Evaluation of the Danish version of the prenatal parental reflective functioning questionnaire in early pregnancy as a screening tool

Mads Schwartz*, Ida Scheel Rasmussen, Philip Wilson, Gritt Overbeck, Volkert Siersma

*Corresponding author for this work

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2 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is the capacity to focus on feelings and experiences in oneself as a parent and in the child. Research has demonstrated that, the better the PRF the better outcomes for the child. This paper evaluated the Danish version of the prenatal parental reflective functioning questionnaire (P-PRFQ). We used data from a cluster-randomized trial of pregnant women recruited from Danish general practice. The sample included 605 mothers. Factor structure and internal consistency were investigated. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the P-PRFQ score and the five most predictive variables. The confirmatory factor analyses supported the three-factor model. The P-PRFQ had moderate internal consistency. The regression analysis showed a decrease in the P-PRFQ score with increasing age, increasing parity, current employment, better self-reported health, lower anxiety score, and fewer negative life events with persistent impact. The directions of the associations between P-PRFQ score and the predictive variables were opposite of what was hypothesized raising questions about whether the P-PRFQ can be used as an early pregnancy screening tool assessing prenatal PRF. Further validation studies are required to assess the extent to which the P-PRFQ truly measures reflective functioning.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInfant Mental Health Journal
Volume44
Issue number3
Number of pages19
ISSN0163-9641
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

© 2023 The Authors. Infant Mental Health Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

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