Enhancing parental reflective functioning: Impact of childhood trauma, depressive symptoms, and emotion dysregulation challenges

Researchers have conducted an extensive investigation into the challenges encountered by individuals with childhood trauma when embarking on the journey of parenthood, recognizing parenting as a highly demanding and emotionally taxing process. To shed light on this, parenting through the lens of mentalizing has been put forward. Despite the fact that the association between childhood trauma and parental reflective functioning has been a subject of study, the underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship have yet to be comprehensively explored. The present study aimed to investigate the potential link between childhood trauma, current depressive symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and parental reflective functioning by conducting a survey of 245 caregivers. Using a path model utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the study revealed a sequential mediation pathway where caregivers’ childhood trauma is linked to parental reflective functioning via current depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation. This study contributes to the advancement of support interventions aimed at aiding individuals in navigating the challenges of parenthood amidst a history of childhood trauma.