Attachment

Question 1

Types of attachment

Answer 1

1. Secure: proximity seeking, separation distress, safe have, secure base
2. Insecure avoidant: little contact maintaining behaviour, little emotion on departure/return
3. Insecure preoccupied: uncomfortable with distance, does not explore much, wary of stranger
4. Disorganised: prone to disruption, unpredictable emotional experiences, approach and avoid

Question 2

Evaluating parent/child relationship during the strange situation

Answer 2

1. Behaviour- responsive, contingent, reciprocal, synchronised, mirror, seek proximity
2. Visual interaction- gaze, ‘light in their eyes’
3. Vocal interactions- mark baby’s experience, higher pitched voice ‘baby talk’
4. Affect tone- warmth, reverie, exaggeration of behaviour/tone
5. Depth of interaction- attunement, intensity, timely response
6. Parental reflective capacity
7. Infant reactivity
8. Risk- parent lack awareness, dangerous environment, neglect, misinterpretation of cues, anger toward child

Question 3

Attributes of an attachment relationship

Answer 3

1. The relationship provides a secure base for exploration.
2. The relationship provides a safe haven to return to at times of stress and when emotion needs to be regulated.
3. Proximity maintenance.
4. Separation distress.

Question 4

Strange situation procedure

Answer 4

1. mother and child are oriented to the room.
2. the infant explores the room and toys.
3. a stranger enters.
4. first separation, the mother leaves the room, leaving the infant and the stranger together.
5. first reunion, the mother returns and the stranger leaves the room.
6. second separation, the mother leaves the infant alone in the room.
7. the stranger enters the room.
8. second reunion, the mother returns to the infant and the stranger leaves.

Question 5

How to enhance capacity of parents with mental illness

Answer 5

approximately 50% of mothers with schizophrenia lose custody of their children
compliance with medication, self-monitoring and recognition of early signs of relapse, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, engagement with services and capacity to keep the child’s real needs in mind, developing a crisis plan, making use of parenting resources.
assistance with other domestic stresses, such as financial matters and housing in order to support the mental health of a parent.
Engaged supportive family (supplementary attachment relationships)

Question 6

Potential deficits in parenting for those with schizophrenia

Answer 6

may still be deficits in recognising, assessing and experiencing emotions. This could be related to negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and is consistent with the neuropsychological profile of someone with schizophrenia. Sedating medication could also contribute to the mother being less sensitive to emotional cues of an infant

Question 7

Observational measures of the dyadic relationship

Answer 7

1. Strange situation
2. Crowell procedure: 8 sessions, 45-60 mins, parent/child interaction clinical setting, spontaneous observations, free play/clean up/bubbles/problem solving, separation and reunion
3. F2F/videotaped interaction: as above, behaviour/visual interaction/vocal/affect tone/depth/parental reflective capacity/infant reactivity/risk

Question 8

Assessing parenting capacity

Answer 8

1. Interview- parent, collateral
2. Checklists- background, issues with child, illness assessment, support structures
3. Observation (Parent-child)
4. Psychological tests- Family strengths and needs assessment