Marc A. Provost

Resilience in Adolescents: Protective Role of Social Support, Coping Strategies, Self-Esteem, and Social Activities on Experience of Stress and Depression

In this study, 297 adolescents (141 eighth graders and 156 eleventh graders) were classified into 3 groups created from crossing scores of depressive symptoms and frequency of daily hassles: well adjusted, resilient, and vulnerable. A discriminant function analysis was performed to investigate group differences on self-esteem, social support, different strategies of coping, and different aspects of social life. The analysis revealed that self-esteem, problem-solving coping strategies, and antisocial and illegal activities with peers helped to discriminate groups: Well-adjusted adolescents had higher self-esteem than adolescents in the 2 other groups; in addition, resilient adolescents had higher self-esteem than vulnerable adolescents. For the second significant discriminating variables, antisocial and illegal activities with peers, both resilient and vulnerable adolescents had higher scores than well-adjusted adolescents. Finally, resilient adolescents had higher scores on problem-solving coping strategies than adolescents in the 2 other groups.

Another look inside the gap: Ecological contributions to the transmission of attachment in a sample of adolescent mother-infant dyads

Ecological contributions to attachment transmission were studied in a sample of 64 adolescent mother-infant dyads. Maternal sensitivity was assessed when infants were 6 and 10 months old, and infant security was assessed at 15 and 18 months. Maternal attachment state of mind was measured with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) after the 1st assessment. Ecological variables considered were maternal education and depression, paternal support, and infant maternal grandmother support. Results indicated that when the contribution of ecological variables was statistically controlled for, sensitivity was a significant mediator and state of mind no longer contributed to infant security. Sensitivity also mediated an association between maternal education and infant attachment, suggesting that attachment transmission is embedded in a more global process of infant attachment development.

The role of trauma symptoms in the development of behavioral problems in maltreated preschoolers

OBJECTIVE This study assessed the mediating role of trauma symptoms in the relation between child maltreatment and behavioral problems. It is based on the postulate that child maltreatment is a severe form of chronic relational trauma that has damaging consequences on the development of childrens behavioral regulation. METHOD Participants were 34 maltreated and 64 non-maltreated children (mean age=60 months; range: 46 to 72 months), all from economically disadvantaged families. Maltreated children were recruited from the Child Protection Agencies. Behavioral problems and trauma symptoms were evaluated by the preschool teacher with the Internalizing and the Externalizing scales of the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher Report Form (CBCL-TRF) and the posttraumatic stress score of the Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Young Children respectively (TSCYC). RESULTS Baron and Kennys mediational procedure was conducted using structural equation modeling. Mediational analyses revealed that trauma symptoms fully mediated the association between maltreatment and both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Results were consistent with the literature on developmental trauma research and provide empirical support to the idea that trauma-related symptoms resulting from early maltreatment may constitute a mechanism in the development of psychosocial problems in preschoolers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS These findings underline the importance of understanding psychosocial maladjustment of maltreated children not only from the perspective of problematic behavior, but also by taking into account the traumatic reactions that might develop in response to chronic and intense stress associated with abuse and neglect.

Maternal and child characteristics as antecedents of maternal mind‐mindedness

This article compares an expanded descriptive measure of maternal mind-mindedness to the original measure. We included assessments of the valence and richness of descriptions given by 106 mothers when asked to talk about their 18-month-old child (55 boys), in addition to assessing the proportion of mind-related descriptors. Contrary to previous findings, the proportion of mental descriptors was not associated with maternal sensitivity. However, the expanded measure revealed a significant positive link between positive mind-mindedness and maternal sensitivity, and between richness of the description and maternal sensitivity. We then investigated predictors of positive maternal mind-mindedness. Maternal state of mind regarding past attachment experiences, psychological adjustment, and perception of the childs temperament were considered. The findings revealed that attachment state of mind and parenting stress constitute independent predictors of positive mind-mindedness. These findings suggest that mind-mindedness is associated not only with parental state of mind but also to current factors related to parenthood.

