Relationship between Mother's Attachment Style and Mother-Infant Bonding in the First Pregnancy: Mediating Role of Mentalization

As the maternal role is critical, it is necessary to identify the psychological mechanisms related to this role. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the mother’s attachment style and mother-infant bonding in the first pregnancy considering the mediating role of mentalization.

This was a descriptive-correlational study. The sample population included the women who had gone through their first pregnancy and were referred to the health centers in Neyshabur, Iran in 2021-2022. In total, 330 women were selected by convenience sampling. To collect data, we used a demographic questionnaire, the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive indices, correlation coefficients, and structural equation modeling in Spss-24 and Amos-24.

Overall, the findings showed that the studied model adequately fits the data. Further, the obtained results confirmed the mediating role of mentalization in the relationship between the mother’s attachment style and mother-infant bonding. A significant correlation was also observed between attachment styles, and mother-infant bonding (p<0.01).

Mother-infant bonding is correlated with the mother’s attachment style and mentalization. Thus, we can help vulnerable mothers by improving the quality of psychological care before the first pregnancy or during pregnancy.