title: Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood.
abstract: Parental reflective functioning, referring to the capacity of a parent to consider their child's mental states as they relate to their behavior, may support sensitive and adaptive parenting. We investigated the relationship between parental reflective functioning and tolerance of distress in a sample of recent mothers (N=59). Participants completed self-report measures of parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance, as well as two behavioral distress tolerance tasks. We also examined blood pressure and heart rate during the laboratory session. Mothers reporting more difficulty in recognizing and understanding their child's mental states displayed decreased tolerance of distress on our behavioral and self-report measures. Further, we found evidence of a relationship between these measures and assessments of peripheral physiology. These findings are discussed in the context of reflective functioning and distress tolerance in parenthood, and their implications for parenting interventions.
authors.affiliation: Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States. Electronic address: helena.rutherford@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Helena J V
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.affiliation: Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Cortney R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.affiliation: University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.affiliation: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, United States.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bridgett
authors.affiliation: Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mayes
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Affect regulation; Baby simulator/BSIM; Distress tolerance; Motherhood; Parental reflective functioning