Preschoolers Attachment to the Mother and its Impact on Mental Health

1902

Abstract

The research shows influence of attachment to mother on psychological health of pre-school children. 163 preschoolers aged 5 to 7 years examined. The evaluation of different areas of attachment of child to mother was held using "Mother-child attachment style measure questionnaire" (E.V. Pupyreva, 2007), the psychological health of children was measured by "Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire"(E.R. Slobodskaya et al., 2005). It has been found that by the end of pre-school age the perception of mother in the capacity of support source is becoming noticeable for boys. Shown that in children who demonstrate insecure attachment, registered emotional symptoms and internal problems, meanwhile children with secure attachment type are following the prosociality in behavior. Concluded that the act of reliable attachment (acceptance of a child by mother, emotional sensibility of mother) is the important predictor of mental health. Insufficient support of children by mother and small need of mother presence increase possibility of the emotional disturbance and the behavioral problems.

General Information

Keywords: attachment, type of attachment, emotional disorders, behavioral difficulties, predictors, gender, preschool childhood

Journal rubric: Empirical Research

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2020090109

Funding. this work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project № 18-013-01101 А “Attachment in childhood and relationship with mental health problems”)

For citation: Kuftyak E.V., Zadorova J.A. Preschoolers Attachment to the Mother and its Impact on Mental Health [Elektronnyi resurs]. Klinicheskaia i spetsial'naia psikhologiia = Clinical Psychology and Special Education, 2020. Vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 169–185. DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2020090109. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Elena V. Kuftyak, Doctor of Psychology, Professor of the General Psychology Department, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Нead of the Department of Age and Family Counseling, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3723-0507, e-mail: elena.kuftyak@inbox.ru

Julia A. Zadorova, PhD Student, Chair of General and Social Psychology, Kostroma State University, Kostroma, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6814-3583, e-mail: julia.zadorova@yandex.ru

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