The role of incarcerated mothers’ caregiving quality on their co-residing children’s development may not be fully understood without considering mothers’ psychosocial functioning. The current study aims to investigate the moderating role of incarcerated mothers’ psychosocial functioning (i.e., relationship with their outside children’s caregivers, psychological symptoms, and social support) on the associations between maternal sensitivity and their co-residing children’s attachment. The study sample consisted of 68 mothers and their 12- to 43-month-old co-residing children. Maternal sensitivity and child’s attachment were assessed based on a semi-structured mother–child interaction observation. Mothers reported their psychosocial functioning indicators that were determined based on the common distress factors that these mothers experience. Findings suggest that for the mothers who have the lowest relationship quality with their outside children’s caregivers, maternal sensitivity negatively predicts children’s disorganized attachment. Moreover, maternal sensitivity predicted children’s secure attachment positively and anxious attachment negatively only when maternal psychological symptoms were higher.

如果不考虑母亲的心理社会功能，可能无法完全理解被监禁母亲的照顾质量对其共同居住儿童发展的作用。目前的研究旨在调查被监禁母亲的心理社会功能（即与外部孩子的照顾者的关系、心理症状和社会支持）对母亲敏感性与其共同居住的孩子依恋之间的关联的调节作用。研究样本包括 68 位母亲及其 12 至 43 个月大的同住儿童。基于半结构化的母子互动观察评估母亲的敏感性和孩子的依恋。母亲们报告了他们的心理社会功能指标，这些指标是根据这些母亲所经历的常见痛苦因素确定的。研究结果表明，对于与外部孩子的照顾者关系质量最低的母亲，母亲的敏感性负向预测孩子的无组织依恋。此外，只有当母亲的心理症状较高时，母亲敏感性才能正面预测儿童的安全依恋，而负面预测儿童的焦虑依恋。