Maternal resolution of child diagnosis: stability and relations with child attachment across the toddler to preschooler transition.
In this longitudinal study, the authors investigated individual differences in how families adapt to a child's congenital disorder. Family impact, maternal grief resolution, and child attachment were assessed among 74 mothers and their toddlers with a neurological disorder or disfigurement. Fifty dyads were reevaluated 16 months later. For children with neurological compared with disfigurement diagnoses, there was a greater likelihood of negative impact on family, unresolved maternal grief, and insecure attachment at Time 1. Children classified as secure were significantly more likely to have mothers classified as resolved regarding their reactions to their children's diagnosis. Maternal grief resolution was significantly stable (77%) over time and mediated the relation between type of diagnosis and child security. With time, negative impact of child condition on the family decreased and percentage of children classified as secure increased, suggesting that on average families improved. Results suggest that helping parents come to terms emotionally and cognitively with their child's condition may be a useful focus for intervention.
Department of Psychology.
Douglas
D
Barnett
Department of Psychology.
Melissa
M
Clements
Department of Psychology.
Melissa
M
Kaplan-Estrin
Department of Psychology.
John W
JW
McCaskill
Department of Psychology.
Kelli Hill
KH
Hunt
Department of Psychology.
Christine M
CM
Butler
Department of Psychology.
Jill L
JL
Schram
Department of Psychology.
Heather C
HC
Janisse
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires