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The Effects of Psychosocial Deprivation on Attachment: Lessons from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project

Nathan A Fox1, Charles A Nelson2, Charles H Zeanah3

  • 1Professor, Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland.

Psychodynamic Psychiatry
|December 16, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Early family care is crucial for children's development. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) shows that responsive parenting fosters secure attachment and prevents psychopathology, impacting brain and social behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Absence of responsive parenting impacts children's relationship formation.
  • Institutionalization affects early childhood development.
  • The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) studied institutionalized children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Assess the impact of early family care on children's relationships.
  • Review BEIP data focusing on attachment.
  • Examine the effects of caregiving on development and behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Randomized controlled trial (RCT) design.
  • Study of young children with institutionalization history.
  • Analysis of attachment and developmental outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Early family care is vital for attachment.
  • Responsive parenting prevents psychopathology.
  • Caregiving influences brain and social behavior links.

Conclusions:

  • Secure attachment is fostered by early, warm parenting.
  • Intervention through family care mitigates negative developmental effects.
  • Early experiences shape brain development and social functioning.

Keywords:
attachmentbrain developmentdeprivationinstitutionalizationneglect

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