Developmental Psychology Commons^™

A Study Of The Effect Of Maternal Depressive Symptoms On The Mother-Infant Relationship And Protective Effect Of Maternal Reflective Functioning, Kristyn M. Wong

Wayne State University Theses

This study sought to replicate and extend findings on the effect of maternal depressive symptoms and their impact on the mother-infant relationship with regard to reflective functioning. The current sample included 101 mother-infant dyads who participated in a longitudinal study seeking to understand the effects of a traumatic childhood and how those experiences impact parenting. Measures included an assessment of depressive symptoms, an interview assessing reflective functioning capacity, and observation of mother-infant interaction. Previous findings were replicated with regard to significant correlations between parenting and reflective functioning. The current study did not find evidence for parenting mediating the relationship between …