Nsive. Several researchers have developed a brief assessment of GS-5816 manufacturer parental RF, the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire-1 (PRFQ-1) (Luyten et al., 2009). The PRFQ contains 39 statements written to assess a parent’s understanding, curiosity, or disavowal of mental states and the relationship between mental states and behavior. The parent is instructed to rate the statements on a 7-point likert scale, where “1” represents “strongly disagree” and “7” represents “strongly agree”. The PRFQ has three subscales: a. pre-mentalizing modes subscale, b. not recognizing opacity subscale, and c. parental interest and curiosity subscale. Examples from the questionnaire include such statements as: “When my child is fussy he or she does that just to annoy me [pre-mentalizing modes subscale]” and “I always know why my child acts the way he or she does [not recognizing opacity subscale]” and “I like to think about the reasons behind the way my child behaves and feels [parental interest and curiosity subscale].” The psychometric properties, including validity of the PRFQ-1 are being evaluated (Luyten et al., 2009). A revised version of the PRFQ-1 with fewer items is presently in development (Luyten, 2010).NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptDiscussionSlade (2005) states that the capacity for parental RF emerges within the parent-child relationship and that “the centrality of the parent as mediator, reflector, interpreter, and moderator of the child’s mind cannot be overemphasized” (p. 273). A major challenge to parenting is the affect dysregulation that occurs in the child when his or her needs are not met with an appropriate response from the parent, and result in severe temper tantrums, explosive behavior, mood swings, and aggression. The concept of parental RF, which includes parents’ capacity to mentalize about their children’s thoughts and feelings related to their behavior, provides a parent-child paradigm that is more likely to result in secure attachment and affect regulation in the child (Fonagy et al., 2002). Further dissemination of this concept into the field of pediatric healthcare may offer clinicians an innovative approach to address the behavioral concerns and increasing mental health needs of children and families. Furthermore, the application of this concept is appropriate for use when counseling parents with behavioral concerns as well as when offering anticipatory guidance related to child development. Nurses and primary care clinicians are well trained in child development and can assist the parents in understanding the behavior from a developmental perspective and also trusting that the disruptions in the parent-child relationship are repairable. Parents commonly approach their child’s healthcare provider with requests for advice on child behavior questions or problems. The American Academy of Leupeptin (hemisulfate) site Pediatrics (AAP) has recently acknowledged advances in biological, behavioral, and social science research that suggest moving beyond thinking about pediatric healthcare in terms of disease screening and treatment, but rather towards an ecobiodevelopmental model that emphasizes how early experiences and environmental factors influence biology and genetics and together they affect health and development (Garner et al., 2012). The concept of parental RF provides a framework for clinicians to shift from a behavior “management” approach to a behavior “understanding” approach. This newer approach moves aw.Nsive. Several researchers have developed a brief assessment of parental RF, the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire-1 (PRFQ-1) (Luyten et al., 2009). The PRFQ contains 39 statements written to assess a parent’s understanding, curiosity, or disavowal of mental states and the relationship between mental states and behavior. The parent is instructed to rate the statements on a 7-point likert scale, where “1” represents “strongly disagree” and “7” represents “strongly agree”. The PRFQ has three subscales: a. pre-mentalizing modes subscale, b. not recognizing opacity subscale, and c. parental interest and curiosity subscale. Examples from the questionnaire include such statements as: “When my child is fussy he or she does that just to annoy me [pre-mentalizing modes subscale]” and “I always know why my child acts the way he or she does [not recognizing opacity subscale]” and “I like to think about the reasons behind the way my child behaves and feels [parental interest and curiosity subscale].” The psychometric properties, including validity of the PRFQ-1 are being evaluated (Luyten et al., 2009). A revised version of the PRFQ-1 with fewer items is presently in development (Luyten, 2010).NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptDiscussionSlade (2005) states that the capacity for parental RF emerges within the parent-child relationship and that “the centrality of the parent as mediator, reflector, interpreter, and moderator of the child’s mind cannot be overemphasized” (p. 273). A major challenge to parenting is the affect dysregulation that occurs in the child when his or her needs are not met with an appropriate response from the parent, and result in severe temper tantrums, explosive behavior, mood swings, and aggression. The concept of parental RF, which includes parents’ capacity to mentalize about their children’s thoughts and feelings related to their behavior, provides a parent-child paradigm that is more likely to result in secure attachment and affect regulation in the child (Fonagy et al., 2002). Further dissemination of this concept into the field of pediatric healthcare may offer clinicians an innovative approach to address the behavioral concerns and increasing mental health needs of children and families. Furthermore, the application of this concept is appropriate for use when counseling parents with behavioral concerns as well as when offering anticipatory guidance related to child development. Nurses and primary care clinicians are well trained in child development and can assist the parents in understanding the behavior from a developmental perspective and also trusting that the disruptions in the parent-child relationship are repairable. Parents commonly approach their child’s healthcare provider with requests for advice on child behavior questions or problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently acknowledged advances in biological, behavioral, and social science research that suggest moving beyond thinking about pediatric healthcare in terms of disease screening and treatment, but rather towards an ecobiodevelopmental model that emphasizes how early experiences and environmental factors influence biology and genetics and together they affect health and development (Garner et al., 2012). The concept of parental RF provides a framework for clinicians to shift from a behavior “management” approach to a behavior “understanding” approach. This newer approach moves aw.
