Influences of maternal overprotection.
While maternal overprotection appears associated with several neurotic and psychotic disorders, little is known about determinants of such a parental characteristic. Several hypotheses have been tested in a large nonclinical sample. Maternal and cultural factors seemed of greater relevance than characteristics in the child. Overprotective mothers gave evidence of marked maternal preoccupations before having children, of showing a capacity to be overprotective after the active stage of mothering, and of having personality characteristics of high anxiety, obsessionality and a need to control. Maternal overprotection appears associated with low, rather than with high maternal care. This has important primary prevention and treatment implications.
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations