MOTHER AND INFANT AFFECTIVE INVOLVEMENT STATES AND MATERNAL DEPRESSION

This study shows two different dimensional types of maternal depressio n, one dull and slow, the other stressed and irritable. When the quali ty of the infant attachment to mother is assessed, it is noted that th e dimensional aspect of the maternal depression can be of some importa nce in the quality of the attachment. In fact, children are more incli ned to develop an insecure-ambivalent attachment to their stressed dep ressed mothers, while children of slow depressed mothers are more inse cure-avoiding. Thus, the dimensions of maternal depression can be an i ndicator of the type of insecure attachment of the infant at one year of age. We have also found that insecure children of depressed mothers express very little joy in the course of face-to-face interactions. A parallel can be established between the characteristics of the differ ent affective dimensions of the maternal depression, the affective inv olvement state level of the partners, their synchrony or non-synchrony , the affective expression of the baby, and the type of insecure attac hment to the mother. Thus, affective interaction may be an indicator o f the child's development, both to assess the interaction and to evalu ate the type of attachment shown by the child, indicating that previou s interactive patterns have been internalized.