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Cited by 49Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchAttachment and Relationship DynamicsMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Adding “Circle of Security – Parenting” to treatment as usual in three Swedish infant mental health clinics. Effects on parents’ internal representations and quality of parent‐infant interaction

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Risholm Mothander, Pia, Furmark, Catarina, Neander, Kerstin·2018·Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
DOI 10.1111/sjop.12419
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Abstract

This study presents effects of adding Circle of Security‐Parenting (COS‐P) to an already established comprehensive therapeutic model for early parent‐child intervention in three Swedish infant mental health (IMH) clinics. Parents’ internal representations and quality of parent‐infant interaction were studied in a clinical sample comprised of 52 parent‐infant dyads randomly allocated to two comparable groups. One group consisted of 28 dyads receiving treatment as usual (TAU) supplemented with COS‐P in a small group format, and another group of 24 dyads receiving TAU only. Assessments were made at baseline (T1), 6 months after inclusion (T2) and 12 months after inclusion (T3). Changes over time were explored in 42 dyads. In the COS‐P group, the proportion of balanced representations, as assessed with Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI), significantly increased between T1 and T3. Further, the proportion of emotionally available interactions, as assessed with Emotional Availability scales (EA), significantly increased over time in the COS‐P group. Improvements in the TAU‐group were close to significant. Limitations of the study are mainly related to the small sample size. Strength is the real world character of the study, where COS‐P was implemented in a clinical context not otherwise adapted to research. We conclude by discussing the value of supplementing TAU with COS‐P in IMH treatment.

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  • COS-P is a program that has been widely disseminated but not been extensively researched, and of the studies conducted to date, results have been mixed.

    “These are important findings because COS-P is a program that has been widely disseminated but not been extensively researched, and of the studies conducted to date, results have been mixed [18, 74, 95].”

    From Optimizing parenting and child outcomes following parent–child interaction therapy – toddler: a randomized controlled trial (2024) · cites this paper as [74]

    In “The present study” (page unavailable), the paper calls COS-P widely spread and says empirical support is relatively limited. “Empirical support for COS-protocols” (page unavailable) describes few published COS-P studies and effects moderated by participant characteristics, but does not characterize the studies’ overall results as mixed; the findings it summarizes are largely promising. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Berlin, L., Zeanah, C. & Lieberman, A. (2016). Prevention and intervention programs to support early attachment security: A move to the level of the community. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research and clinical applications (3rd edn, pp. 739-758). New York: Guilford Press.
  2. Cassidy, J. & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of attachment. Theory, research, and clinical implications (3rd edn.). New York: Guilford Press.
  3. Page, T. & Cain, D. S. (2010). A pilot application of the Circle of Security parenting intervention to child welfareinvolved mothers. Poster presentation. Paper presented at the The Society for Social Work and Research Fourteenth Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.
  4. Renniee, K. D. (n.d.). The effects of the "Circle of Security Parenting" group intervention on a community sample of parents of 1 to 3-year- olds. (Unpublished master's thesis), New South Wales, Australia.
  5. Spielberger, C. D., Gorusch, R. L. & Lushene, R. E. (1970). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.
  6. Zeanah, C. & Anders, T. F. (1987). Subjectivity in parent-infant relationships: A discussion of internal working models. Infant Mental Health Journal, 8, 237-250.
  7. Zero to Three (2005). Diagnostic classification of mental health and developmental disorders of infancy and early childhood: Revised edition (DC:0-3R). Washington, DC: Zero to Three Press.

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Authors
Risholm Mothander, P., Furmark, C., & Neander, K.
Affiliations
  • Department of psychology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
  • Stockholm University (SE)
  • Örebro University (SE)
ORCID
Venue
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-12-15
Volume
59
Issue
3
Pages
262-272
ISSN
  • 0036-5564 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9450
DOI
10.1111/sjop.12419
OpenAlex
W2772586101
Cited by
49
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2
FWCI
2.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
The Public Health Agency of Sweden (Dnr HFÅ 2012/129.)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
Circle of Security Parenting, parent-infant interaction, emotional availability, usual care, small group therapy
MeSH terms
Adult, Psychology, Child, Child, Preschool, Emotions, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Mental Health, Object Attachment, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Sweden, Parenting, Caregivers

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