Infants' exploratory behavior and the behavior of mothers with depression indicators in the context of brief mother-infant psychotherapy: an objective and subjective view

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine infant’s exploratory  behaviour, as well as the behaviour of mothers with indicators of depression during a brief mother-infant psycotherapeutic process, in the first year of the infant’s life. Both objective and subjective aspects of interaction involved in infant exploratory behaviour were taken into consideration. Three case studies of dyads seen in mother-infant psychotherapy sessions were carried out. The infant’s exploratory behavior was described and analyzed according to categories fine and ample exploratory manipulation, as well as of exploratory locomotion towards the environment and toys. Mothers’ behaviors regarding infants’ exploratory behavior was also described and analyzed according to categories direct and indirect behavior, constructed based on the observation description material. Based on the separation-individuation theory, the results showed that infants of mothers with depression presented exploratory behaviors such as fine and ample exploratory manipulation, exploratory locomotion towards the environment and toys, which indicate emotional autonomy development. From the mothers’ point of view, the results give support to the evidence that when the mother interacts with the baby she not only relates to the observed, objective behavior but also to images (models) which belong to the mother and appear in the interaction with the infant through projective identification.

Keywords: infant’s exploratory behavior; mother-infant psychotherapy; maternal depression.