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Attachment representations and autonomic regulation in maltreating and nonmaltreating mothers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2016

Sophie Reijman
Affiliation:
Leiden University
Lenneke R. A. Alink*
Affiliation:
Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
Laura H. C. G. Compier-De Block
Affiliation:
Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
Claudia D. Werner
Affiliation:
Leiden University
Athanasios Maras
Affiliation:
Yulius Mental Health Clinic
Corine Rijnberk
Affiliation:
Yulius Mental Health Clinic
Marinus H. Van Ijzendoorn
Affiliation:
Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
Affiliation:
Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Lenneke Alink, Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; E-mail: alinklra@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.

Abstract

This study assessed attachment representation and attachment-related autonomic regulation in a sample of 38 maltreating and 35 nonmaltreating mothers. Mothers’ state of mind regarding attachment was measured using the Adult Attachment Interview. They further watched an attachment-based comfort paradigm, during which we measured skin conductance and vagal tone. More maltreating mothers (42%) than nonmaltreating mothers (17%) had an unresolved/disoriented attachment classification. Attachment representation was related to physiology during the comfort paradigm: an unresolved state of mind and a nonautonomous classification were associated with a decrease in skin conductance during the comfort paradigm, specifically during the responsive caregiver scenario. However, physiology did not differ between maltreating and nonmaltreating mothers. The decrease in skin conductance of unresolved mothers during the comfort paradigm might be indicative of a deactivating response, which is congruent with the dissociative nature of the unresolved state of mind. The results point to the potential utility of interventions focused on attachment representations for maltreating mothers.

Type
Regular Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Footnotes

We are grateful to Joost van Ginkel for imputing missing data and to Marije Verhage for coding Adult Attachment Interviews. We also thank Jill Baars, Anke de Glopper, Renée Naalden, Matthije Ottenhoff, Angel Roseval, Renée Smulders, Eva van Wijck, and Marcella van Zuijdam for their assistance during various phases of this project. The study was supported by the Yulius Mental Health Clinic, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO SPINOZA Prize to M.H.v.IJ., VICI Grant to M.J.B.-K.) and the Wellcome Trust (WT103343MA).

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