From childhood maltreatment to maternal disintegrative responses in Chinese postpartum mothers: The mediating role of disorganized attachment

Abstract

This study examines how childhood maltreatment influences maternal responses through disorganized, anxious, and avoidant attachment, with implications for culturally informed interventions. Participants were recruited from two hospitals using convenience sampling in China. Study 1 (n = 540, aged 21–47, M_age = 39.04) validated the Chinese Maternal Disintegrative Responses Scale (C-MDRS) using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 (n = 359, aged 21–47, M_age = 38.93) employed path analysis to examine the mediating roles of insecure attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, disorganized) between childhood maltreatment (abuse/neglect) and maternal disintegrative responses. The C-MDRS demonstrated good reliability and validity. Multiparous mothers reported more disintegrative experiences than primiparous mothers. Only disorganized attachment mediated these relationships, fully mediating childhood neglect and disintegrative responses, and partially mediating the effect of childhood abuse. Findings highlight the potential importance of interventions targeting disorganized attachment and are interpreted in the context of Chinese cultural norms regarding maternal caregiving.