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“Working model of the child interview”: Infant clinical status related to maternal perceptions
Author(s) -
Benoit Diane,
Zeanah Charles H.,
Parker Kevin C. H.,
Nicholson Elaine,
Coolbear Jennifer
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0355(199721)18:1<107::aid-imhj8>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - psychology , infant mental health , perception , developmental psychology , categorization , birth order , mental health , pediatrics , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , population , neuroscience , philosophy , environmental health , epistemology
Parental perceptions and subjective experience of infants have long been considered important in clinical work with infants and families. Using three different samples of infants, we compare mothers' representations of their infants in clinically referred and nonreferred groups, using the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI). Twenty‐four mothers of infants with failure to thrive (and 25 matched controls), 17 mothers of toddlers with sleep disorders (and 20 matched controls), and 13 mothers of infants seen in a general infant psychiatry clinic participated. Compared to their nonclinical counterparts, mothers of infants with clinical problems had representations of their infants that were significantly more likely to be classified distorted or disengaged. Infant gender, age, and birth order were independent of maternal classifications. We conclude that the WMCI is a useful structured interview to categorize mothers' perceptions and subjective experience of their infant and relationship with the infant. Mothers' WMCI classifications are associated with the clinical status of the infant. © 1997 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health