AT-RISK IRRITABLE INFANTS

易激惹的高危婴儿

• 批准号: 6392561
• 负责人: JUDE A CASSIDY
• 金额: $ 56.74万
• 依托单位: UNIV OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-09-30 至 2004-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6392561
• 关键词: behavior prediction; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; child behavior; child psychology; clinical research; developmental psychology; electroencephalography; family structure /dynamics; heart rate; human subject; infant human (0-1 year); interview; longitudinal human study; low socioeconomic status; maternal behavior; newborn human (0-6 weeks); outcomes research; personality; psychological adaptation; psychological stressor; questionnaires; social support network

Irritability in infants is more than aversive and stressful to parents; it is associated with a variety of developmental problems. Furthermore, although infant irritability does not appear to be a direct contributor to insecure attachment, infant irritability does interact with other maternal stressors such as low social support and low-SES to contribute to an increased risk of insecure attachment (Crockenberg, 1981; van den Boom, 1994). Insecure attachment, in turn, is associated with a variety of negative outcomes (see Belsky and Cassidy, 1994). Of particular concern from a mental health perspective is mounting evidence of links between early insecure attachment and various forms of psychopathology, including conduct disorder, anxiety, and dissociation (see Greenberg, in press). Given these negative outcomes, attempts to better understand infant irritability and to intervene with irritable infants are crucial The proposed study was designed to address the following four questions: (1) Can we successfully intervene with irritable, low- SES infants to reduce infant irritability and to decrease the risk of insecure attachment? (2) Are there changes in patterns of EEG activity among irritable infants associated with intervention? (3) Is change in maternal sensitivity associated with change in maternal "state of mind with regard to attachment"? (4) How do infant irritability, caregiving experiences, and attachment interact to predict toddler behavioral inhibition and internalizing/externalizing behavior? This study will replicate and extend van den Boom's (1994) intervention study which revealed striking effects from a relatively minor intervention. Seventy-five irritable low-SES infants and mothers will participate in three home-based interventions between 6 and 9 months, and 75 irritable low-SES infants and mothers will serve as a control group. Home observations of maternal and infant behavior will be made at 6m (pre-intervention) and 9m (immediate post-intervention). Longer- term intervention effectiveness will be examined with assessments of attachment (12 and 18m), maternal and child behavior (18 and 24m), child behavior problems (CBCL at 24m), and behavioral inhibition (24m). Two additions in the proposed study will permit examination of a series of important questions: Infant EEG will be measured at 6, 12, and 24m, permitting examination of physiological changes associated with intervention. Maternal Attachment Interviews (at 6 and 12m) will permit examination of several important questions.

婴儿的烦恼不仅仅是厌恶和对父母的压力。它与各种发展问题有关。 此外，尽管婴儿的烦恼似乎并不是造成不安全依恋的直接促进者，但婴儿的烦躁能力确实与其他母体压力源相互作用，例如较低的社会支持和低SE，从而有助于增加不安全依恋的风险（Crockenberg，1981; van den den den Boom，1994）。反过来，不安全的依恋与各种负面结果有关（参见Belsky和Cassidy，1994）。 从心理健康的角度来看，特别关心的是，早期不安全的依恋与各种形式的心理病理学（包括行为障碍，焦虑和解离）之间有联系的证据（请参阅印刷中的格林伯格）。 鉴于这些负面结果，试图更好地理解婴儿烦躁和与易怒的婴儿的尝试至关重要。拟议的研究旨在解决以下四个问题：（1）我们能否成功干预易怒的，低的婴儿来减少婴儿的烦躁和降低不安全感的依恋风险？ （2）与干预相关的易激活中的脑电图活性模式是否有变化？ （3）与母亲“依恋方面的心态”变化相关的母体敏感性的变化？ （4）婴儿烦躁，照料经历和依恋如何相互作用，以预测幼儿的行为抑制和内在化/外部化行为？这项研究将复制并扩展Van Den Boom（1994）的干预研究，该研究揭示了相对较小的干预效果。 75个易怒的低SES婴儿和母亲将参加6至9个月之间的三项基于家庭的干预措施，75名易怒的低SES婴儿和母亲将作为对照组。 孕产妇和婴儿行为的家庭观察将在6M（干预前）和9M（立即干预后）进行。 长期干预效果将通过评估（12和18M），母体和儿童行为（18和24M），儿童行为问题（24M的CBCL）和行为抑制（24M）来检查更长期的干预效果。 拟议的研究中的两个增加将允许研究一系列重要问题：婴儿脑电图将在6、12和24M时测量，允许检查与干预相关的生理变化。 孕产妇的依恋访谈（6和12m）将允许检查几个重要问题。