Maternal State of Mind and Expressed Emotion: Impact of Mothers’ Mental Health, Stress, and Family Satisfaction

Abstract

BACKGROUND Little is known about the relationship of mothers’ psychological distress to the emotions they express toward their children. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which mothers’ mental health status, perceived stress, and satisfaction with family relationships contribute to their expressed emotion with high-risk children. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional, correlational design was employed involving analysis of expressed emotion in videotaped mother-child interactions, self-report measures of stress and family satisfaction, and assessments of mothers’ mental health status. RESULTS A mother’s family satisfaction was significantly related to less criticism and more positive comments about the child. Perceived stress was associated with mother’s emotional overinvolvement and less hostility. Mother’s mental health was not a significant predictor of her expressed emotion. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to enhance a mother’s family interactions and her ability to cope with stress may improve the quality of a mother’s affective communication with her high-risk child.