dc.description.abstract | The present study aims to understand how the mentalizing of women who have experienced traumas in childhood when they are in maternity, since the impact of initial relationships on the flow of a child's emotional development is known. Considering the repercussions of these experiences on the individual's life, the aim was to evaluate the capacity of mentalization of women who have experienced traumas in childhood and who are mothers of children up to one year of age, describing their life histories and understanding how they establish the interpersonal relationships and with the baby. Thus, two empirical articles, descriptive, with a qualitative approach were constructed and as a procedure a Multiple Case Study was adopted. Three primiparous women, aged between 28 and 35 years old and with children up to 12 months of age, who had necessarily had a traumatic situation in their infancy, participated. Data were collected through the following instruments: Sociodemographic data sheet; Questionnaire on Trauma in Childhood (QUESI); Rorschach Method; Interview on Life History and Current Relationships; Interview on Motherhood and the mother-child relationship. The cases were individually constructed and then the Synthesis of the Crossed Cases was carried out, trying to understand the similarities and divergences between the cases. The main results indicate that, despite the traumas experienced, the mothers demonstrate adequate capacity for mentalization, but pointing to greater impairment in the evaluation of their values and general attitudes. However, they show significant deficiencies in interpersonal relationships, which also seem to have repercussions on the relationship with the baby. | en |