Well Being And Resilience: Mechanisms of Transmission of Health and Risk

The purpose of this study is to establish a cohort of pregnant women with severe mental disorder and to identify biological and psycho-social transmission mechanisms involved in the development of 'risk' and 'resilience' in the offspring. It is assumed that both 'resilient' and 'risk' development in offspring are caused by a complex interaction between multiple biological, psychological and social factors. The project focuses specifically on exploring the impact of physiological stress-sensitivity, attachment, care-giving and the familial and social context for care-giving. Previous studies support these factors as important for the development of these infants, but systematic research using a prospective design is needed to strengthen evidence and elucidate the importance of these factors in more detail. The interaction over time of physiological stress-sensitivity, attachment, care-giving and the familial and social context for care-giving are evaluated in terms of the evolution of very early indicators of developmental risk and resilience in infants with a known highly increased risk for developing a mental disorder.The findings of the study may potentially lead to more specific targets for preventive interventions, which can improve developmental outcome for these infants.