[The Emotional Competence of Mothers and the Clinical Quality of Mother-Child Relationship in a Preschool Psychiatric Population].

The quality of mother-child interaction and relationship is an essential risk factor for the development of mental disorders at preschool age. We examine maternal emotional competence and maternal level of psychopathology as predictors for the quality of mother-child relationship. At the beginning of their treatment a clinical sample of mother-child-dyads at the Child Psychiatric Family Day Hospital in Münster was assessed concerning the emotional competence of mothers (EKF), the maternal psychopathology (SCL) and the mother-child relationship quality, the latter with three different instruments reflecting the mother's, the child's and the therapist's perspective (PIR-GAS, SKEI, M-PCR). The mothers showed decreased results in the EKF scales emotional regulation, recognition of emotions and in the EKF-overall-score and presented a higher level of maternal psychopathology compared to the normal population. There is a direct relation between emotional regulation and the M-PCR scales affective bond and functional-conflict. Besides the direct influence of the maternal psychopathology, the expected moderator effect of emotional expressiveness and the M-PCR scale functional-conflict, reported by mothers, was apparent. Certain aspects of the emotional competence of mothers and their psychopathology show an influence on mother-child relationship quality. The method and the perspective of assessment are crucial to the results.