Help seeking in aggressive and nonaggressive boys as a function of social or mechanical mediation of assistance

The behavior of preadolescent and adolescent boys, rated as aggressive and nonaggressive, was examined to test predictions from Bandura and Walters' social-learning theory and from Weiss and Miller's punishment model of audience-observation effects. The subjects were given a bogus motor task, actually insoluble, with help available on each trial. For half the subjects, help was given through the mediation of a social agent; for the rest, help was on a nonsocial, mechanically mediated basis. The groups for whom help was socially mediated made fewer help-seeking responses and decreased the number of such responses over successive trial blocks. The predictions from Bandura and Walters' theory were not supported, since neither age nor degree of aggressiveness had an effect on help-seeking responses. The results were, however, consistent with the punishment model of audience effects.The preparation of this report was supported by U.S. Public Health Service, Maternal and Child Health Service Project No. 916, and by Grant HD-03110 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Appreciation is expressed to Miss Sydney Silverstein, who served as experimenter; to Mr. James Blank and Mr. William Blecker of the Iowa City Public School System; and to Dr. Jane E. Anderson, Dr. Dee W. Norton, Dr. A. L. Benton, and Dr. David A. Parton of the University of Iowa.     

Mentalization in children and mothers in the context of trauma: An initial study of the validity of the Child Reflective Functioning Scale

This study examined the validity of the Child Reflective Functioning Scale (CRFS: Ensink, Target, & Oandason, 2013, Child reflective functioning scale scoring manual: for application to the Child Attachment Interview. London, UK: Anna Freud Centre – University College London), a measure designed to assess reflective functioning (RF) or mentalization during middle childhood. Participants were 94 mother–child dyads divided into two subgroups; 46 dyads where children had histories of intrafamilial (n = 22 dyads) or extrafamilial (n = 24 dyads) sexual abuse, and a community control group composed of 48 mother–child dyads. RF of children and their mothers was assessed using videotaped and transcribed data gathered using the Child Attachment Interview and the Parent Development Interview (PDI: Slade, Aber, Bresi, Berger, & Kaplan, 2004, The parent development interview‐Revised. New York, NY: The City University of New York). The findings indicate that the CRFS proved reliable, with excellent intraclass correlation coefficients for general RF, as well as RF regarding self and others. Significant differences in RF were found between sexually abused children and the control group, and also between children who had experienced intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual abuse. This provides support for the discriminant validity of the CRFS. Furthermore, maternal RF was associated with child RF. Both abuse and maternal RF made significant contributions to predicting children's RF regarding themselves, but child sexual abuse was the only variable that made a significant contribution to explaining variance in children's RF regarding others.     

The criterion validity of the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children in an adolescent inpatient setting

The purpose of the current study was to examine the criterion validity of the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children (BPFS-C) by assessing the performance of the self-report and a newly developed parent report version of the measure (BPFS-P) in detecting a borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis in adolescent inpatients. This study also examined parent-child agreement and the internal consistency of the BPFS subscales. An inpatient sample of adolescents (n = 51) ranging from ages 12-18 completed the BPFS and were administered the Child Interview for DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder (CI-BPD) by trained clinical research staff. ROC analyses revealed that the BPFS-C has high accuracy (AUC = .931; Se = .856; Sp = .840) in discriminating adolescents with a diagnosis of BPD, as measured by the CI-BPD, while the BPFS-P has moderate accuracy (AUC = .795; Se = .733; Sp = .720). Parent-child agreement on total scores was significant (r = .687; p < .005). Cronbach's alphas suggested internal consistency for the four subscales of the BPFS. These findings support the criterion validity of this measure, particularly the self-report version, in adolescent inpatient settings.     

