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Preventive intervention and outcome with anxiously attached dyads
A F Lieberman1, D R Weston, J H Pawl
1University of California, San Francisco.
Insights
Infant-parent psychotherapy improved attachment quality and social-emotional functioning in anxious 12-month-olds. The intervention led to better outcomes compared to anxious controls, matching secure attachment groups.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Anxious attachment in infants is linked to later social-emotional challenges.
- Early intervention is crucial for improving infant-parent relationships and child development.
- Understanding the impact of psychotherapy on attachment security is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if infant-parent psychotherapy enhances attachment quality and social-emotional functioning.
- To compare intervention outcomes against anxious and secure control groups.
Main Methods:
- Random assignment of anxiously attached 12-month-olds and mothers to intervention or control groups.
- A one-year infant-parent psychotherapy intervention.
- Comparison of attachment and social-emotional outcomes using ANOVAs at 24 months.
Main Results:
- Intervention toddlers showed reduced avoidance, resistance, and anger compared to anxious controls.
- Intervention toddlers exhibited higher partnership with mothers than anxious controls.
- Intervention mothers demonstrated increased empathy and interactiveness; no differences from secure controls.
Conclusions:
- Infant-parent psychotherapy effectively improves social-emotional functioning and attachment security in anxious dyads.
- The intervention's positive effects were comparable to those observed in naturally securely attached infants.
- Therapeutic process within the intervention correlated positively with adaptive child and maternal outcomes.
Abstract:
Anxiously attached 12-month-olds and their mothers as assessed in the Strange Situation were randomly assigned to an intervention and a control group to test the hypothesis that infant-parent psychotherapy can improve quality of attachment and social-emotional functioning. Securely attached dyads comprised a second control group. Intervention lasted 1 year and ended when the child was 24 months. ANOVAs were used to compare the research groups at outcome. Intervention group toddlers were significantly lower than anxious controls in avoidance, resistance, and anger. They were significantly higher than anxious controls in partnership with mother. Intervention mothers had higher scores than anxious controls in empathy and interactiveness with their children. There were no differences on the outcome measures between the intervention and the secure control groups. The groups did not differ in maternal child-rearing attitudes. Within the intervention group, level of therapeutic process was positively correlated with adaptive scores in child and mother outcome measures.