Examining associations between Adult Attachment Interview responses and multiple indicators of parental mentalizing

Abstract Parental mentalization has been identified as a key mechanism in attachment transmission (Sharp & Fonagy, 2008; Van IJzendoorn & Bakermans‐Kranenburg, 2019). With a community sample of 63 mothers of infants, this study examined associations between adult attachment state of mind (using the Adult Attachment Interview), parental mental health and parental mentalizing: both self‐reported parental reflective functioning (PRFQ; Luyten et al., 2017) and observed and representational mind‐mindedness (Meins & Fernyhough, 2015). Results revealed an association between parent attachment and psychological distress and an association between parent attachment and mentalizing. Support for psychological distress moderating the relationship between attachment and mentalizing was also found for parents’ non‐attuned mind‐mindedness, and the PRFQ measures of interest and curiosity. These findings align with existing research underscoring the role of parental mentalizing in the transmission of attachment and highlight the potential vulnerability of parental mentalization capacities to fluctuations in mental health, even among individuals with autonomous attachment representations.