Maternal unresolved attachment status impedes the effectiveness of interventions with adolescent mothers

Children of adolescent mothers are at risk for a variety of developmental difficulties. In the present study, the effectiveness of a brief intervention program designed to support adolescent mothers' sensitivity to their infants' attachment signals was evaluated. Participants were adolescent mothers and their infants who were observed at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. The intervention conducted by clinically trained home visitors consisted of eight home visits between 6 and 12 months in which mothers were provided feedback during the replay of videotaped play interactions. At 12 months, 57% of the mother–infant dyads in the intervention group and 38% of the comparison group dyads were classified as secure in the Strange Situation. Seventy‐six percent of the mothers in the intervention group maintained sensitivity from 6 to 24 months compared with 54% of the comparison mothers. Further analyses indicated that the intervention was effective primarily for mothers who were not classified as Unresolved on the Adult Attachment Interview.     

A Dangerous Movie? Hollywood Does Psychoanalysis

After the appearance of David Cronenberg’s film A Dangerous Method in 2011, dealing with the relationships of Sigmund Freud, C. G. Jung and Sabina Spielrein, Dr. Donald Ferrell published: A Dangerous Method, A Film Directed by David Cronenberg: An Extended Review (Ferrell 2012) in the Journal of Religion and Health. Upon its publication, Dr. Ferrell’s article was nominated for a Gradiva Award by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. On November 1, 2013, the Association for the Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society held its annual conference at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Dr. Billie Pivnick, a member at large of the Board of Directors of the APCS and also on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Religion and Health, persuaded the 2013 Conference Program Committee that Cronenberg’s film would make an interesting subject for discussion for conference participants. To that end, Dr. Pivnick invited Dr. Ferrell, C. G. Jung Institute of New York, Dr. Steven Reisner, Coalition for an Ethical Psychology, and Dr. Martin Silverman, Training and Supervising Analyst and Supervising Child Analyst at the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education, NYU College of Medicine, Training and Supervising Analyst at the Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of New Jersey, and Associate Editor of The Psychoanalytic Quarterly to serve as panel members to discuss: A Dangerous Movie? Hollywood does Psychoanalysis. Presentations on Cronenberg’s film and the early history of psychoanalysis were given by Drs. Ferrell and Reisner, followed by a response to their presentations by Dr. Silverman. Dr. Pivnick chaired the session. The articles presented here were given originally at the APCS conference by Dr. Ferrell and Dr. Silverman. Dr. Reisner declined the invitation to submit his presentation for publication. Dr. Silverman’s remarks were based not only on the presentation given by Dr. Ferrell at the session on A Dangerous Movie?, but also on his close and careful reading of the extended review of Cronenberg’s film Dr. Ferrell published in the Journal of Religion and Health, as well as Dr. Reisner’s presentation. It was appropriate for Dr. Silverman to serve in his capacity as discussant since he had earlier published a critical review of A Secret Symmetry. Sabina Spielrein Between Jung and Freud by Aldo Carotenuto (Silverman 1985).     

Evaluation of the relative effectiveness of methylphenidate and cognitive behavior modification in the treatment of kindergarten-aged hyperactive children

This study of kindergarten-aged hyperactive children evaluated the effects of three modes of treatment in relation to an untreated control group. The treatments were administered over a 3-month period and included cognitive behavior modification, methylphenidate, and the two treatments combined. A follow-up assessment was done approximately 1 year later at the end of the first grade. Analyses of psychological, rating scale observational, and interview data showed that hyperactive children became less symptomatic over time;the data did not provide evidence indicating that any of the treatments studied was more effective than any other or than no treatment at all.This research was supported by grants from the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (Grant No. 701-76/78) and The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation (Grant No. 77-22). The authors wish to thank Mr. Syl Sauro, of the Etobicoke Board of Education, and Mrs. M. Stijovic, of the Etobicoke Community Health Department, for their cooperation.     

Child and adolescent psychopathology research: Problems and prospects for the 1990s

In November 1990 the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) convened a special conference of over 100 scientists and leaders to outline specific strategies and research initiatives that should be developed to implement the recently released National Plan for Research on Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders.Participants included journal editors, educators from psychology and psychiatry, representatives from private foundations, and leaders of research program areas in public funding agencies. Critical knowledge gaps were identified in five areas of child and adolescent psychopathology, including depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, the anxiety disorders, and the developmental disorders. For each of these areas, special emphasis was placed on developing new ideas and obtaining critical input from other areas of investigation. This report summarizes the identified research gaps and recommends research initiatives to implement the National Plan, as outlined by the conference participants.     

