ABSTRACT

Interventions to improve reflective functioning (RF) are being delivered to parents of children with mental health needs, yet whether this population differs in RF is unknown. We examine if mothers with varying levels of child mental health (CMH) treatment need and use differ in RF in a community sample of 212 mothers. Participants completed measures of general RF, parental RF, children’s symptoms, perceived treatment need, treatment utilization, and perceptions of treatment efficacy at baseline and one year later. Low maternal RF was associated with elevated child symptoms, and a greater perceived need for treatment. Among mothers who believed their child needed services, those with low general RF were less likely to be utilizing services at baseline and in the next year. Mothers with lower parental RF also believed that CMH treatment was less effective. Findings support the use of RF-based interventions with parents identified because of their child’s mental health.

摘要

正在向有心理健康需求的儿童的父母提供改善反思功能 (RF) 的干预措施，但尚不清楚该人群在 RF 方面是否有所不同。我们在 212 位母亲的社区样本中检查了具有不同儿童心理健康 (CMH) 治疗需求和使用水平的母亲在 RF 方面是否存在差异。参与者在基线和一年后完成了一般 RF、父母 RF、儿童症状、感知的治疗需求、治疗利用以及对治疗效果的感知的测量。低母亲 RF 与升高的儿童症状和更大的治疗需求有关。在认为孩子需要服务的母亲中，一般 RF 较低的母亲不太可能在基线和明年使用服务。父母 RF 较低的母亲也认为 CMH 治疗效果较差。调查结果支持对因孩子的心理健康而确定的父母使用基于 RF 的干预措施。