Mental Health Science,
Год журнала:
2025,
Номер
3(2)
Опубликована: Апрель 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
Frontiers in Psychology,
Год журнала:
2022,
Номер
13
Опубликована: Март 3, 2022
Parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF)
refers
to
parents'
mental
capacity
understand
their
own
and
children's
behaviors
in
terms
of
envisioned
states.
As
part
a
broader
concept
parental
mentalization,
PRF
has
been
identified
as
one
the
central
predictors
for
sensitive
parenting.
However,
unique
contribution
quality
various
parenting
not
yet
addressed
systematically.
Thus,
present
article
provides
systematic
overview
current
research
on
associations
between
or
its
sub-dimensions
observed
infancy
early
childhood,
while
considering
influence
contextual
factors.
Infant Mental Health Journal,
Год журнала:
2023,
Номер
44(2), С. 240 - 254
Опубликована: Март 1, 2023
Abstract
The
Parental
Reflective
Functioning
Questionnaire
(PRFQ)
provides
an
efficient
way
to
measure
a
parent's
capacity
recognize
their
child's
mental
states
and
understand
the
relationship
between
underlying
behavior.
To
date,
limited
work
evaluates
its
psychometric
properties
beyond
initial
validation
studies.
Here
we
examined
reliability
validity
of
PRFQ
in
three
samples
varying
clinical
risk
(e.g.,
community
sample,
previous
health
diagnosis,
substance
use
disorder
diagnosis).
Across
samples,
majority
75%–78%)
mothers
identified
as
White;
all
were
from
USA.
We
compared
task‐based
measures
mentalization,
Parent
Development
Interview
(PDI),
parent‐child
relationship.
was
reliable
across
it
associated
theoretically
consistent
ways
with
mentalization.
RF
PDI
not
highly
correlated
sample
disorders.
Existing
may
be
tapping
into
different
component
broader
construct
parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF).
further
validated
by
demonstrating
relationships
parent‐report
Taken
together,
these
findings
provide
additional
support
for
PRFQ.
Frontiers in Psychology,
Год журнала:
2020,
Номер
11
Опубликована: Дек. 16, 2020
Reflective
function
(RF)
is
defined
as
an
individual’s
ability
to
understand
human
behavior
in
terms
of
underlying
mental
states
including
thoughts,
feelings,
desires,
beliefs,
and
intentions.
More
specifically,
the
capacity
parents
keep
their
child’s
mind
referred
parental
RF.
RF
has
been
linked
adult
health
children’s
development.
The
gold
standard
measure
interview-based
Functioning
Scale
(RFS)
applied
Parent
Development
Interview
(PDI)
or
Adult
Attachment
(AAI),
which
while
well
validated,
time-and
labor-intensive
administer.
Given
increasing
need
for
reliable,
valid,
rapid
assessment
wide-ranging
settings,
two
alternative
measures
were
considered
Function
Questionnaire
(RFQ)
Parental
(PRFQ).
We
determined
convergent
validity
these
comparison
with
PDI-rated
RFS.
A
sample
mothers
fathers
(
n
=
150)
was
drawn
from
a
sub-study
ongoing
Alberta
Pregnancy
Outcomes
Nutrition
(APrON)
longitudinal
cohort
when
children
42–60
months
age.
Pearson
correlations
multiple
linear
regression
conducted,
followed
by
splitting
compute
Cohen’s
kappas
agreement.
Two
subscales
PRFQ
correlated
significantly
p
<
0.05)
RFS,
providing
evidence
validity.
As
brief
multidimensional
RF,
offers
measurement
large-scale
studies
development
child
health.
Development and Psychopathology,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
34(3), С. 1177 - 1191
Опубликована: Фев. 15, 2021
Abstract
Family
Minds
is
a
brief
group
psychoeducational
parenting
intervention
designed
to
increase
the
reflective
functioning
(RF)
and
mentalization
skills
of
foster
parents.
RF
important
for
parents
who
have
build
relationships
with
children
whose
adverse
experiences
their
risk
psychosocial
challenges.
A
randomized
controlled
trial
(RCT)
was
conducted
in
Texas
89
The
main
aims
this
study
were
examine
whether
could
significantly
RF/mentalization
decrease
stress.