Natural Disaster and Risk of Psychiatric Disorders in Puerto Rican Children

We examined the persistence of psychiatric disorders at approximately 18 and 30 months after a hurricane among a random sample of the child and adolescent population (4–17 years) of Puerto Rico. Data were obtained from caretaker-child dyads (N = 1,886) through in person interviews with primary caretakers (all children) and youth (11–17 years) using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV in Spanish. Logistic regressions, controlling for sociodemographic variables, were used to study the relation between disaster exposure and internalizing, externalizing, or any disorder. Children’s disaster-related distress manifested as internalizing disorders, rather than as externalizing disorders at 18 months post-disaster. At 30 months, there was no longer a significant difference in rates of disorder between hurricane-exposed and non-exposed youth. Results were similar across age ranges. Rates of specific internalizing disorders between exposed and unexposed children are provided. Research and clinical implications are discussed.     

Case–contrast study about parent–infant interaction in a Brazilian sample of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders

Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present greater susceptibility to developmental problems, in comparison with siblings of typically developing children. The greater prevalence of mental health disorders among parents of children with ASD increases younger siblings’ vulnerability to emotional problems. The aim of this study is to compare the interaction between carers and babies aged 2 to 26 months (M = 11.7, SD = 6.9) who are siblings of children with ASD (ASD dyads) with the interaction of dyads of siblings of typically developing children (TD dyads). The protocol of Clinical Indicators of Risk for Child Development and the Coding Interactive Behaviour measures were used to evaluate interaction. ASD dyads presented higher scores of constriction in their interaction, P = .024, with babies presenting higher scores of withdrawal behavior, P = .003, and carers presenting higher scores of depressive mood, P = .008, when compared to TD dyads. The ASD dyads have interactive impairments more frequently than do the TD dyads.     

Motherhood in adolescent mothers: Maternal attachment,mother–infant styles of interaction and emotion regulation at three months

Early motherhood is considered a risk factor for an adequate relationship between mother and infant and for the subsequent development of the infant. The principal aim of the study is to analyze micro-analytically the effect of motherhood in adolescence on the quality of mother–infant interaction and emotion regulation at three months, considering at the same time the effect of maternal attachment on these variables. Participants were 30 adolescent mother–infant dyads compared to 30 adult mother–infant dyads. At infant 3 months, mother–infant interaction was video-recorded and coded with a modified version of the Infant Caregiver Engagement Phases and the Adult Attachment Interview was administered to the mother. Analysis showed that adolescent mothers (vs. adult mothers) spent more time in negative engagement and their infants spent less time in positive engagement and more time in negative engagement. Adolescent mothers are also less involved in play with their infants than adult mothers. Adolescent mother–infant dyads (vs. adult mother–infant dyads) showed a greater duration of negative matches and spent less time in positive matches. Insecure adolescent mother–infant dyads (vs. insecure adult mother–infant dyads) demonstrated less involvement in play with objects and spent less time in positive matches. To sum up adolescent mother–infant dyads adopt styles of emotion regulation and interaction with objects which are less adequate than those of dyads with adult mothers. Insecure maternal attachment in dyads with adolescent mothers (vs. adult mother infant dyads) is more influential as risk factor.     

Three forms of stress in Cambodian adolescent refugees

Sixty-nine Cambodian adolescents and young adults were interviewed to determine their experience as children surviving the Pol Pot regime (1975–1979);their first-year experience of resettlement in this country; and their experience of stressful events during the past year. Current DSM-III-R diagnostic status was also determined. A strong relationship between earlier war trauma, resettlement strain, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was found. In contrast, the strongest relationship with depressive symptoms was found for recent stressful events. These results are discussed in light of current findings from stress and PTSD research.Dr. Clarke is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Division of Child Psychiatry, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon. Dr. Sack is Director of the Division of Child Psychiatry and Principal Investigator of the Khmer Adolescent Project. Brian Goff is a Research Assistant.This project was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health [NIMH] grant #5-RO1-MH42927-02, Dr. William H. Sack, M.D., Principal Investigator.     

