- Oxford Library of Psychology
- Oxford Library of Psychology
- Oxford Library of Psychology
- About the Editor
- Contributors
- Introduction: The Unique Importance of Perinatal Psychology
- Psychological, Behavioral, and Cognitive Changes During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Biological Changes During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Relationship and Sexual Functioning During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Fetal and Infant Neurobehavioral Development: Basic Processes and Environmental Influences
- Attachment: Theory and Classification
- Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Anxiety and Stress During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Panic Attacks During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Obsessions and Compulsions During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Posttraumatic Stress During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Drug Dependence During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Severe Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Body Image Disturbance During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Biomarkers of Perinatal Psychopathology
- Maternal Stress During Pregnancy and Infant and Child Outcome
- Maternal Psychopathology and Child Attachment
- Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis of Mood and Anxiety Disorders During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Psychotherapy for Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Adaptations of Psychotherapy for Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Psychopharmacology in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Perinatal Depression
- Nonprofessional Resources for Pregnant and Postpartum Women
- Prevention of Postpartum Psychopathology
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Pregnancy Loss
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Infertility
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Pregnancy Complications and the Birth of a High-Risk Infant
- Perinatal Experiences of Adolescent Mothers
- Perinatal Experiences of Low-Income and Incarcerated Women
- Perinatal Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
- Cross-Cultural Differences in Adjustment to Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Perinatal Psychology: A Field with an Impressive Past and an Exciting Future
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
The formation of an attachment bond to a parent or caregiver is a key developmental milestone that occurs during the first year of a child’s life. In this chapter, we examine the relation between maternal psychopathology and the development of the young child’s attachment relationship with his or her mother. In general, the identified direction of effects from research points to greater risk for child insecure or disorganized attachment when the mother is psychiatrically ill, yet the research is equivocal, and findings suggest that other risk factors, as well as resiliency factors, must be considered for their influences of attachment relationship formation in the context of maternal psychopathology. Studies have begun to elucidate some of the mediating and moderating factors, yet much work remains to be done in order to understand the complex relation between maternal mental health and the quality of attachment.
Keywords: attachment, maternal depression, maternal psychopathology, mother-infant relationship
Janice H. Goodman is an Associate Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing.
Cindy Hsin-Ju Liu is the Director of Multicultural Research at the Commonwealth Research Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Instructor of Psychology within the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and an Assistant Research Professor within the Department of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.
- Oxford Library of Psychology
- Oxford Library of Psychology
- Oxford Library of Psychology
- About the Editor
- Contributors
- Introduction: The Unique Importance of Perinatal Psychology
- Psychological, Behavioral, and Cognitive Changes During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Biological Changes During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Relationship and Sexual Functioning During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Fetal and Infant Neurobehavioral Development: Basic Processes and Environmental Influences
- Attachment: Theory and Classification
- Depression During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Anxiety and Stress During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Panic Attacks During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Obsessions and Compulsions During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Posttraumatic Stress During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Drug Dependence During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Severe Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Body Image Disturbance During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Biomarkers of Perinatal Psychopathology
- Maternal Stress During Pregnancy and Infant and Child Outcome
- Maternal Psychopathology and Child Attachment
- Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis of Mood and Anxiety Disorders During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Psychotherapy for Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Adaptations of Psychotherapy for Psychopathology During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Psychopharmacology in Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Perinatal Depression
- Nonprofessional Resources for Pregnant and Postpartum Women
- Prevention of Postpartum Psychopathology
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Pregnancy Loss
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Infertility
- Understanding and Treating the Psychosocial Consequences of Pregnancy Complications and the Birth of a High-Risk Infant
- Perinatal Experiences of Adolescent Mothers
- Perinatal Experiences of Low-Income and Incarcerated Women
- Perinatal Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
- Cross-Cultural Differences in Adjustment to Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
- Perinatal Psychology: A Field with an Impressive Past and an Exciting Future
- Index
