Testing an Attachment-Based Parenting Intervention-VIPP-FC/A in Adoptive Families with Post-institutionalized Children: Do Maternal Sensitivity and Genetic Markers Count?

Lavinia Barone, Virginia Barone, Antonio Dellagiulia, Francesca Lionetti, Lavinia Barone, Virginia Barone, Antonio Dellagiulia, Francesca Lionetti

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of a newly integrated version of an intervention targeting adoptive mothers' positive parenting for promoting children's emotional availability, by testing the moderating role of both two maternal genetic polymorphisms (i.e., 5HTTLPR and DRD4-VNTR) and emotional availability-EA on intervention outcomes. Mothers with their children (N = 80; Mage = 42.73 years, SD = 3.79; Mage = 33.18 months, SD = 16.83 months) participated in a RCT testing the Video-Feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline-VIPP-FC/A effectiveness. Mixed effects regression models showed a significant improvement in mother-child EA for the VIPP-intervention vs. the dummy intervention condition, with a moderating role of maternal EA on children's outcomes. No significant moderating effect was found for the two genetic polymorphisms inquired. Children's and mother's outcomes obtained are discussed.

Keywords: RCT; VIPP-FC/A parenting intervention; adoption; emotional availability; neurobiological markers.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Consort Flow Diagram of the study’s progress, detailing participant numbers during recruitment, inclusion, randomization.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Intervention condition effect on positive parenting. Condition 1 refers to the dummy intervention; Condition 2 to the VIPP intervention condition.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Associations between maternal positive parenting scores and children’s emotional availability scores in the VIPP and dummy intervention condition at the pre-intervention assessment (T1, box on the left) and at the post-intervention assessment (T2, box on the right). Each point in the figure represents a mother–child dyad.

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