TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal mentalizing and quality of interactive behavior with their infant in the first year postpartum

T2 - A meta-analysis

AU - Wendelboe, Katrine Isabella

AU - Reijman, Sophie

AU - Madsen, Eva Back

AU - Støve, Laura Lærkegård

AU - Stuart, Anne Christine

AU - Smith-Nielsen, Johanne

AU - Væver, Mette Skovgaard

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - The quality of parent-infant interaction is crucial for infant development, and the postpartumperiod is considered particularly important for subsequent developmental pathways. Parentalmentalizing has been identified as a key component influencing parental behavior. Yet, no meta-analysis has specifically focused on the link between parental mentalizing and observed parentalbehavior during parent-infant interaction in the first year postpartum. The present study ad-dresses this gap by conducting a meta-analysis of 20 studies involving mothers and their 0–12months old infants. A three-level random effects analysis, encompassing 133 individual effectsizes and 1990 participants, revealed a small, positive overall effect size (r = 0.20). Moderatoranalyses investigated the influence of study methodology (e.g., offline versus online assessment ofmentalizing, free-play interaction versus non-free play), sample and study characteristics on effectsize. Using meta-regression, significant moderators were maternal SES risk-status and studypublication year, while study methodology and other sample and study characteristics did notmoderate the association. The study advances our understanding of parental mentalizing andparenting behavior in the postpartum period, providing methodological considerations formentalizing assessment. Results are discussed in terms of implications and recommendations forfuture research.

AB - The quality of parent-infant interaction is crucial for infant development, and the postpartumperiod is considered particularly important for subsequent developmental pathways. Parentalmentalizing has been identified as a key component influencing parental behavior. Yet, no meta-analysis has specifically focused on the link between parental mentalizing and observed parentalbehavior during parent-infant interaction in the first year postpartum. The present study ad-dresses this gap by conducting a meta-analysis of 20 studies involving mothers and their 0–12months old infants. A three-level random effects analysis, encompassing 133 individual effectsizes and 1990 participants, revealed a small, positive overall effect size (r = 0.20). Moderatoranalyses investigated the influence of study methodology (e.g., offline versus online assessment ofmentalizing, free-play interaction versus non-free play), sample and study characteristics on effectsize. Using meta-regression, significant moderators were maternal SES risk-status and studypublication year, while study methodology and other sample and study characteristics did notmoderate the association. The study advances our understanding of parental mentalizing andparenting behavior in the postpartum period, providing methodological considerations formentalizing assessment. Results are discussed in terms of implications and recommendations forfuture research.

U2 - 10.1016/j.dr.2024.101136

DO - 10.1016/j.dr.2024.101136

M3 - Review

VL - 73

JO - Developmental Review

JF - Developmental Review

SN - 1090-2406

M1 - 101136

ER -