Mind-mindedness in adult and adolescent mothers: Relations to maternal sensitivity and infant attachment

This article examines the quality of maternal mind-mindedness among adult and adolescent mothers, using an assessment of the appropriateness and emotional valence of maternal mind-related comments while interacting with their infants. Twenty-nine adult mothers and 69 adolescent mothers participated in two assessments with their 18-month-old infants. Results showed that adult mothers used more mind-related comments when interacting with their child, especially comments referring to infant mental states. Adult mothers also used more appropriate and positive mind-related comments. Home observations and strange situation assessments revealed that two dimensions of mind-mindedness were associated with maternal sensitivity and three with infant attachment in adult mothers, whereas only one dimension was associated with maternal sensitivity in adolescent mothers.

Validation of a short version of the maternal behavior Q-set applied to a brief video record of mother-infant interaction.

A 25 item version of the maternal behavior Q-set (MBQS) was validated with 40 adolescent mother-infant dyads. Observations were made from 10 min play interactions when infants were 10 months old. Results show that the short MBQS is reliable (r(i)=.94), is related to assessments using the full MBQS at 6 months (r=.35), to cognitive development at 10 and 15 months (r=.48), and attachment security at 15 months (r=.34), indicating appropriate psychometric characteristics.

Individual differences in infant still-face response at 6 months

Abstract This study examined the association between infant still-face response and assessments of maternal behavior taken outside the still-face procedure (SFP). We also addressed the contributions of risk status and infant difficultness. Forty-one adolescent mother–infant dyads (high risk), and thirty-five adult mother–infant dyads (low risk) were seen when infants were 6 months old. Home visits were carried out to obtain maternal ratings of infant difficultness and to conduct observations of maternal interactive behavior. The SFP was conducted at the university two weeks later. Infant still-face response was coded for positive affect, negative affect and self-soothing behavior. Regression analyses revealed that maternal behavior was associated with negative affect and self-soothing behavior. In both cases risk status significantly moderated these effects. Infant difficultness significantly moderated the association between maternal behavior and self-soothing behavior, and marginally moderated the link between maternal behavior and negative affect.

Trauma-related symptoms in neglected preschoolers and affective quality of mother-child communication.

This study (a) assessed whether child neglect is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative symptoms in the preschool period and (b) examined the role of quality of mother—child affective communication in the development of trauma-related symptoms among neglected children. Participants were 33 neglected and 72 non-neglected preschoolers (mean age = 60 months). Neglected children were recruited from the Child Protection Agencies. Neglected and non-neglected children victims of other form of abuse were excluded from the study. Trauma symptoms were evaluated through mother and preschool teacher reports. Quality of mother—child affective communication was assessed in a lab visit during an unstructured task. According to teachers, neglected children displayed more PTSD and dissociative symptoms than non-neglected children. Quality of mother—child communication was lower in neglected dyads. Mother—child affective communication predicted teacher-reported child trauma symptomatology, over and above child neglect. Discussion focuses on the traumatic nature of child neglect and the underlying parent—child relational processes.

Heart Rate Reactivity of 9-and 12-Months Old Infants Showing Specific Emotions in Natural Setting:

To further our understanding of the relationship between cardiovascular reactions and specific emotions, 40 9-and 12-months old infants were systematically observed in a laboratory setting. The experiment included six standardized three-minute-long situations designed to trigger one of five basic emotions: interest, anger, fear, distress and joy. During each situation, overt behaviors, cardiac reactions and judgments on emotion were recorded every five seconds. Our results revealed no fear so data on cardiovascular activity are relative to only four emotions. Heart rate associated with negative emotions is significantly different from heart rate associated with positive emotions; emotions usually considered as negative, anger and distress, evoke concurrent significant cardiac acceleration, whereas emotions usually considered as positive, interest and joy, are associated with small-non-significant deceleration. Furthermore, emotions with the same hedonic tone cannot be distinguished on the basis of their concurrent cardiac reactivity. Implications are derived from the Graham and Clifton (1966) theory as to the usefulness of heart rate measurement in developmental studies.

Relations Between Measures of Irritability and Contingency Detection at 6 Months

The hypothesis that irritability and contingency detection are negatively correlated was examined in thirty-one 6-month-old infants. Observation and maternal report-based assessments of irritability were correlated with both a criterion score and a continuous score of contingency detection. Results indicated that greater irritability in infants was associated with lower contingency detection scores. Discussion focuses on identifying processes by which the 2 constructs may be associated.