The Influence of Social Support and Depression on
Maternal Reflective Functioning
Katelin A. McLeod, Angela D. Bevak, & Alissa C. Huth-Bocks Ph. D.
Eastern Michigan University
Psychology Department
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS
Reflective functioning (RF) is defined as looking at behavior in terms of mental state constructs to
organize and better understand the behavior of others and one’s self (Fonagy et al., 1998). In
parenting, this capacity is beneficial to the mother-child relationship, as well as to the emotional,
social, and mental development of the child. RF is also a significant predictor of infant attachment
security (Meins et al., 2003). Parental reflective functioning has also been found to have a significant
impact on a child’s behavioral adjustment and early attachment relationships, possibly due to the fact
that mothers adept in RF tend to be more accepting and responsive to the emotional needs of their
children (Rosenblum et al., 2008; Slade, 2005).
The present study examines the relationship between social support, depression, and mothers’
reflective functioning ability. Neeleman and Power (1994) found that by increasing the availability of
social support, one could help to significantly reduce depression. It was also found that a person
would be more susceptible to depression if they lacked close relationships (Bebbington et al., 1984;
Brown & Harris, 1978). Because parental reflective functioning is a relatively new construct, limited
research is available regarding the influence of social support and depression on this important
maternal capacity.
AIM: To investigate how social support and depression affect maternal reflective functioning.
METHOD
PARTICIPANTS:
The sample includes 120 primarily low-income women (median monthly income of $1,500), many of which
also depend on public services such as WIC (88%) and public health insurance (90%). Education, age, and
ethnicity vary considerably, and range from not continuing their education past high school (20%) to
attending graduate school (9%). These women were recruited from various organizations in the Ann ArborYpsilanti area, including community-based health clinics (23%), WIC Program (18%), and Community Baby
Shower (12%). Data werein-home interviews consisting of questionnaires, play interactions, and general
observations. Data from two waves collected by of interviews [ 1 year postpartum (T3) and 2 years
postpartum (T4)] of the study were examined.
MEASURES:
All measures were administered as part of an ongoing longitudinal study, the EMU Parenting Project.
• Beck Depression Inventory-II
Data were collected at 1 year postpartum (T 3) from this self-report questionnaire which measures
depression in individuals ranging from adolescents of at least 13 years of age to adults (BDI-II; Beck et
al., 1996; α = .90).
• Perceived Social Support Scale
Data were collected at 1 year postpartum (T 3) from this self-report questionnaire which measures the
degree to which the participant feels she is given support, information, and feedback from her friends
and family (PSSS; Procidano & Heller, 1983).
This measure examines the following two scales and the total score:
•Perceived friend support (α = .89) .
•Perceived familial support (α = .93 ).
• Total perceived support (α = .92).
• Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire
Data were collected at 2 years postpartum (T 4) from this self-report questionnaire which
measures the general aptitude for mentalization (PRFQ-1; Luyten et al., 2009).
•HL- High-Low subscale in which higher scores reflect a greater capacity for maternal reflective
functioning (α = .70).
•M- Middle subscale in which middle scores reflect a greater capacity for maternal reflective
functioning (α = .55).
•LH- Low-High subscale in which lower scores reflect a greater capacity for maternal reflective
functioning (α = .60).
Table 1. Descriptive Data for Study Variables
N
120
Minimum
.00
Maximum
51.00
120
120
120
1.00
.00
7.00
20.00
20.00
40.00
T4PRFQLH
77
77
3.82
4.36
T4PRFQM
77
1.00
T3BDItotal
T3PSSSFriTotal
T3PSSSFamTotal
T3PSSSTotal
T4PRFQHL
Range
0-63
Mean
10.79
Std. Deviation
8.31
0-20
0-20
0-40
15.61
15.39
31.00
4.35
5.30
8.00
7.00
7.00
1-7
1-7
5.06
6.00
.68
.54
5.50
1-7
3.42
.90
Table 2. Correlation Matrix for Study Variables
T3BDItotal T3PSSSFriTotal T3PSSSFamTotal T3PSSSTotal T4PRFQHL T4PRFQLH T4PRFQM
T3BDItotal
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T3PSSSFriTotal
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T3PSSSFamTotal Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T3PSSSTotal
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T4PRFQHL
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T4PRFQLH
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
T4PRFQM
Pearson Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
1.000
120.000
-.399**
.000
120
-.299**
.001
120
-.416**
.000
120
-.133
.248
77
120.000
.367**
.000
120
.787**
.000
120
.147
.201
77
120.000
.863**
.000
120
.030
.749
77
120.000
.101
.380
77
77.000
-.164
.153
77
-.021
.858
77
.145
.208
77
.078
.499
77
.104
.368
77
77.000
.056
.626
77
-.025
.832
77
-.144
.212
77
-.103
.372
77
.001
.992
77
-.322**
.004
77
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
77.000
*p < .05. ** p < .01.
Using Pearson correlations, the findings revealed no significant association between depression and reflective functioning, as well as
between social support and reflective functioning; however, as other studies have shown, depression and social support were
significantly related, r (120) = -.416 (p < .01).
DISCUSSION
•In the present study, neither depression nor social support were significantly correlated to maternal reflective functioning. Several
measurement limitations may account for these lack of findings.
Limitations
•Two out of three PRFQ scales used in analyses had lower alpha ratings, which indicate potential problems with the RF measure’s
internal consistency. Little research has been conducted on the construct of parental reflective functioning using self-reports; the
psychometric properties of the PRFQ-1 are still being evaluated. It is possible that there are psychometric problems with the measure’s
individual scales. Parental RF has typically been assessed through coded semi-structured interviews.
•Lack of findings may also be due to the fact that the predictors were assessed 1 year prior to maternal RF.
Implications
•Further research needs to be conducted on the assessment of reflective functioning. Few measures have been designed and evaluated
to measure this complex construct.
•Further investigations of reflective functioning in high-risk populations need to be conducted. It may be necessary to evaluate maternal
reflective functioning skills in a high-risk population through observational methods rather than using self-report measures.
•Because reflective functioning is important for mother-infant attachment and for healthy infant development, it will be important to
continue investigating what factors influence this parenting capacity. This research will better guide interventions aimed at helping
mothers develop healthier mother-infant interactions.