ABSTRACT
Abstract Background: The literature has few studies on the quality of the mother-child interaction when mothers suffer from chronic anxiety and depression. This study aimed to compare characteristics of the interaction between 14-month-old children and their mothers who presented symptoms of chronic anxiety or depression with those of 14-month-old children and their mothers who did not present mental problems. Method: The sample consisted of 40 mother-infant dyads selected from a prospective cohort study. They were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory, at three time points: during pregnancy and at 6 months and 14 months of the infant's life. Three groups were formed: 10 mothers with symptoms of chronic anxiety, 8 mothers with symptoms of chronic depression, and a control group of 22 mothers without mental health problems. The mothers responded to a socioeconomic questionnaire, and then a 7-min episode of the dyad interaction was recorded and assessed using categories indicated in a dyadic interaction assessment protocol. This consisted of six categories that evaluate the behavior of the caregiver and four categories that evaluate the child's behavior. Results: A significantly higher percentage of mothers with chronic depressive symptoms had not completed high school and did not live with a partner. When comparing the interaction behaviors of the three groups, mothers with symptoms of chronic depression were significantly less sensitive, were more disengaged, and showed less positive affect than those in the control group. They also engaged in significantly fewer stimulations and displayed more negative affect compared with both the control group and mothers with chronic anxiety symptoms. Anxious mothers presented greater intrusiveness compared with mothers in the control group. Regarding the children, those with mothers showing symptoms of chronic depression interacted significantly less than those with mothers showing symptoms of chronic anxiety and the control group. Conclusions: The results indicate that mother-infant interaction is most severely compromised among mother-infant dyads comprised of mothers with chronic depressive symptoms, compared with dyads of mothers with chronic anxiety symptoms and dyads of control group mothers without mental health problems.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant , Adult , Anxiety/psychology , Child Development , Depression/psychology , Mother-Child Relations/psychology , Mental Health , Mothers/psychologyABSTRACT
A hospitalização costuma estar impregnada de fantasias que são geradoras de alto nível de ansiedade, em especial para crianças. Assim o processo psicoterápico hospitalar deve propor medidas que possibilitem o desenvolvimento de recursos internos para o enfrentamento de situações geradoras de angústias. O presente artigo tem por objetivo demonstrar a importância da intervenção psicológica por intermédio do desenho como mediador lúdico no contexto de internação frente à situação pré-cirúrgica. Para tal, será apresentado um estudo de caso de uma menina de cinco anos, internada para realizar uma cirurgia de correção ortopédica. A paciente produziu sete desenhos que, no início, expressavam suas angústias frente à cirurgia e, no final, demonstravam sua tentativa de elaboração. Concluiu-se que o desenho é um importante instrumento terapêutico no contexto hospitalar...
Hospitalization is usually steeped in fantasies that generate high levels of anxiety, especially for children. Therefore, the hospital psychotherapeutic process must propose actions to enable them to develop internal resources to cope with situation that causes anxiety. This article aims to demonstrate the importance of psychological intervention through drawings as mediators in the pre-surgical context of orthopedic correction in the hospital. This patient made seven drawings that at first expressed her anguish towards the surgery and at the end showed her attempt to elaborate. We conclude that drawing is an important therapeutic tool in the hospital...