Parental Reflective Capacities: A Scoping Review of Mindful Parenting and Parental Reflective Functioning

Objectives Two key parental reflective capacities—mindful parenting (MP) and parental reflective functioning (PRF) — have been shown to promote healthy parent-child relationships through parents’ increased sensitivity and responsiveness to their children’s needs in spite of parenting stressors. Desp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mindfulness 2024-07, Vol.15 (7), p.1531-1602
Main Authors: Huynh, Tuyen, Kerr, Margaret L., Kim, Christina N., Fourianalistyawati, Endang, Chang, Vickie Ya-Rong, Duncan, Larissa G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Cognitive Psychology
Emotions
Mindfulness
Parent-child relations
Parents & parenting
Pediatrics
Psychology
Public Health
Review
Social Sciences
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Summary:Objectives Two key parental reflective capacities—mindful parenting (MP) and parental reflective functioning (PRF) — have been shown to promote healthy parent-child relationships through parents’ increased sensitivity and responsiveness to their children’s needs in spite of parenting stressors. Despite the theoretical overlap between these two constructs, researchers have continued to examine them independently. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review was to review the overlapping and distinctive outcomes and correlates in the empirical MP and PRF literatures. Method A comprehensive literature search across the MP and PRF literature for studies published from 2005 through early 2020 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) was conducted. Results A review of 301 articles ( n = 180 MP and n = 121 PRF) revealed overlapping study outcomes and correlates, including improvement in parent and child well-being, parenting behaviors, and attachment. Both MP and PRF literatures suggest MP and PRF are amenable to intervention-induced changes, although mostly documented in White mothers, which results may not be generalizable to diverse populations. Conclusions Researchers should consider the impact MP and PRF have on positive family relationships. Results suggest that scholars should consider investigating and intervening on MP and PRF simultaneously. Specifically, results identified MP and PRF convergent associations and perhaps synergistic impacts on positive parenting behaviors. Limitations and future directions are discussed. Preregistration This review was not preregistered.
ISSN:1868-8527
1868-8535
DOI:10.1007/s12671-024-02379-6