The mother-child interaction as index of change in a brief parent-child psychotherapy [La qualità dell'interazione madre-bambino come indice di cambiamento nell'ambito di una psicoterapia breve genitore-bambino]

Aim: The work is a case-single study on therapeutical process of a brief infant-parent psychotherapy. The research consider rhe specific characteristics and the development of infant-caregiver interaction as the principals measures of the change introducing to the process of therapeutical intervention. Method: The first 5 minutes of infant-mother interaction of any therapeutical session are observed and assessed to applying evaluation variables of early adult-infant interaction, in order to obtain an assessment of the quality of infant-mother interaction and of its modifications in the course of the therapy. Results: The scores obtained on different assessment variables are statistically elaborated with a Variance Analysis (ANOVA) which highlighted significant modifications in the quality of the infant-mother interaction in the course of therapeutic intervention. It emerges that the quality of the dyadic regulation and of the competencies of infant in the interactive exchanges increases in time from the first to the ultimate therapy session. The Linear Regression analysis highlights the predictive role of the "time passed" as a developmental characteristic which explain the increasing interactive competencies of infant. In this sense, the time appear the principal protective factor in the terapeutical intervention in supporting the developmental interactive process in infant and the mother's sense of competence interactive with the child. Conclusion: The variables of infant-adult interaction appears a valid and adequate methods of observation and assessment of characteristics and change of quality of mother-infant interaction in the course of the therapy. The quality of infant-adult interaction seems a reliable cue in order to study the process of theapeutical change in a brief mother-infant therapy.