
mediated
by
functioning.
Mothers
infants
1
12
months
age
who
participated
online
survey
about
developing
parent−infant
relationship
Germany
were
included
present
study.
Depressive
symptoms,
assessed
using
Patient
Health
Questionnaire
(PHQ‐9),
Reflective
Functioning
(PRFQ),
My
Emotions
Questionnaire.
A
total
25.1%
(
n
=
148)
reported
whereas
74.9%
441)
no
or
only
mild
symptoms.
showed
increased
reactivity
less
optimal
Further,
like
anxiety
frustration
partly
dimensions
findings
indicate
incorporation
early
parenting
programs,
particularly
for
experiencing
at
risk
depression,
be
a
critical
factor
promoting
sensitive
Language: Английский
Parent-teacher trust as a relational pathway to the child: Teachers’ perceptions about child-teacher-parent relationship-building during the child’s transition to preschool
International Journal of Educational Research,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
132, P. 102618 - 102618
Published: Jan. 1, 2025
Language: Английский
Profiles of parental reflective functioning and mind‐mindedness in first‐time parents of 4‐month‐old infants
Infant Mental Health Journal,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: May 12, 2025
Abstract
Profiles
of
parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF)
may
offer
valuable
insights
into
individual
differences
in
PRF.
Previous
studies
have
identified
PRF
profiles;
however,
further
validation
is
needed.
This
study
aimed
to
investigate
the
convergent
validity
profiles
by
examining
their
association
with
a
related
measure
mentalization:
representational
mind‐mindedness.
Participants
were
1168
first‐time
mothers
and
490
fathers
living
Denmark.
In
an
online
survey,
parents
reported
on
Parental
Reflective
Functioning
Questionnaire—Infant
Version
described
4‐month‐old
infant
free‐text
field,
which
was
subsequently
coded
for
frequency
mental
attributes
used
describe
infant,
indicating
Results
support
previous
findings
potential
at‐risk
typical
profiles,
supporting
these
profiles.
showed
that
High
Pre‐Mentalizing
profile
lowest
levels
mind‐mindedness
compared
other
maternal
For
fathers,
members
Moderate
Interest
lower
Moderately
Low
Certainty
.
The
current
extends
work
showing
evidence
yet
research
still
needed
examine
profiles’
generalizability
associations
observed
parent
outcomes.
Language: Английский
Caregivers' cognitions about infants' mental and emotional states
Child Development Perspectives,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
unknown
Published: Nov. 12, 2024
Abstract
Given
the
relevance
of
caregivers'
perceptions,
cognitions,
and
emotions
about
their
child's
mental
states
for
caregiving
behavior
children's
development,
researchers
from
multiple
theoretical
perspectives
have
developed
constructs
to
assess
resulting
in
a
large
but
scattered
body
literature.
In
this
article,
we
highlight
conceptual
overlap
among
uniqueness
six
assessing
cognitions
child
at
36
months
younger:
infant
intentionality,
representations,
mind‐mindedness,
parental
embodied
mentalizing,
empathy,
reflective
functioning.
We
define
constructs,
present
approaches
measurement,
propose
elements
importance
that
fall
under
umbrella
may
be
associated
differentially
with
early
cognitive
social–emotional
development.
conclude
recommendations
aiming
capture
states,
whether
focusing
on
one
reviewed
or
specific
(e.g.,
awareness
mind
accuracy
perceptions
child)
cognitions.
Language: Английский