The effects of background illumination and stimulant medication on smooth pursuit eye movements of hyperactive children

Problems with visual information processing have been reported in children with the diagnosis of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADD H), and deficits in oculomotor control have been posited as an important factor in this phenomenon. To assess aspects of oculomotor performance, smooth pursuit eye movements (PEMs) were recorded electrooculographically in 20 ADD H and 20 age-matched control children and computer-analyzed for discrete (velocity arrests) and global (root mean square error) disruptions. The effects of stimulant medication (methylphenidate), together with manipulations designed to influence behavioral (attention) and physiological (cerebellar) processes involved in PEM performance, were examined. The tracking patterns of nonmedicated ADD H children contained significantly more discrete aberrations on baseline conditions. Although no single experimental manipulation significantly improved tracking performance in ADD H children, combining all experimental conditions did normalize PEMs in these subjects. Slight improvements in PEM performance in association with medication correlated positively with does of madication of with medication-related improvments of behavior. In light of these data, arguments are presented in supported of (a) hyporousal as a contributing factor underlying oculomotor difficulties in ADD H children and (b) subcortical involbment in PEM dysfunction.This research was funded in part by grants from The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation and the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (RTP). The authors thank Susan Anthony, Dr. Pamela M. Cooper, Stella Cowley, Dr. Kathy Margittai, and Ralph Nevins for technical assistance, Martin Gillett for computer programming, Dr. Phil Firestone and the staff of the University of Ottawa Child Study Centre, and Dr. B. Lena of the Family and Child Unit, Ottawa General Hospital, for subject referral.     

Convergence of clinically derived diagnoses and parent checklists among inpatient children

The extent to which parent rating scales differentiated children according to DSM III diagnoses was examined. A total of 113 psychiatric inpatient boys (ages 6–11) were rated by their mothers or maternal figures on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Behavior Problem Checklist (BPC). Children with DSM III diagnoses of conduct disorder or depression were compared to children without these diagnoses. Externalizing and internalizing scales of the parent checklists and additional measures of child aggression and depression differentiated children according to major diagnoses. The use of parent checklists to classify children indicated a high level of sensitivity for both CBCL and BPC scales for diagnosing conduct disorder and depression. However, specificity of the subscales, particularly for the CBCL, was relatively low, indicating a high rate of false positives. The need for further work that extends the range of diagnosis, that examines subtypes of disorders, and that increases the specificity of the measures for diagnostic purposes is discussed.Completion of this project was supported by a Research Scientist Development Award (MH00353) and a grant (MH35408) from the National Institute of Mental Health, and by a Clinical Research Center Grant for the Study of Affective Disorders (5 P50 MH30915) from the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors are grateful to Elaine Meyer, Karen Esveldt-Dawson, Antoinette Rodgers, and the clinical research team and staff of the Child Psychiatric Treatment Service.     

Mother–child interaction on video compared with infant observation: Is five minutes enough time for assessment?

In this small‐scale preliminary study, we compared the correlation between assessments based on short videorecordings and infant observation. Five mother–infant dyads were assessed when the child was 1 year of age according to the Parent–Child Early Relational Assessment method (PCERA, 65 items) developed by Roseanne Clark (1985), using both observations covering 1 year and a 5‐min videorecording. The agreement between two video raters was sufficient (κ = 0.41–1.00 or proportion of agreement: 4/5–5/5) in 54 items. In 42 (78%) of these items, there was at least moderate agreement (κ = 0.41–1.00 or proportion of agreement 4/5–5/5), and in another 7 (13%) items fair (κ = 0.21–0.40 or proportion of agreement 3/5) agreement between the video and observation ratings, and both methods revealed the areas of strength and areas of concern of the dyads. Only a few items describing negative interactive style were assessed as identifying concern, but such items identified the dyad which was assessed to have the most constant problems. Most items describing positive interactive style and identifying the areas of concern in the interactive style according to both observation and video assessment were connected with the parental and dyadic engagement in the interaction. Five items with slight or poor (κ ≤ 0.20 or proportion of agreement 1/5–2/5) agreement between video rater and observer gave rise to questions about how the videorecording situation affected the behavior of the dyads, and about the limits of assessment methods and assessment of dyads with children of different ages and dyads from different cultures. ©2005 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.     

