Unresolved attachment state of mind, maternal care and child attachment security in two mother-child dyads

This study aims to describe the attachment representations of two mothers classified as unresolved in their state of mind with respect to attachment, as well as the specific characteristics of their interactions with their children: the quality of their care and the security of the child’s attachment. The Adult Attachment Interview was used to evaluate attachment representations, the Maternal Behavior Q-Set 2.1 was used for the quality of maternal sensitivity, and the security of the child’s attachment was evaluated with the Attachment Q-Set 3.0. The results show that while attachment is unresolved in both mothers due to their own experiences of childhood abuse, their sub-classification (secure attachment in one case and insecure in the other) is associated with differences in how they perceive and respond to the child’s needs, and in the security of the child’s attachment.