parental bond measure scores  high scores on care and low on overprotection are good; extreme scores aren’t necessarily ideal  in fact what is judged as “ideal” will vary somewhat from person to person  average scores typically are around for care & for overprotection overprotection care affectionate constraint optimal bonding affectionless control absent/weak bonding average mother Parker G et al A parental bonding instrument Br J Med Psychol 1979;52:1-10 average father

bond scores & depression  replication at Yale, USA with 418 GP patients  maternal optimal bonding scores can usefully be considered as care >27, overprotection <13.5  paternal optimal bonding scores involve care >24, overprotection <12.5 overprotection care optimal bonding affectionless control father mother Plantes MM et al Parental representations of depressed outpatients from a USA sample J Affect Disord 1988;15:149-55

bond scores & depression  37 depressed patients were compared with controls  a care score of <10 from one or both parents was found in 32% of patients and only 3% of controls  optimal bonding - high care & low control from one or both parents was found in 32% of patients and 62% of controls high care low control low care high control care score <10

low care/high control toxicity the increased risk of those in the affectionless control quadrant developing various psychiatric disorders: bipolar depression neurotic depression anxiety neurosis social phobia agora- phobia schizo- phrenia Parker G Parental over- protection: a risk factor in psychosocial development New York, NY: Grune and Stratton, 1983 increased depressive risk after major life event

toxic to interpersonal competence Rodgers B Reported parental behaviour and adult affective symptoms 1. Associations and moderating factors & 2. Mediating factors Psychol Med 1996;26:51-61 & childhood “affectionless control” adult psychological suffering toxic to inter- personal competence

but some unawareness of effects Mullen PE, Romans-Clarkson SE, Walton VA & Herbison GP Impact of sexual and physical abuse on women’s mental health Lancet 1988;i: % scoring at >4 on GHQ28 a random sample of 1,516 NZ women they were asked about sexual/physical abuse % who were “cases” on GHQ28 identified no evidence of healing with passage of time women underestimated the effects of the abuse no abuse child sexual adult sexual adult physical