Representations and Parenting of Preschoolers in Young Mothers and Mothers With Opioid Use Disorder

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Introduction: Parents’ representations, or internal working models, influence how parents experience and understand their child and their relationship with their child, and can guide parenting behaviors and parent-child interactions (Benoit, 1997; Zeanah & Barton, 1989). Narrative interviews are used to classify parents’ representations as balanced (coherent, rich in detail, parent highly engaged in relationship, respect for child individuality), distorted (inconsistent or bizarre descriptions of child, high engagement, pervasive anger or negativity), or disengaged (emotionally distant, lacking detail, insensitive or indifferent to child’s needs and feelings). Prior research shows that mothers with balanced representations typically show more positive parenting, but parenting behaviors specifically associated with disengaged and distorted representations are less clear. This study utilizes data from independent samples to examine associations between mothers’ representations of their children and parenting behavior in two marginalized populations: young mothers and mothers in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD).
Methods: Sample one included 201 young, low-income mothers (M=21.4 years; 47% African American, 45% Latina, 8% white) and their 30-month-old children, and sample two included 150 mothers in treatment for OUD (M=31.4 years; 100% African American) and their preschool-aged children. The Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI; Zeanah et al., 1986) was conducted to assess mothers’ representations of their child, and mothers were video-recorded interacting with their child during unstructured playtime and structured activities. Teams of trained, reliable, blinded coders rated WMCI transcripts for quality of representations (richness, coherence, sensitivity, acceptance, involvement, openness) and classification (balanced, disengaged, distorted), and video-recordings for parenting behaviors such as sensitivity, support for child learning, and negativity/harshness using NICHD rating scales and the Parent-Child Observation Guide.
Results: The distribution of balanced, distorted, and disengaged representations was 59%, 25%, and 15% among young mothers, and 21%, 41%, and 39% among mothers with OUD. Regression analyses demonstrated that, in both samples, mothers classified as balanced had the highest quality of representations and generally showed the most positive parenting behaviors, including greater sensitivity, less negative regard, more support for child autonomy and greater cognitive support in the young mother sample (Table 1), and greater sensitivity and more encouragement and guidance in the OUD sample (Table 2). Additionally, across both samples, mothers with disengaged representations had lower quality representations and demonstrated less support for child learning compared to mothers with distorted representations. Mothers’ representations were not associated with observed intrusiveness (young mothers) or harshness (mothers with OUD).
Conclusions: Associations between representations and observed parenting behaviors were largely replicated across two different samples, and findings suggest that mothers with disengaged representations may especially struggle to support their child’s learning and provide structure and guidance. Similar to other clinical populations, the majority of mothers with OUD had disengaged or distorted representations, whereas over half the young mothers had balanced representations. Because of their association with parenting behavior, mother representations may be appropriate targets for clinical interventions that aim to improve parenting of young children.

Authors

• Renee Clare Edwards, University of Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Anna Herriott, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Brent F Finger, Montana State University Billings
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sydney L Hans, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author