Child maltreatment under the skin: Basal activity and stress reactivity of the autonomic nervous system and attachment representations in maltreating parents

Reijman, S. (2015)

Doctoral Thesis

This dissertation comprises an empirical study and a meta-analytical study on autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning and attachment representations in maltreating parents. For the empirical study we recruited a sample of 45 mothers with substantiated abuse and neglect and 45 non-maltreating control mothers. Mothers listened to infant cry sounds of varying pitches while their heart rate, vagal tone, pre-ejection period, skin conductance, and salivary α-amylase were measured. Maltreating mothers showed a blunted ANS response to the cry sounds, as well as a lack of coherence between ANS components, compared to the non-maltreating group. During a second appointment we conducted the Adult Attachment Interview. More maltreating mothers had an Unresolved/disoriented (U/d) attachment representation and maltreating mothers showed lower coherence of mind. In turn, U/d attachment was associated with a decrease in skin conductance during an attachment-related computer paradigm, while coherence of mind was associated with higher skin conductance during the paradigm. A meta-analysis of 11 studies (N = 524)showed that (risk for) child maltreatment was associated with higher levels of baseline ANS activity, while a second meta-analysis (k = 11, N = 503) showed no differences in ANS stress reactivity between maltreating parents/at-risk adults and non-maltreating/low-risk comparison groups.

• Child maltreatment
• Autonomic nervous system
• Attachment representation
• Stress regulation

• All authors: Reijman, S.
• Supervisor: Alink, L.R.A.; Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J.; Ijzendoorn, M.H. van
• Committee: Bohlin, G.; Roisman, G.I.; Elzinga, B.M.
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University
• Date: 2015-12-16