Caregiver Mentalizing and Child Emotional Regulation: A Novel Approach to Examining Bidirectional Impact

Sprecher, Eva A.; Cresswell, Caroline; Kerr-Davis, Asa; Sleed, Michelle; Midgley, Nick

doi:10.1080/15289168.2023.2274200

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The negative association between PRF and helpless representations was marginally significant ( p < .10). In a recent study involving 110 parents whose children were at high risk of removal due to child protection concerns, Sleed, Byrne and Fiorini (2024) found that the ARR scores, but not the PRF scores, were significantly associated with child abuse potential ( p < .01). Furthermore, in this study, the correlation between PRF and ARR scores was not statistically significant, despite being coded on the same PDI transcripts.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ARR (Sleed et al., 2021) offers a very helpful accompaniment to PRF scoring, as it allows for the identification of a range of representational risks that are evident when pre‐mentalizing modes prevail (Sleed et al, 2024). While we have found the PRF coding to be excellent at picking up on hypomentalizing, that is, concrete teleological modes where there is very little reference to mental states, hyper‐mentalizing in the form of psychic equivalence and pretend modes can be mistaken by naïve coders as genuine reflectiveness (see Fonagy & Target, 1996).…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ARR provides a tool for the identification of distortion and/or dysregulation associated with these particular failures in mentalizing. Recent research (Sleed et al., 2024) demonstrates how these particular features predominate in the representations of caregivers at risk of repeating intergenerational cycles of abuse. The combination of both the PRF and the ARR coding systems together provide coders with tools for recognizing the protective function of mentalizing as well as the‐ sometimes very fleeting‐ features of mentalizing lapses.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parental Reflective Functioning on the Parent Development Interview: A narrative review of measurement, association, and future directions

Slade,

Sleed

2024

Infant Mental Health Journal

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A caregiver's capacity to mentalize is thought to be one of the most important features of secure parent–child relationships. Parental mentalizing can be measured using the Reflective Functioning (RF) coding system applied to the Parent Development Interview (PDI). In this narrative review, we summarize the research using this measure and synthesize what has been learnt about the predictors, correlates and sequelae of parental RF. Studies have consistently shown that PRF on the PDI is associated with both parent and child attachment and is an important factor in the intergenerational transmission of attachment. It is also related to the quality of parental representations, parent–child interactions, and child outcomes. While a number of social and clinical risk factors are associated with lower PRF, it is difficult to disentangle the unique contribution of each of these. We discuss these findings and present the direction of future work that is planned to expand and refine the PRF scale for the PDI.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parental Reflective Functioning on the Parent Development Interview: A narrative review of measurement, association, and future directions

Slade,

Sleed

2024

Infant Mental Health Journal

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The role of parental mentalizing on the link between parental depression and child emotion regulation

Keleynikov,

Lassri,

Cohen

et al. 2024

Psychol Psychother

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BackgroundParental depression has consistently been shown to impact child's emotion regulation (ER), with limited research on risk and protective factors, especially in preschoolers. Grounded in Morris and colleagues' model of emotion socialization, this study addresses this gap by examining the mediating and moderating roles of parental mentalizing (reflective functioning).AimsWe aimed to explore whether pre‐mentalizing modes mediate the link between parental depressive symptoms and the child's ER tendencies and whether parental interest and curiosity and parental certainty about mental states can buffer this link.Materials & MethodsThe study sample included 732 parents (91% females) of children aged 3–7 years. To assess parental mentalizing, the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire was used. Child ER skills were assessed with the Emotion Regulation Checklist, and depression was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire.ResultsFindings demonstrated a negative link between parental depressive symptoms and children's ER skills, mediated by heightened parental pre‐mentalizing modes. Contrary to expectations, parental interest and curiosity did not moderate this link, but parental certainty about mental states emerged as a protective factor, weakening the link between depressive symptoms and child ER skills.ConclusionThe results contribute to the understanding of ER development, particularly in the context of parental depressive symptoms, emphasizing parental mentalizing as a pivotal factor within this intricate dynamic.

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Caregiver Mentalizing and Child Emotional Regulation: A Novel Approach to Examining Bidirectional Impact

Cited by 2 publications

References 31 publications

Parental Reflective Functioning on the Parent Development Interview: A narrative review of measurement, association, and future directions

Parental Reflective Functioning on the Parent Development Interview: A narrative review of measurement, association, and future directions

The role of parental mentalizing on the link between parental depression and child emotion regulation

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