Parental Reflective Functioning and Child Outcomes

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study is a prospective longitudinal study based on an existing randomized clinical trial comparing a home visiting intervention with routine primary care for young first time mothers and their infants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the intermediate term (1-3 years after trial) effects of the intervention on the relationship between mothers' reflective functioning (RF) and child outcomes. This proposed study includes previously collected data from the primary study as well as follow-up data to be collected 1-3 years after subjects complete the primary study. There is a gap in the literature regarding how parental attributes are translated to the child. One possible mechanism of translation may be RF. This study proposes to evaluate the role of RF in effective parenting by investigating the relationship between RF, parenting, and child behavior outcomes. The primary aims of the proposed study are to: 1 .Compare differences between the intervention and control groups from baseline (end of primary study) to age 3-5 years with respect to child outcomes including child behavior, and reported child abuse and neglect. 2. Examine the RF scores at the end of the primary study and child age 3- 5 years; 2.a) Evaluate differences between the two groups' RF scores at baseline (end of primary study) and at age 3-5 years; 2.b) Evaluate the interaction of the group, RF, and child outcome variables. Two exploratory aims include: 3. Examine the relationship overtime and between groups from baseline (the end of the primary study at age 2 years) to age 3-5 years with respect to key maternal variables relative to child behavior such as maternal depression, parenting competence, maternal life course, parenting stress, and maternal mastery and 4. Evaluate the relationship between RF and child behavior, independent of group. These aims will be examined through analyses of data collected in the primary study and data to be collected 1-3 years post-intervention. Many of the questionnaires and one interview that were administered to the intervention group and control group mothers at the end of the primary study will be re-administered 1-3 years post-intervention as well as an additional well validated measure for child behavior. Child behavior problems were found to have 3.5 times more cost expenditure compared to children without behavioral problems, which is of great public health concern. Multiple studies have shown relation- ships between early parenting and child behavior. The purpose of this proposal is to evaluate how parenting translates to the child by examining the intermediate effects of a home-visiting program that aims to support and enhance parenting in effort to prevent child behavioral problems and therefore lower public health costs.