title: THE CAREGIVING HELPLESSNESS QUESTIONNAIRE: EVIDENCE FOR VALIDITY AND UTILITY WITH MOTHERS OF INFANTS.
abstract: Severe disruptions in the caregiving system can lead to disorganized caregiving characterized by maternal helplessness and fear. Such caregivers abdicate their caregiving role and fail to provide protection to the child. The measurement of disorganized caregiving has historically been limited to lengthy, labor-intensive interviews, indicating a need for other feasible tools to assess this important construct. Furthermore, few studies have investigated correlates of disorganized caregiving. Participants included 120 diverse, primarily economically disadvantaged women who were part of a longitudinal study examining psychosocial risk factors before and after the birth of a child. Participants completed the Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ; C. George & J. Solomon, 2011) along with measures assessing maternal mental health, trauma exposure, parenting stress, and infant socioemotional adjustment. Results indicated that caregiver helplessness and fear, based on the CHQ, were positively associated with maternal depression, parenting stress, and perceptions of infant socioemotional problems. Importantly, results also revealed significant associations between current maternal trauma experiences and mothers' reports of helplessness and fear. Findings from the present study indicate that the CHQ may be a valid screening tool for disorganized caregiving among mothers of infants. In addition, a number of maternal experiences may be related to disorganized caregiving following the birth of a child.
authors.affiliation: Eastern Michigan University.
authors.forename: Alissa C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Huth-Bocks
authors.affiliation: Eastern Michigan University.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guyon-Harris
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas.
authors.forename: Maegan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvert
authors.affiliation: Eastern Michigan University.
authors.forename: Syreeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Eastern Michigan University.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahlfs-Dunn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Erziehung; Hilflosigkeit; Trauma; crianza; cuidado desorganizado; desorganisierte Fürsorge/Pflege; disorganized caregiving; fonctionnement socio-émotionnel du bébé; funcionamiento socio-emocional del infante; helplessness; impotencia; impuissance; infant socioemotional functioning; mode de soin désorganisé; parentage; parenting; sozial-emotionale Entwicklung von Säuglingen; trauma; 乳児の社会 - 情緒的機能; 創傷; 外傷; 嬰兒社會情感功能; 混乱した養育; 無力感; 無助感; 無組織型䕶理; 育児; 養育