Relación entre mentalización y sensibilidad de madres de infantes de un año de edad y su efecto en su desarrollo socioemocional

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between maternal mentalization and sensitivity in the interaction of mothers from Metropolitan Region of Chile with their one-year-old children and its implication for infants' social-emotional development (SED), in a nonprobability purposive sample of 105 mothers from different socioeconomic status (SES) groups and their children who attended public or private daycares. The instruments used were the Adult Sensitivity Scale (E.S.A.), the Significant Adult's Mentalization Assessment and the social-emotional development scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition. Via correlational and comparative analyses of means and frequencies (Student's t and Χ2), an association was observed between maternal sensitivity and mentalization, as well as between maternal sensitivity and child SED, but no child SED-mentalization link was found. SES has an effect on the quality of maternal sensitivity, mentalization and SED level; however, when it is controlled for, the relation between maternal sensitivity and infant SED disappears. The implications of incorporating early interventions in these maternal competences are discussed.