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Intervening with Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up to decrease disrupted parenting behavior and attachment
Heather A Yarger1, Elisa Bronfman2, Elizabeth Carlson3
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
Development and Psychopathology
|August 2, 2019
Summary
The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention effectively reduced parental withdrawal. This change in parenting behavior positively influenced child attachment quality, highlighting ABC
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Family Studies
Background:
- Disrupted parenting behaviors are linked to disorganized infant attachment.
- The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention targets these parenting behaviors.
- Understanding mediators of intervention effects is crucial for optimizing outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the ABC intervention in reducing disrupted parenting behaviors.
- To examine the association between ABC intervention, parenting behavior, and child attachment quality.
- To identify potential mediators of the intervention's effect on attachment.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial comparing ABC to a control intervention.
- 105 mother-child dyads participated.
- Parenting behaviors and child attachment were assessed post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Parents receiving ABC showed significantly lower levels of parental withdrawal compared to the control group.
- Parental withdrawal mediated the effect of the ABC intervention on child attachment quality.
- The ABC intervention demonstrated efficacy in improving parenting and attachment outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The ABC intervention is effective in reducing parental withdrawal.
- Parental withdrawal is a key mediator linking the ABC intervention to improved child attachment.
- Findings support the use of ABC for promoting secure parent-child attachment.
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