PMH-C Infant Bonding 4

Question 1

An adoptive mother at 6 weeks reports she does not yet feel love for her adopted newborn. How should the clinician respond?

Accepted Answer

Normalize that bonding can develop gradually and explore any barriers or mental health concerns

Answer

Bonding in adoptive parents often develops over time; the clinician should normalize this while screening for depression, anxiety, or other barriers.

Question 2

Which of the following infant characteristics is MOST likely to challenge caregivers' bonding capacity?

Accepted Answer

Temperamentally 'difficult' or highly reactive infant

Answer

Infants with difficult temperaments who are hard to soothe place high demands on caregivers and can strain the developing attachment relationship.

Question 3

Which concept describes the clinician's observation of the quality of a mother's emotional investment and representational world around her infant?

Accepted Answer

Parental reflective functioning

Answer

Reflective functioning (or mentalization) refers to a parent's capacity to hold the infant's inner states in mind, and is strongly linked to attachment quality.

Question 4

A mother discloses she has intrusive thoughts of accidentally harming her baby but is horrified by them and does not want to act on them. This MOST likely represents:

Accepted Answer

Ego-dystonic obsessional thoughts associated with postpartum OCD

Answer

Ego-dystonic intrusive harm obsessions are a hallmark of postpartum OCD; the mother's distress and lack of intent distinguish this from psychosis.

Question 5

Which aspect of the caregiving environment most strongly predicts transmission of attachment patterns across generations?

Accepted Answer

Unresolved maternal loss or trauma (assessed via Adult Attachment Interview)

Answer

Research using the Adult Attachment Interview shows that unresolved maternal loss or trauma is the strongest predictor of disorganized infant attachment.

(PMH-C) Perinatal Mental Health Certification Practice Test

(PMH-C) Perinatal Mental Health Certification Practice Test

PMH-C Infant Bonding 4