title: Unresolved trauma in mothers: intergenerational effects and the role of reorganization.
abstract: A mother's unresolved trauma may interfere with her ability to sensitively respond to her infant, thus affecting the development of attachment in her own child, and potentially contributing to the intergenerational transmission of trauma. One novel construct within the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) coding of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is "reorganization," a process whereby speakers are actively changing their understanding of past and present experiences and moving toward attachment security. We conducted a study of mothers with unresolved trauma, exploring their own attachment classification, attachment outcomes of their children, and the potential effects of reorganization on child attachment. Forty-seven first-time mothers participated in the AAI during pregnancy, and returned with their child at 11 months to assess child attachment using the Strange Situation Procedure. Mothers with and without unresolved trauma were compared. We found that mothers with unresolved trauma had insecure attachment themselves and were more likely to have infants with insecure attachment. However, the one exception was that all of the mothers with unresolved trauma who were reorganizing toward secure attachment had infants with secure attachment. These preliminary findings suggest that mothers who are reorganizing may be able to more sensitively respond to their child's cues, contributing to the development of secure attachment. While our results need to be replicated in a larger cohort, this study is the first to explore the construct of reorganization and its potential relationship with child attachment. If confirmed in future studies, it may provide clinical insight into the intergenerational transmission of insecure attachment within the context of unresolved trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London London, UK.
authors.forename: Udita
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Iyengar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sohye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London London, UK ; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonagy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Attachment and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London London, UK ; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX, USA ; The Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Lane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strathearn
keywords: attachment; intergenerational transmission; mother-infant; reorganization; unresolved trauma