Abstract

GIL RODRIGUEZ, Laura; LUCIO GOMEZ MAQUEO, Emilia  and  FORNS I SANTACANA, María. Patterns of emotional availability and preschool mental health problems. Acta de investigación psicol [online]. 2018, vol.8, n.1, pp.37-48. ISSN 2007-4719.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fpsi.20074719e.2018.1.04.

This study examined patterns of emotional availability among sixty mothers and their children in a semi-structured play situation and the mental health problems of a group of Mexican preschoolers. The aims of the study were to analyze the association between emotional availability and children’s problems; as well as the differences in the level of child externalizing and internalizing problems according to the interaction patterns. The Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, 2008) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 1.5-5; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000) were used. A high maternal sensitivity and nonintrusiveness, as well as a high child responsiveness and child involvement were associated with a lower level of child problems. A cluster analysis revealed three dyadic patterns of emotional availability: Low-functioning, average-functioning and high-functioning pattern. Children in the low-functioning pattern showed higher levels of internalizing problems, withdrawn and total problems than children in the high-functioning pattern. This study contributes to the importance of the assessment of parent-child interactions at preschool age.

Keywords : Emotional availability; Externalizing problems; Internalizing problems; Preschoolers; Parent-child interaction.

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