Maternal Mind-mindedness, Styles of Interaction, and Mother–Infant Emotion Regulation: Associations With Maternal Mental Health at Infant Age of Three Months

Abstract:The study evaluated the relationship between maternal anxiety, depression and parenting stress, and maternal mind-mindedness, styles of interaction, and mother–infant emotion regulation. At infant age 3 months, EPDS, STAI, and PSI-SF were administered to 73 mothers to respectively assess depression, anxiety, and parenting stress; mother–infant interaction was coded with the mind-mindedness coding system, the CARE-Index and the Infant Caregiver Engagement Phases (ICEP). Results showed that maternal anxiety had a positive correlation with non-attuned mind-related comments, with mother's controlling style, and with infant negative and mother negative emotional states. Maternal depression had a positive correlation with mother's controlling style and with mother–infant dyadic negative emotion regulation. Parenting stress was associated with mother–infant emotion mismatches. To sum up, anxiety was the maternal mental health risk condition that had the greatest effect on the considered dimensions of parenting. Mind-mindedness was shown to be related to mother–infant emotion regulation, but not to sensitive style.