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Attachment in boys with early onset conduct problems.
M L Speltz1, M DeKlyen, M T Greenberg
1University of Washington, Seattle 98105, USA. mspeltz@u.washington.edu
Development and Psychopathology
|March 2, 2006
Summary
Preschool boys with conduct problems show insecure attachment more often. However, attachment style did not predict symptom severity or diagnosis over two years.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Attachment theory is crucial for understanding child development.
- Few studies link attachment to psychopathology and symptom continuity in diagnosed children.
- Early onset conduct problems require further investigation regarding attachment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if attachment behaviors differentiate clinic-referred boys with conduct problems from non-problem boys.
- To assess if attachment explains symptom severity within the clinic group.
- To determine if attachment predicts clinical outcomes 1-2 years later.
Main Methods:
- Compared 80 clinic-referred preschool boys (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) with 80 matched non-problem boys.
- Observed attachment behaviors during mother-child separation and reunion.
- Tracked symptom severity and diagnostic status for 1-2 years.
Main Results:
- 54% of clinic boys displayed insecure attachment versus 18% of controls.
- Insecure attachment patterns and provocative behaviors were more common in clinic boys.
- Attachment variables did not significantly explain concurrent or future problem severity.
Conclusions:
- Observable preschool attachment behaviors are linked to identifying early conduct problems.
- Attachment alone has limited predictive value for the long-term course and severity of these problems.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between attachment and persistent psychopathology.