Mother–Child Relationship Quality in the Presence of Maternal Mental Disorders: Do Self‐Report and Behavioural Observation Differ?

Mental disorders affect not only mothers themselves but also their children and partners. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) in particular is thought to impact the mother–child relationship, but comparisons with mothers with other mental disorders are scarce. Many studies use questionnaires witho...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 1 - 14
Autores principales: Jung, Anne, Kumsta, Robert, Renneberg, Babette, Schneider, Silvia, Heinrichs, Nina
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Mar2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=193280230&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 193280230
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        10633995
        BUX
      jtl: Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
      issn: 10633995
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2026
      vid: 33
      iid: 2
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
    artinfo:
      ui:
        193280230
        193280230
        193280230
        10.1002/cpp.70227
        193280230
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 13
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Mother–Child Relationship Quality in the Presence of Maternal Mental Disorders: Do Self‐Report and Behavioural Observation Differ?
      aug:
        au:
          Jung, Anne
          Kumsta, Robert
          Renneberg, Babette
          Schneider, Silvia
          Heinrichs, Nina
        affil: Department of Psychology, Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental Disorders
          Mothers Psychosocial Factors
          Mother-Child Relations Evaluation
          Self Report
          Funding Source
          Germany
          Human
          Descriptive Statistics
          Two-Way Analysis of Variance
          Questionnaires
          Post Hoc Analysis
          Checklists
          Data Analysis Software
          Borderline Personality Disorder
          Anxiety
          Depression
          Maternal Attitudes
          Parenting
          Frustration
      ab: Mental disorders affect not only mothers themselves but also their children and partners. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) in particular is thought to impact the mother–child relationship, but comparisons with mothers with other mental disorders are scarce. Many studies use questionnaires without examining if self‐report corresponds to observable behaviour. We assessed the perceived mother–child relationship using the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire and the Child Relationship Behaviour Inventory in three groups: (1) mothers with BPD, (2) mothers with anxiety and/or depression and (3) mothers without mental disorders with preschool children. Additionally, mother–child interactions during free‐play and structured tasks were video‐recorded and coded using the Coding Interactive Behaviour system. Compared with mothers without mental disorders, both clinical groups perceived their relationship with the child, their own parenting skills and their children's behaviour as less positive. Mothers with BPD felt less confident and more frustrated than those with anxiety and/or depression. No significant group differences emerged in observed behaviour (e.g., sensitivity, intrusiveness), and correlations between self‐report and observation were low. Overall, mothers with BPD face similar challenges as mothers with anxiety or depressive disorders, but they experience particular distress when it comes to relating to and controlling their child's affect. While mothers in both clinical groups are able to foster positive relationships with their children in a controlled laboratory setting, they find it difficult to maintain these skills permanently (e.g., during negative child affect). Trial Registration: DRKS‐ID: DRKS00020460 Summary: Mothers with BPD, as well as those with anxiety or depression, perceive their parenting and the relationship with their child more negatively than mothers without mental disorders.Mothers with BPD in particular report high frustration in parenting.In terms of observed parenting behaviour, mothers with BPD did not differ from those with anxiety or depression, or from those without mental disorders.Despite self‐reported difficulties, all groups—including clinical—were able to foster positive interactions with their children in controlled observation settings.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N