QUALITY OF ATTACHMENT AS A PREDICTOR OF MATERNAL VISITATION TO YOUNG HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN

Tested a comprehensive model of factors predicting maternal visitation with hospitalized children. Subjects were 86 mothers who completed th e Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a 12-item attachment meas ure derived from the Waters and Deane Attachment Q-sort, and a demogra phic questionnaire. Children were 10 months to 4 years old (37 female, 49 male) and hospitalized for acute nonsurgical illness. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that, of the subset of variables tested (SES, number of children at home, gender, age, number of previous hos pitalizations, state anxiety, and security of attachment), quality of attachment was the only significant predictor of maternal visitation r ate. Mothers who reported that their children displayed insecure attac hment behaviors maintained a significantly lower rate of visitation th an mothers who reported that their children displayed secure attachmen t behaviors. Results of this study highlight the importance of underst anding parent-child attachment in predicting maternal visitation when a child is hospitalized.