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Investigation of Attachment Style and Theory of Mind Skills in Mothers of Children with Cognitive Delay
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Original Article
VOLUME: 30 ISSUE: 3
P: 214-221
November 2023

Investigation of Attachment Style and Theory of Mind Skills in Mothers of Children with Cognitive Delay

Turk J Child Adolesc Ment Health 2023;30(3):214-221
DOI: 10.4274/tjcamh.galenos.2022.95967
Gülçin Ünverdi 1
Şahika Gülen Şişmanlar 2
Duygu Karagöz 3
1. Çanakkale Devlet Hastanesi, Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kliniği, Çanakkale, Türkiye
2. Kocaeli Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kliniği, Kocaeli, Türkiye
3. Muğla Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Kliniği, Muğla, Türkiye
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 11.03.2022
Accepted Date: 20.04.2022
Publish Date: 30.11.2023
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ABSTRACT

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to investigate the attachment style and theory of mind skills of mothers of children aged 3-6 years with cognitive developmental delay and to compare the findings with the mothers of healthy peers.

Materials and Methods:

The study sample consisted of 32 children with 3-6 years of age and their mothers who were diagnosed with cognitive developmental delay using Denver Developmental Screening test II after admission to Kocaeli University Medical Faculty, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, and a control group of 34 children with 3-6 years of age with normal development and their mothers. In the study, a sociodemographic data form, “parental bonding instrument”, “dokuz eylül theory of mind scale” and “reading the mind in the eyes test” were filled by the participant mothers.

Results:

There was no significant difference between groups in terms of the attachment style and theory of mind skills of the mothers. When the relationship between the attachment and theory of mind skills sub-dimensions of both groups were examined, a correlation was detected between the paternal care/control and “reading the mind in the eyes” test, paternal overprotection and irony comprehension in the study group; maternal overprotection and metaphor understanding and irony comprehension, paternal overprotection and irony comprehension in the control group. It was detected that the mothers with high educational level had better theory of mind skills.

Conclusion:

It was not found that the theory of mind skills and attachment styles of their mothers effect cognitive developmental delay in children. But it’s important that our study gives some clues about the effect of attachment styles on the theory of mind skills. In the future, in order to predict the existing attachment style and theory of mind skills between the parents and their respective parents, both parents should be included in the study.

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