Distorted maternal mental representations and atypical behavior in a clinical sample of violence-exposed mothers and their toddlers.

Objective: To determine whether maternal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reflective functioning (RF), and/or quality of mental representations of her child predict maternal behavior within a referred sample of interpersonal violence-exposed mothers and their children (ages 8-50 months).

Method: Forty-one dyads completed two videotaped visits including measures of maternal mental representations and behavior.

Results: Negative and distorted maternal mental representations predicted atypical behavior (Cohen's d>1.

Maternal mental representations of the child in an inner-city clinical sample: violence-related posttraumatic stress and reflective functioning.

Parental mental representations of the child have been described in the clinical literature as potentially useful risk-indicators for the intergenerational transmission of violent trauma. This study explored factors associated with the quality and content of maternal mental representations of her child and relationship with her child within an inner-city sample of referred, traumatized mothers. Specifically, it examined factors that have been hypothesized to support versus interfere with maternal self- and mutual-regulation of affect: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and maternal reflective functioning (RF).