AT-RISK IRRITABLE INFANTS

婴儿的烦躁不仅仅会让父母感到厌恶和压力；它与多种发育问题有关。 此外，虽然婴儿的烦躁似乎并不是不安全依恋的直接原因，但婴儿的烦躁确实与其他母亲压力源（例如低社会支持和低社会经济地位）相互作用，导致不安全依恋的风险增加（Crockenberg，1981；van den Boom，1994）。反过来，不安全的依恋又与各种负面结果相关（参见 Belsky 和 ​​Cassidy，1994）。 从心理健康的角度来看，特别值得关注的是，越来越多的证据表明早期不安全依恋与各种形式的精神病理学之间存在联系，包括行为障碍、焦虑和分离（见格林伯格，出版中）。 鉴于这些负面结果，尝试更好地了解婴儿的烦躁并对烦躁的婴儿进行干预至关重要。拟议的研究旨在解决以下四个问题：（1）我们能否成功地干预烦躁、低社会经济地位的婴儿，以减少婴儿的烦躁并降低不安全依恋的风险？ (2) 易激婴儿脑电图活动模式的变化是否与干预相关？ （3）母亲敏感性的变化与母亲“依恋心态”的变化有关吗？ (4) 婴儿的烦躁、照顾经历和依恋如何相互作用来预测幼儿的行为抑制和内化/外化行为？这项研究将复制并扩展 van den Boom（1994）的干预研究，该研究揭示了相对较小的干预所产生的惊人效果。 75 名易激惹的低 SES 婴儿和母亲将在 6 至 9 个月期间参加 3 次家庭干预，75 名易激惹的低 SES 婴儿和母亲将作为对照组。 将在 6m（干预前）和 9m（干预后立即）对母婴行为进行家庭观察。 长期干预效果将通过评估依恋（12 和 18m）、母婴行为（18 和 24m）、儿童行为问题（24m 时的 CBCL）和行为抑制（24m）来检验。 拟议研究中的两项补充将允许检查一系列重要问题：婴儿脑电图将在 6、12 和 24 m 时测量，以便检查与干预相关的生理变化。 产妇依恋访谈（在 6 和 12m）将允许检查几个重要问题。

Irritability in infants is more than aversive and stressful to parents; it is associated with a variety of developmental problems. Furthermore, although infant irritability does not appear to be a direct contributor to insecure attachment, infant irritability does interact with other maternal stressors such as low social support and low-SES to contribute to an increased risk of insecure attachment (Crockenberg, 1981; van den Boom, 1994). Insecure attachment, in turn, is associated with a variety of negative outcomes (see Belsky and Cassidy, 1994). Of particular concern from a mental health perspective is mounting evidence of links between early insecure attachment and various forms of psychopathology, including conduct disorder, anxiety, and dissociation (see Greenberg, in press). Given these negative outcomes, attempts to better understand infant irritability and to intervene with irritable infants are crucial The proposed study was designed to address the following four questions: (1) Can we successfully intervene with irritable, low- SES infants to reduce infant irritability and to decrease the risk of insecure attachment? (2) Are there changes in patterns of EEG activity among irritable infants associated with intervention? (3) Is change in maternal sensitivity associated with change in maternal "state of mind with regard to attachment"? (4) How do infant irritability, caregiving experiences, and attachment interact to predict toddler behavioral inhibition and internalizing/externalizing behavior? This study will replicate and extend van den Boom's (1994) intervention study which revealed striking effects from a relatively minor intervention. Seventy-five irritable low-SES infants and mothers will participate in three home-based interventions between 6 and 9 months, and 75 irritable low-SES infants and mothers will serve as a control group. Home observations of maternal and infant behavior will be made at 6m (pre-intervention) and 9m (immediate post-intervention). Longer- term intervention effectiveness will be examined with assessments of attachment (12 and 18m), maternal and child behavior (18 and 24m), child behavior problems (CBCL at 24m), and behavioral inhibition (24m). Two additions in the proposed study will permit examination of a series of important questions: Infant EEG will be measured at 6, 12, and 24m, permitting examination of physiological changes associated with intervention. Maternal Attachment Interviews (at 6 and 12m) will permit examination of several important questions.