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Clinical disturbances of attachment in infancy and early childhood

N W Boris1, C H Zeanah

  • 1Infant Development Center, Providence, RI 02903, USA.

Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|October 3, 1998
PubMed

Insights

Infant attachment patterns impact later childhood psychopathology, with insecure-disorganized attachment being a key risk factor. Understanding attachment disturbances aids early identification and intervention for at-risk children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Attachment behavioral system development in infancy is a significant research area.
  • Clinical implications of attachment disturbances are increasingly studied.
  • Attachment patterns in infancy link to later psychopathology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical significance of attachment disturbances in infancy.
  • To highlight the role of insecure-disorganized attachment as a risk factor.
  • To inform clinical judgment regarding intervention for infants and young children.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of attachment research over the past 30 years.
  • Analysis of studies on infant attachment patterns and psychopathology.
  • Examination of reactive attachment disorder and risk conditions.

Main Results:

  • Insecure-disorganized attachment is a recognized risk factor for psychopathology.
  • Clinical features of reactive attachment disorder are becoming clearer.
  • Growing knowledge on attachment and risk conditions informs clinical practice.

Conclusions:

  • Attachment research provides crucial insights for identifying children needing intervention.
  • Primary care physicians can utilize attachment findings to support at-risk infants and young children.
  • Early identification and intervention based on attachment patterns are vital for child development.

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