Attachment relationship experiences and childhood psychopathology.
Human infants form attachments to their caregivers gradually over the course of the first year of life. Qualitatively different types of attachments, which can be identified by the end of the first year, are broadly predictive of subsequent adaptive outcomes for young children. "Disorganized" patterns of attachment have the strongest links to concurrent and subsequent psychopathology, and considerable research has demonstrated both within-the-child and environmental correlates of disorganized attachment. Clinical disorders of attachment have been demonstrated to arise under conditions of social deprivation, such as institutionalization and maltreatment. An emotionally withdrawn/inhibited pattern and an indiscriminate/disinhibited pattern both have been described. Although these clinical types arise under similar conditions of environmental adversity, they tend to have different courses over time. We describe recent findings and highlight areas of emerging consensus and areas of continuing controversy regarding both disorganized patterns of attachment and clinical disorders of attachment in young children.
Institute for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, Health Sciences Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tidewater Building TB-52, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. czeanah@tulane.edu
Charles H
CH
Zeanah
Angela
A
Keyes
Lisa
L
Settles
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000483:Alleles; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4; D012307:Risk Factors
C493599:DRD4 protein, human; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D050638:Receptors, Dopamine D4