After
6
weeks,
compared
control
group,
improved
via
lowering
pre-mentalizing
also
decreased
stress
related
parent–child
dysfunctional
interactions.
Other
measures
showed
no
significant
differences
between
groups.
Foster
child
behavior
not
different
groups,
although
data
at
months
possible
internalizing
symptoms
This
RCT
provides
some
encouraging
evidence
that
may
parents,
improve
parental
sensitivity
ability
emotionally
regulate,
challenging
interactions
children,
possibly
children's
behavior.
Infant Mental Health Journal,
Год журнала:
2025,
Номер
unknown
Опубликована: Янв. 30, 2025
Abstract
Parental
reflective
functioning
is
the
parent's
ability
to
reflect
on
psychological
processes
in
their
child
and
themselves
as
a
parent.
Recently,
an
infant
version
of
Reflective
Functioning
Questionnaire,
PRFQ‐I,
has
been
developed
validated
using
confirmatory
factor
analyses.
The
present
study
aims
validate
PRFQ‐I
Rasch
model
sample
531
Danish
mothers
at
risk
depression
infants
aged
2–11
months.
Our
findings
indicate
that
seven
response
categories
were
too
many
for
distinguish
across
all
items.
Prementalizing
showed
adequate
psychometric
properties,
while
Certainty
Mental
States
Interest
Curiosity
required
recoding
with
4
5
optimal
scores,
respectively.
After
rescoring,
both
subscales
overall
properties.
However,
shortening
may
be
advisable
due
local
dependency
between
items
8
17.
Additionally,
2
14
(
“I
always
know
what
my
wants”
why
I
do
child”
)
function
better
separate
subscale.
We
recommend
scores
should
analyzed
interpreted
curvilinear
rather
than
linear
manner.
Journal of Child and Family Studies,
Год журнала:
2023,
Номер
32(7), С. 2140 - 2152
Опубликована: Март 24, 2023
Abstract
Parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF)
refers
to
parents’
capacity
reflect
on
mental
states
such
as
their
own
and
child’s
feelings,
thoughts,
intentions.
Studies
suggest
that
PRF
is
an
important
factor
in
parental
behavior;
however,
only
a
few
studies
have
examined
the
effect
of
early
infant
socioemotional
development.
The
Reflective
Functioning
Questionnaire
(PRFQ)
was
developed
brief,
multidimensional
measure
assess
PRF.
Recently,
modified
version,
PRFQ-I,
suggested
more
accurate
at-risk
sample
mothers
infants.
study
aims
were
examine
structure
factorial
invariance
across
gender
PRFQ-I
community
sample,
compare
dimensions
fathers,
investigate
association
between
We
this
within
longitudinal
design
1243
first-time
512
fathers.
results
supported
expected
gender.
Significant
differences
fathers
found
three
comprised
by
questionnaire.
pre-mentalizing
certainty
about
significantly
predicted
Findings
show
valid
parents
infants
parenthood
Identification
with
limited
enables
intervention
may
thus
prevent
from
having
potentially
adverse
effects
Journal of Child and Family Studies,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
30(5), С. 1214 - 1228
Опубликована: Март 12, 2021
Abstract
Marital
and
parenting
systems
are
likely
to
interact
during
the
first
year
of
an
infant’s
life.
This
study
examines
longitudinal
interrelations
relationship
satisfaction
parental
reflective
functioning
(PRF)
their
predictive
relations
with
later
emotional
availability
(EA)
infant
social-emotional
behaviors
(SEB)
including
skills
as
well
behavioral
problems
among
first-time
Finnish
mothers
fathers
(n
=
556).
The
follow-up
period
was
between
three
12
months.
In
addition
having
direct
effects,
we
examined
a
mediational
model
in
which
self-reports
on
PRF
factors
interest
curiosity
appropriateness
reasoning
would
mediate
effects
previous
parent
dyadic
side
EA
SEB
at
results
show
significant
stability
for
both
SEB.
However,
found
differences
fathers.
For
mothers,
path
analysis
indicated
support
where
earlier
predicted
problem
also
through
current
level
PRF.
fathers,
had
direct,
but
not
mediated,
social
competence.
Together,
despite
these
differences,
focusing
clinically
may
prove
preventing
relational
and/or
difficulties