Psychiatry under tyranny: A report on the political abuse of Romanian psychiatry during the ceausescu years

Romanians suffered incredible deprivations of every sort during the decades of Communist dictatorship. Most of the country’s 1,000 psychiatrists, and most of their patients, were victimized by the political system. A few psychiatrists actively engaged in practices amounting to torture. Many, however, became willing or unwilling participants in the political abuse of their profession. Such political abuses were fostered by abusive legislation and abusive law enforcement by the secret police. Abuses included: mass detentions in psychiatric hospitals of dissidents and political undesirables; abusive interpretation of the laws in detaining persons not suffering from mental illness; false, politically motivated diagnoses and treatment; and detention in secret facilities. While there are honest efforts to come to grips with the past, to compensate victims of psychiatric abuse, and to institute proceedings against abusers, there is also much resistance to reform. Reform-minded Romanian psychiatrists deserve the support of their western colleagues in the effort to restore Romanian psychiatry. In particular, professional colleagues all over the world are asked to comment on the draft law currently pending before the Romanian parliament, which is intended to restore the rule of law to the practice of psychiatry in Romania. Report of a consultative mission to Bucharest, on behalf of the Geneva Initiave on Psychiatry, 7 June to 12 June 1992, by Nanci Adler, Historian-Sovietologist, Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; G.O.W. Mueller, Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice, Rutgers — The State University of New Jersey, U.S.A.; Mohammed Ayat, Professor of Criminology and Penal Law, Université de Fes, Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Economiques et Sociales, FEs, Morocco. The Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization, dedicated to the introduction and preservation of ethical practices in the psychiatric profession, in accordance with medical ethics, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and U.N. standards and guidelines. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the organization is currently providing technical and financial assistance to the newly established free, independent, democratic psychiatric associations in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and other countries. The General Secretary of the organization is Robert van Voren; the board is composed of professionals from some twenty countries. This article was based on meetings at governmental and parliamentary offices, nongovernmental organizations, and embassies as well psychiatric institutions with, among others, the following persons: Dr. Lucian Alexandrescu, V-P Radu Ciuceanu, Mr. Comsa, Proc. Gen’l. Ulpiu Cereceanu, Mr. Nistor Cristea, Mr. Dinu Ianculescu, Prof. Dr. George Ionescu, Miss Cristina Luzoscu, Dr. Zaharia Nicolae, Mr. Iancu Petrescu, Dr. Dan Prelipcianu, Min. Mircea Ionescu-Quintus, Dr. Aurel Romila, Av. Nicolae Stefanescu-Draganesti, Dir. Dr. Tomescu, Dr. Alexandru Trifan, Dr. Valeriu Tuculescu, and numerous victims, diplomats, and Romanian citizens.     

The role of adolescent peer affiliations in the continuity between childhood behavioral adjustment and juvenile offending

This research reports on a structural equation model analysis of the relationships between childhood behavioral adjustment, adolescent peer affiliations, and adolescent offending using data gathered during the course of a 16-year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children. The model developed contained parameters that estimated (a) the continuities between early behavior and later offending, (b) the associations between early behavior and adolescent peer affiliations, and (c) the potentially reciprocal relationship between adolescent peer affiliations and adolescent offending behaviors. This analysis suggested that, when due allowance was made for reporting error, there was evidence of relatively strong continuity (r= .50) between early behavior and later offending. The model estimates suggested that these continuities arose from both direct continuities in behavior over time and from the effects of adolescent peer affiliations in reinforcing and sustaining earlier behavioral tendencies. The implications of the analysis for the understanding of the role of adolescent peer affiliations in behavioral continuities and discontinuities are discussed. These research has been funded by grants from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the National Child Health Research Foundation, and the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation.     

