Mind-Mindedness and Parenting Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Cohort of Mothers of 3-Month-Old Full-Term and Preterm Infants

Chiara Suttora, Maria Spinelli, Tiziana Aureli, Mirco Fasolo, Francesca Lionetti, Odoardo Picciolini, Maura Ravasi and Nicoletta Salerni
Additional contact information
Chiara Suttora: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Maria Spinelli: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Tiziana Aureli: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Mirco Fasolo: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Francesca Lionetti: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Odoardo Picciolini: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Unit, 20122 Milan, Italy
Maura Ravasi: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, 20122 Milan, Italy
Nicoletta Salerni: Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: The preterm birth of a child is a sudden event that can disturb the overall family system and its functioning. Many studies have been conducted with the aim of exploring how and the degree to which this event affects the early mother–infant dyadic relationship and maternal well-being, with often mixed findings. The present study investigates the combined effect of preterm birth and parenting stress on mind-mindedness, a parenting dimension that captures how parents represent and treat their children as separate individuals with their own mental states and activities. A hundred and ten mothers and their three-month-old infants (preterm = 54; full-term = 56) participated in the study. Mind-mindedness was assessed by coding mothers’ comments about infant’s mental states during dyadic face-to-face interaction. Parenting stress was evaluated with the Parenting Stress Index Short Form questionnaire. Mothers of preterm infants reported similar levels of appropriate and non-attuned mind-related comments to mothers of full-term infants. The reported parenting stress levels were also comparable. Interestingly, only mothers of preterm infants who reported higher stress in parenting showed more non-attuned comments during the interaction. The results underline the need to address preterm birth as a complex event, going beyond group differences and considering its interplay with other risk or protective factors in shaping children’s and parents’ adjustments and well-being.

Keywords: preterm birth; mind-mindedness; parenting stress; mother–infant interaction; parenting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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