Associations between Attachment-Based Intervention, Sensitivity and Mind-Mindedness: Does Mind-Mindedness partly explain the improvement in sensitivity?

• In Event: Shaping the Parent-Infant Relationship: Unique and Complementary Roles Played by Verbal and Non-Verbal Parental Mentalizing

Abstract

Longitudinal and correlational research conducted over the past two decades has frequently highlighted the significant role of mind-mindedness – parent ability to consider and interpret accurately child mental states (i.e., emotions, thoughts) – in the development of attachment security as well as its links to maternal sensitivity (McMahon & Bernier, 2017; Zeegers et al., 2017). Although these studies shed light on the relationships between these two parental interactive components (i.e., mind-mindedness and sensitivity) and child attachment, few studies have examined the associations between mind-mindedness and parental sensitivity in the context of an Attachment-Based Intervention (Riva-Crugnola et al., 2019). In Canada (Québec), a group of researchers has been implemented an Attachment video-feedback intervention (AVI) within child protection services (CPS) since 2011 (Moss et al., 2018) and have shown positive effects on sensitivity for the parents who participated in AVI (Moss et al., 2011; O’Hora et al., 2019; Tarabulsy et al., 2016). However, less is known about the links between mind-mindedness and sensitivity in this context, or whether mind-mindedness improves after exposure to AVI. The purpose of this study was to better understand the mechanisms underlying changes in parental sensitivity after exposure to AVI by investigating the potential mediating role of mind-mindedness in the link between exposure to AVI and improvements in parental sensitivity. This study also aimed to examine associations between AVI exposure, sensitivity, and mind-mindedness. The sample consisted of 65 parents (mean age 28.48 years) and their child (mean age 2.87 years) followed by CPS due to neglect or physical abuse, divided into two groups (exposed, n = 38, and non-exposed, n=27). A post-intervention paired design was used, which compares a group of exposed and non-exposed parent-child dyads based on key variables such as duration of CPS, reason for CPS involvement and family characteristics (i.e., infant sex, parent age, education, income). Mind-Mindedness was measured during a 15-minute free play interaction following the Meins et Fernyhough’s coding scheme (Meins et Fernyhough, 2015). Based on the same free-play sequence, parental sensitivity was measured during a free play interaction with the short version of the Maternal Behavior Q-sort (Tarabulsy et al., 2009). Analyses revealed that exposure to AVI was linked to more sensitive parenting and greater levels of parental mind-mindedness (point biserial correlations: r=0.33 with maternal sensitivity; r=0.28 with mind-mindedness). Bivariate correlations have also shown associations between sensitivity and mind-mindedness (r=0.26). However, mind-mindedness did not mediate the link between AVI exposure and maternal sensitivity. Considering these results, AVI seems to act directly on different aspects of parental interactive behavior: both maternal sensitivity and mind-mindedness appeared to be more positive after exposure to AVI in a very high-risk dyad. Even so, mind-mindedness does not appear to act as a mediator of improvements in maternal sensitivity, discussion still focuses on enduring questions in the mediators of change in attachment-based intervention strategies.

Authors

• Clarice Huard, Laval University
  Presenting Author

• George M Tarabulsy, University Laval

• Karine Gagne, University of Montreal

• Jessica Pearson, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

• Claire Baudry, Université du Québec Á  Trois Rivières

• Tristan Milot, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

• Jean-Pascal Lemelin, Université de Sherbrooke