Attachment and depression. Implications for family therapy

The preceding discussion highlights the use of attachment theory in conceptualizing the interface between normal development and the manifestation of depression from infancy through adolescence. Additional research is needed to delineate better the specific nature of the association between attachment relationships and depression, particularly with regard to factors that mediate and moderate the link. The extant literature informs family-oriented clinical interventions with depressed young people with comorbid attachment problems, with or without a depressed parent. These family interventions are most likely to be effective if they incorporate developmentally informed conceptualizations and techniques and are targeted specifically to the problems of depressed youth and their families. The efficacy of such interventions remains to be determined through the implementation of treatment efficacy and effectiveness studies.