Correspondence between statistically derived behavior problem syndromes and child psychiatric diagnoses in a community sample

The correspondence between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (3rd ed.) (DSM-III) diagnoses and statistically derived syndromes was examined within a community sample of children and adolescents in Puerto Rico. Specifically, the extent to which behavior dimensions, derived from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Youth Self-Report, corresponded to psychiatric diagnoses, derived from parent and child versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, was examined. The alternative approaches for assessing psychopathology in children and adolescents were compared against external validators. The results indicated a meaningful convergence between DSM-III diagnoses and statistical syndromes; however, a one-to-one correspondence did not emerge. Little evidence was found for diagnostic thresholds. There was no evidence of the superiority of either the statistically derived syndromes or the DSM-III diagnoses. The incorporation of a measure of impairment improved the validity of both approaches. Adding parental reports to the selfreports of adolescents yielded little gain in the validity of either the statistical or diagnostic approach. The implications for the definition and assessment of child and adolescent disorders are discussed.This research was supported by grant MH 38821 from the National Institute of Mental Health.The authors wish to acknowledge Glorisa Canino, Ph.D., and Maritza Rubio-Stipec, M.A., of the University of Puerto Rico, co-investigators in the epidemiologic project and to Barbara Bettes, Ph.D. for her contribution to preliminary analyses for this manuscripl. Portions of this paper were presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, San Francisco, October 1991.     

Assessment of dimensions of childhood firesetting among patients and nonpatients: The Firesetting Risk Interview

A model of firesetting risk poses that high curiosity, involvement in fire-related activities, exposure to peer/parental models, limited knowledge and skill related to fires, and poor parental supervision, among other features, are characteristic of firesetters. To operationalize several domains of the model, the Firesetting Risk Interview (FRI) for parents was developed consisting of 15 a priori dimensions. To provide a partial test of the measure and its generality across children with and without clinical dysfunction, 343 children (ages 6–13) and parents were drawn from samples of nonpatients (nonreferred), outpatients, and inpatients. In accord with the model, firesetters and nonfiresetters were found to differ in their curiosity about fire, recent involvement in fire-related activities, expression of negative emotions, early experiences with fire, exposure to others' involvement with fire, and parents' use of general disciplinary consequences. These group differences did not interact with the child's clinical status, level of antisocial behavior, or demographic background.This study was supported by grant MH-39976 from the Antisocial and Violent Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, and by a Research Scientist Development Award (MH00353) from the National Institute of Mental Health. The authors acknowledge the contribution of Tina Castrodale, Brian Day, and Amy Van Dyke, and the cooperation of Dr. Paul Le Mehieu of the Pittsburgh Public School System. Portions of these data were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Atlanta, 1988.     

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARENT‐CHILD PLAY SCALE FOR USE IN CHILDREN WITH FEEDING DISORDERS

The Parent‐Child Play Scale was developed as a scale that complements the Parent‐Child Feeding Scale, created by I. Chatoor et al. (1997), to evaluate mother–infant/toddler interactions in two different caregiving contexts of a young child's everyday life, specifically play and feeding. This Play Scale can be used with infants and toddlers ranging in age from 1 month to 3 years and provides reliable global ratings of mother–child interactions during 10 min of videotaped free‐play in a laboratory setting. The scale consists of 32 mother and infant/toddler interactive behaviors which are rated by trained observers from videotaped observations. Four subscales are derived: Dyadic Reciprocity, Maternal Unresponsiveness to Infant's/Toddler's Cues, Dyadic Conflict, and Maternal Intrusiveness. Construct validity and interrater and test‐retest reliability of the Play Scale have been demonstrated. This Play Scale discriminates between children with and without feeding disorders as well as between children with different subtypes of feeding disorders as defined by the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood, Revised (DC:0–3R) (Feeding Disorder of State Regulation, Feeding Disorder of Caregiver‐Infant Reciprocity, and Infantile Anorexia). It can be used for research or clinical practice in the diagnosis and treatment of early feeding problems, to assess the pervasiveness of mother–infant/toddler difficulties and to monitor changes following therapy.