ATTACHMENT AND BIOBEHAVIORAL CATCH-UP: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Attachment Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) is an in-home intervention for children aged 6 months to 2 years.
• It aims to enhance parental nurturing and interaction skills.
• ABC is recognized as a Level 1 evidence-based practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review randomized control trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of the ABC intervention.
• To synthesize existing evidence on ABC's impact on child outcomes.
• To identify contexts where ABC has been implemented.

Main Methods:

• Literature search across three bibliographic databases and relevant websites.
• Inclusion criteria: RCTs examining child outcomes.
• Identified 10 articles reporting RCTs on ABC efficacy.

Main Results:

• ABC intervention is effective for child-welfare-involved children.
• Improvements observed in emotion regulation, externalizing and internalizing behaviors.
• Increases in normative developmental functioning and attachment quality were noted.

Conclusions:

• The ABC intervention demonstrates significant positive effects on multiple child outcomes.
• Evidence supports ABC's utility, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Further research synthesis confirms ABC as an effective evidence-based practice.