title: Clinical assessment of mothering during infancy.
abstract: Using reliable and valid measurements of mothering can enhance clinicians' and researchers' ability to identify problematic patterns that pose risks to the health of mothers and infants during the first postpartum year. A critical review of observational and self-report instruments for measuring components of mothering is presented. Positive indicators of mothering are discussed, and implications for intervention and referral for problematic aspects of mothering are suggested.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing at University of Texas, Austin, USA. efowles@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Eileen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Fowles
authors.forename: June Andrews
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000523:psychology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020377:Self Efficacy