ABSTRACT

Data from a multi-method, longitudinal study involving a community sample (N = 120) of pregnant women aged 18–42 were used to examine disrupted maternal representations of the child as a mechanism of the transmission of trauma from mother to infant. Using structural equation modeling, the best fitting model indicated that severity of mothers’ childhood interpersonal trauma was associated with severity of disruption in prenatal representations of the child, which in turn was associated with less secure infant-mother attachment at 1 year of age. There was a significant indirect effect of maternal childhood interpersonal trauma on infant-mother attachment insecurity via disrupted prenatal maternal representations. Findings highlight an important mechanism of trauma transmission that could be targeted in interventions with mother-infant dyads.

摘要

来自涉及社区样本的多方法纵向研究的数据（N= 120) 的 18-42 岁的孕妇被用来检查母亲对孩子的破坏性表征，作为从母亲到婴儿的创伤传递机制。使用结构方程模型，最佳拟合模型表明，母亲童年时期人际关系创伤的严重程度与孩子产前表现的严重程度有关，而这反过来又与 1 岁时婴儿与母亲的依恋不安全有关。母亲童年时期的人际创伤通过破坏产前母亲的表征对婴儿与母亲的依恋不安全感有显着的间接影响。研究结果强调了一种重要的创伤传播机制，可以针对母婴二元组进行干预。