title: Child mental representations of attachment when mothers are traumatized: The relationship of family-drawings to story-stem completion.
abstract: This study examines the relationship between child play-narratives and family drawings by children of violence-exposed mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Family Attachment Drawing Task (FAD-T) and MacArthur Story Stem Battery (MSSB) were administered. Of the 23 children (ages 4-7 years), 16 (70%) created drawings that were coded as being representative of insecure attachment. Attachment insecurity and disorganization of child-caregiver attachment on the FAD-T were significantly associated with trauma-related dimensions of the MSSB, but not to other factors. This study suggests that the FAD-T provides access to child mental representations, which may affect intergenerational transmission of violent trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Schechter
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zygmunt
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Trabka
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colon
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolodji
authors.forename: Jaime E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McCaw